Biogas upgrading, CO2 valorisation and economic revaluation of bioelectrochemical systems through anodic chlorine production in the framework of wastewater treatment plants

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 690; pp. 352 - 360
• Main Authors: Batlle-Vilanova, Pau, Rovira-Alsina, Laura, Puig, Sebastià, Balaguer, M. Dolors, Icaran, Pilar, Monsalvo, Victor M., Rogalla, Frank, Colprim, Jesús
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 10.11.2019
• Subjects: Anodic valorisation; Biomethane production; Carbon capture and utilisation; Circular economy; CO2 reduction; Microbial electrosynthesis; Biomethane production; Carbon capture and utilisation; Microbial electrosynthesis; Anodic valorisation; Circular economy; CO2 reduction
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.361

Biogas production in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) plays a decisive role in the reduction of CO2 emissions and energy needs in the context of the water-energy nexus. The biogas obtained from sewage sludge digestion can be converted into biomethane by the use of biogas upgrading technologies. In this regard, an innovative water scrubbing based technology, known as ABAD Bioenergy® is presented and considered in this work. The effluents resulting from this system consist of biomethane and treated wastewater with a high CO2 concentration. Therefore, the study explores the feasibility of using this CO2-containing effluent in the cathode of a bioelectrochemical system (BES) for the transformation of CO2 into methane. Techno-economic assessment of the process is presented, including the valorisation of anode reactions through the production of chlorine compounds. Finally, the potential impacts of applying this technology in a WWTP operated by FCC Aqualia are (i) increasing biomethane production by 17.4%, (ii) decreasing CO2 content by 42.8% and (iii) producing over 60 ppm of chlorine compounds to disinfect all the treated wastewater of the plant. [Display omitted] •Microbial electrosynthesis of CH4 increased biogas calorific power up to 9 kWh m−3.•Shifting from synthetic to real effluent did not modify methane fraction in biogas.•From 689 m3 d−1 of CO2-saturated effluent, 269 m3 d−1 of extra biomethane were obtained.•Simultaneous production of chlorine and methane in the same reactor was accomplished.•The economic viability was reached when 60 ppm of chlorine were co-produced.