What capex and opex costs are typical for wastewater treatment plants with nutrient recovery implementation?
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The capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) costs for wastewater treatment plants implementing nutrient recovery technologies vary based on the specific processes utilized. Studies have shown that for technologies like electrochemical struvite recovery, CAPEX can range from $6.03/kg to $25.4 million over a 20-year lifetime, with OPEX varying from $0.63/m3 to $407.61/inhabitant . Similarly, ion exchange processes coupled with traditional activated sludge or anaerobic membrane processes have estimated whole life costs of ~£6.1 M to ~£7.4 M over 40 years . In contrast, nutrient recovery options like struvite precipitation in existing treatment plants may struggle to cover operational expenses, with potential revenues only offsetting around 38.5% of costs, despite environmental benefits such as reducing nutrient discharge to water bodies .
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| Papers (5) | Insight |
|---|---|
01 Jan 2020 1 Citations | Not addressed in the paper. |
| The nutrient recovery options in wastewater treatment plants in Buenos Aires were found to be economically unprofitable, with potential revenues covering only 38.5% of operational expenses. | |
| For wastewater treatment plants with nutrient recovery, typical capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) costs are outlined, with struvite production offering cost-effective phosphate recovery solutions. | |
18 Mar 2020 55 Citations | For a 10,000 population equivalent WWTP, the estimated whole life cost (WLC) for ion-exchange processes coupled with traditional activated sludge was ~£7.4M, and with anaerobic membrane process was £6.1M. |
| For wastewater treatment plants with nutrient recovery, typical CAPEX includes reactor materials and building space costs, while OPEX comprises electricity for operating the struvite reactor and H2 compression. |
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