CH2M Hill Earns a WEX Global Innovation Award for Achieving Energy Independence at an Advanced Wastewater Nutrient Removal Facility

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CH2M HILL (www.ch2mhill.com), a global full-service consulting, design, construction and operations firm, announces that the Ejby Mølle Wastewater Treatment Plant (EMWWTP) in Odense, Denmark has won a Water and Energy Exchange (WEX) Global Innovation Award in the water and energy category. The awards were presented at the WEX summit on Feb. 20. WEX is an action oriented invitation-only summit that brings together high-level people who are shaping the future of water and energy worldwide. The awards recognize significant achievement in the field of innovation across a broad spectrum of disciplines with specific emphasis on environmental considerations, a sustainable future, financial resilience and innovation.

“VCS Denmark is a very progressive utility, striving to become a model for incorporating sustainability principles in its operations”

The CH2M HILL-winning project began in early 2012 when VCS Denmark (www.vcsdenmark.com), the provider of water and wastewater services for Odense, selected the team of CH2M HILL and Ramboll Denmark to execute a project that would make the EMWTP energy self-sufficient. EMWWTP has a treatment capacity for a population of 385,000 and is the largest treatment facility in Odense, Denmark.

“VCS Denmark is a very progressive utility, striving to become a model for incorporating sustainability principles in its operations,” says CH2M HILL Vice President and Technology Senior Fellow Julian Sandino. “The energy project was aimed at identifying additional energy optimization opportunities that would further facilitate the achievement of their sustainability goals.”

A series of energy optimization options (EOOs) were identified for the EMWWTP through the analysis of historical operational data, the use of an advanced mass/energy balance simulation tool, and the adoption of a collaborative workshop-based approach in identifying and evaluating alternatives. Implementation by plant staff of some of the recommended operational-oriented EOOs succeeded in making the plant essentially energy self-sufficient. This spring the facility will begin the co-digestion of high-strength organic industrial waste, which will enable it to reach a positive net energy condition. Other facility enhancements such as providing side stream treatment and improving oxygen transfer efficiencies in its bioreactors are also being applied, which will further convert this plant into an energy resource recovery facility. Implementation of all of the project’s recommendations will significantly reduce operational costs while providing the added environmental benefit of reducing green house gas emissions by reducing commercial energy consumption.

“Very few nutrient removal wastewater treatment facilities in the world are able to consider themselves energy self sufficient, let alone net energy positive. This project serves as a model for how to approach an energy optimization project,” adds Dr. Sandino.

Employee-owned CH2M HILL is one of the world’s leading consulting, design, design-build, operations, and programme management companies serving government, civil, industrial and energy clients, employing over 30,000 people worldwide.

Our work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources.

With its European headquarters in London, CH2M HILL have operated in the UK for over 20 years and following the firm’s acquisition of Halcrow in 2011, now employee over 3,500 people in Europe. CH2M HILL is working on some of the most iconic infrastructure programmes including High Speed 2, Thames Tideway Tunnels, the decommissioning of Dounreay and was one of the leading partners in CLM, Delivery Partner to the ODA for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

CH2M HILL has been named a FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For six times and is an active member of Business in the Community and the Employee Ownership Association.”

Visit us at www.ch2mhill.com, www.ch2mhillblogs.com/water, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill. Search for jobs at www.ch2mhill.jobs.

###