Microbial Fuel Cells| Initiatives for Innovation
CO2 generated in conjunction with wastewater treatment
To introduce microbial fuel cells to generate electricity from organic matter in wastewater.
CO 2 generated in conjunction with wastewater treatment
Aiming to GHG emissions reduction, initiatives, such as thoroughgoing energy conservation and the promotion of using renewable energy, are undergoing worldwide. CO₂ generated in the water treatment process is no exception, and the aerobic treatment method, which is widely used in wastewater treatment and is typified by the activated sludge method, has an issue because of emitting large amounts of CO₂ due to the power consumption for aeration and the disposal of the sludge generated.
The Kurita Group has been developing wastewater treatment equipment that reduces power consumption and sludge generation and is now challenging a new approach that simultaneously reduces these and generates electricity from the organic matter in wastewater.
Wastewater treatment that achieves conservation and creation of energy
The "microbial fuel cell" that the Kurita Group is developing uses the action of microorganisms called electricity-generating bacteria under anaerobic conditions without oxygen to decompose organic matter in wastewater and simultaneously convert it into electrical energy.Because it is an anaerobic process, in addition to reducing the power consumption required for aeration, it is possible to simultaneously save energy and create energy by collecting and using the electricity generated.
The challenge for practical application of microbial fuel cells
The practical application of microbial fuel cells has challenges, such as improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment and power generation, maintaining long-term stable performance, and scaling up to actual size. To solve these challenges, we collaborated with Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. using our knowledge of water treatment and their expertise in the design and production of fuel cells, and that succeeded in scaling up the power generation cell to its actual size. Its demonstration scale achieved the world's highest organic matter removal rate per reaction tank volume (20 kg-CODCr/m³/d) and power generation (200 W/m³).
The Kurita Group will continue developing further performance improvements, aiming to achieve wastewater treatment with virtually zero CO₂ emissions which create equal to or greater than the energy consumed.
