At Veolia, we’ve taken another step towards highly sustainable and energy-efficient wastewater treatment with our new all-in-one biological treatment solution, Cella™. Designed to enable capacity expansion while embracing sustainable practices and maximising energy recovery, Cella™ can achieve carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal with minimal or zero chemical consumption, paving the way for a greener future in wastewater treatment.
What Is MBBR?
AnoxKaldnes™ Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) is a biological wastewater treatment system for industrial and municipal markets.
First devised over 40 years ago, Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology is now used by over 1500 sites worldwide to remove biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia and nitrogen from process water and wastewater.
MBBR biological wastewater treatment involves thousands of plastic biofilm carriers. These have a large protected surface area which provides optimal conditions for microbial growth.
The carriers are suspended and circulated in a wastewater tank by air diffusers (aerobic treatment) or mixers (anaerobic treatment). Biofilms grow on the surface, separating microorganisms from the wastewater.
What Is The Next Step For MBBR?
New environmental demands and a continuous strive for excellence prompted our team to look into the improvement of our MBBR technology.
We began exploring a new support material that features a large surface area, strong bonds between the support material and the biofilm, and is renewable with a small environmental footprint. In short, all the qualities that will bring MBBR to the next level of sustainability and performance.
This is how the next generation of MBBR was born, offering enhanced capabilities and sustainability. Now, Cella™ can be used by municipalities as a key technology to help achieve tighter effluent regulations, energy neutrality and sustainability goals.
What Is Cella™?
A breakthrough technology, Cella™ is the solution that utilises a new biofilm support material – AnoxK™C – which is crucially derived from renewable, recycled biomass as opposed to alternative fossil-based materials. The Cella™ reactors circulate the support material using modern and energy optimised AnoxK™ aeration systems and mixers to keep the support material in suspension. Patented AnoxK™ separators also work to keep the support material inside the reactors.
The AnoxK™C support material is not only unique due to its material properties, it also has a large, exposed surface area, enabling it to foster robust biofilm growth and leading to the effortless transfer of contaminants and products into and out of the biofilm. As such, it is a highly efficient process that can handle a high effluent load within a small plant footprint.
Building on its energy-efficient credentials, Cella™ also maximises the recovery of biogas from excess suspended solids, promoting a positive energy balance for wastewater treatment plants.
For more information about our Cella™ technology, please click here.
More Control And Optimisation
Finally, Cella™ offers advanced process control and optimisation as it is integrated with Hubgrade Wastewater Performance Plant, our smart digital monitoring system that creates a detailed digital twin and enables operators to take a proactive, data-driven approach to plant management.
Hubgrade digital technology has already proven to achieve results, helping wastewater plants improve operational efficiency and performance, prevent equipment failures and process disruptions, and save up to 15% in energy consumption.
Cella™ In Action
Cella™ has already been utilised at a wastewater treatment plant in Svinninge, Denmark, owned and operated by Danish utility company Fors A/S. Previously, the plant had utilised an activated sludge process to treat the wastewater; however, it was working beyond its permissible capacity, and the plant anticipated further future load increases.
The team at Fors A/S was looking for a highly sustainable solution, ultimately selecting Cella™ due to its small ecological and structural footprint and treatment efficiency. Since its implementation, the Cella™ technology has enabled the plant to increase its capacity by 50% to a population equivalent of 6,000, while meeting stringent effluent requirements.
Cella™ Is Ready To Roll Out At Your Wastewater Plant
Due to its compact, efficient and sustainable nature, with its innovative biofilm technology Cella™ provides the ideal choice for plants with limited space availability, enabling them to expand treatment capacity, decarbonise operations and improve effluent quality.
Cella™ Key Benefits Summary:
- Fast start up and biofilm establishment
- Enables the simultaneous biological removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
- Reduces reliance on chemicals for phosphate precipitation
- Maximises biogas recovery
- Offers high load capacity in a small footprint, meeting stringent discharge requirements
- Replaces the need for multiple reactors with a one-stage continuous flow process
- Contributes towards plant decarbonisation targets
Cella™ represents a significant advancement for both MBBR and wastewater treatment technology and reinforces Veolia’s Green Up Strategy. Through its innovative biobased support material and efficient process design, Cella™ actively contributes to decarbonisation by reducing energy consumption and eliminating fossil-based materials. Its superior depollution capabilities ensure the effective removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus while minimising chemical usage. Furthermore, Cella™ embodies the regeneration principle by utilising renewable biomass materials and enabling biogas recovery, creating a circular approach to wastewater treatment. As we face growing environmental challenges, Cella™ stands as a testament to our commitment to sustainable solutions that protect resources and combat climate change while meeting the increasing demands of wastewater treatment facilities.
Interested? Contact one of our experts here.
