Minimising Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Design of a Wastewater Treatment Plant Treating Industrial and Domestic Wastewater for Industrial Reuse

The Gippsland Water Factory (GWF) will be one of Australia's most innovative wastewater treatment and recycling systems. With the advent of a carbon constrained economy, infrastructure projects will be required to demonstrate reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) compared to existing practice. Placing a GHGe constraint on the GWF project drove innovation: in the conceptual stages of design; in research conducted through the pilot plant facility; in determining operational electricity and chemical input requirements; in sourcing electricity inputs; and in carbon accounting techniques. An unambiguous target to reduce GHGe by 20% off a theoretical benchmark of 52,102 tonnes CO2-e/year was set, to ensure that the project was well placed for the introduction of an emissions trading scheme in Australia. The final design of the GWF will reduce annual emissions by approximately 13,681 tCO2-e, a 29% reduction off the benchmark.