Restart and Commissioning of ETP of a Petrochemical Industry

Introduction: 

This petrochemical industry in West Bengal has a full-fledged Activated Sludge Process (ASP) system with two aeration tanks in parallel. This Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) experienced shock loads and frequent upsets due to multiple streams and high Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in the effluent. Maintenance of a good biomass in the aeration tanks along with sustainability in shock loads was a challenge as the upsets were highly shock-inducing.

ETP Details:

The industry had primary treatment, biological treatment, and then a tertiary treatment.

Previous Capacity

Challenges: 

Operational Challenges:

• The primary treatment was working at 5% efficiency in terms of COD reduction.
• The biological treatment worked at an average 20-25% efficiency in terms of COD reduction.
• They were struggling to control the higher PAH levels, and it was inducing shock loads, as explained earlier.

The Approach:

The industry partnered with us to commission their Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) and Aeration Tank with increased capacity and restart the ETP at its full capacity in terms of hydraulic load.

We adopted a 3D approach that included:

Research/Scrutiny:

Our team visited their facility to go through the process of the new Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and to scrutinize the value-addition factors.

Analysis:

We analyzed the 3-month cumulative data of their ETP to see trends in the inlet-outlet parameters’ variations and the permutation combinations related to it.

Innovation:

After the research and analysis, our team curated customized products and their dosing schedules with formulation, keeping in mind the plan of action to get the desired results.

This process is called bioaugmentation.

Desired Outcomes:

• Development of strong biology to withstand shock loads and prevent upsets.
• Making ETP more efficient regarding COD/BOD and PAH degradation.
• Reduction in FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease).

Execution:

Our team selected the product:

For Aeration Tank:

1. T1B Aerobio: consists of blends of several strains of aerobic and facultative microorganisms, usually bacteria, along with key trace elements on a complex inert media.

For Oil/Grease Trap:

     2.T1B FOG BioBloc:

Our plan of action included:

• The addition of T1B Aerobio was also done every day with a reduction in the dosing every 10 days.
• A total of 150 kgs of T1B Aerobio was used for 60 days of treatment.
• T1B FOG BioBloc was placed at the O/G trap for FOG reduction.
• 4 blocks of T1B FOG BioBloc were used for 60 days.

Results:

Parameters

The implementation of the bioaugmentation program resulted in significant improvements in the performance of biological units in their Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP):

• The COD/BOD degrading efficiency increased from 20% to 70% in the biological system.
• PAH was also getting degraded up to 77%.
• MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids): MLVSS (Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids) ratio was optimized.
• Biomass in the ASP system displayed great stability even during shock load situations.

This sustainable wastewater treatment approach has helped the industry optimize effluent quality, enhance microbial community stability, and ensure compliance with environmental standards.

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