Wessex Water and Microvi Demonstrate Effective Tertiary Nitrate Removal at Low Temperatures Using MNE Technology
Microvi announced today that its innovative MicroNiche Engineering™ (MNE) process technology was successfully demonstrated for nitrate removal from secondary treated effluent at low temperatures in collaboration with Wessex Water. This performance evaluation follows the successful demonstration of MNE for tertiary ammonia removal at the same site in 2021.
Removal of Total Nitrogen (TN) is a crucial aspect of wastewater treatment which protects receiving waterways from ammonia and nitrate. Wastewater treatment facilities using conventional technologies, especially biological methods, experience reduced treatment capabilities as ambient temperatures drop. There is therefore a strong need for treatment technologies that can maintain robust performance at low temperatures.
Microvi’s nitrate removal demonstration system was commissioned in January 2022 and operated through March 2022. Incoming nitrate concentrations of more than 30 mg-N/L were reduced to below the detection limits for both Nitrate and Nitrite (<0.4 mg-N/L and 0.02 mg-N/L, respectively), even at temperatures of less than 8°C (46°F).
“This collaboration with Wessex Water highlights Microvi’s strengths in addressing nitrogen removal in a variety of applications,” said Ajay Nair, Director of Commercial and Technical Strategy at Microvi. “We are very pleased to work with Wessex Water in advancing the state of nitrogen removal in the industry today.”
Additionally, the Microvi MNE technology for wastewater nitrate removal requires lower carbon inputs compared to those typically needed for tertiary systems, leading to lower chemical consumption. MNE systems also have comparatively smaller footprints than conventional biological systems and can be retrofitted to existing systems. This successful demonstration provides an innovative alternative for delivering Total Nitrogen reduction across a broad range of applications in the wastewater industry.
About Wessex Water
Wessex Water is a regional water and sewerage business serving 2.8 million customers across the Southwest of England including Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire. The company is owned by YTL Power International of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. YTL has demonstrated a long-term commitment to Wessex Water, enabling Wessex Water to develop and continue to provide a first-class service to its customers. Wessex Water is recognized by regulators as one of the leading water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.
About Microvi
Microvi is a transformative biology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that delivers next-generation biotechnologies for the water, wastewater, bio-based chemicals, biofuels and biopharma industries. Microvi offers commercial technologies around the world to reduce waste, increase productivity and provide disruptive economics across the value chain. Learn more at www.microvi.com.
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