The Life Ramses project headed by ACCIONA Agua and Esamur, the first full-scale experience in Europe in anaerobic treatment at ambient temperature in the main water line of a WTP, has been in operation for over a year and has shown that it is an excellent system for the treatment of urban wastewater.
Since the implementation of anaerobic treatment in the WTP at Blanca (Murcia), promising results have been achieved in terms of eliminating pollutants and reducing energy consumption. Indeed, initial forecasts have been well passed, with high elimination rates of organic material entering the aerobic biological reactor (over 70%) and considerable reductions in the WTP’s energy consumption.
As a result of the anaerobic treatment of the wastewater, energy consumption in the tertiary treatment phase has been reduced because the water is treated more efficiently in the preceding biological processes, as well as a major reduction in the production of sludge and greater dryness in the dehydrated sludge.
Given the excellent results achieved with the implementation of the anaerobic system on a real scale as a system for pre-treating water entering the aerobic biological reactor, together with low maintenance requirements and a very competitive construction cost, the Regional Body for the Sanitation and Treatment of Wastewater of the Region of Murcia (ESAMUR) is examining the possibility of replicating it in other WTPs in the region.
The project was initially funded under the LIFE call of the European Union with the name of LIFE Ramses.
