A MAJOR upgrade of the largest wastewater treatment plant in Bahrain will help meet the needs of an expanding population, according to a key contractor.
The £28.6 million facelift will also address the issues of limited space and an increasing need for high quality treated sewage effluent for reuse.
Award-winning HYBACS installation at Tubli WPCC (Phase 1, commissioned 2013)The project to expand the capacity of the Tubli Waste Pollution Control Centre (WPCC) was awarded to the London-based Bluewater Bio Limited, a provider of treatment solutions to the water industry, by the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry.
The award-winning global specialist in technologies for cost-effective water and wastewater treatment is expected to complete the upgradation in 22 months.
The company will also operate and maintain the new plant alongside another of its HYBrid ACtivated Sludge (HYBACS) system, installed five years ago.
“HYBACS’ ability to increase the existing plant’s capacities by around 2.5 times, without the need for significant additional structures, makes it ideally suited to many of the region’s current needs of expanding populations, limited space and increasing need for high quality treated sewage effluent for reuse,” Bluewater Bio commercial director Fergus Rooksby told the GDN.
“Where existing plants are already overloaded the ability to build the additional capacity entirely offline and to avoid compromising the already stressed assets any further are proving to be compelling factors for a number of our clients.
“Furthermore, the technology’s modularity enables clients to phase their spending and tailor it more to their immediate needs rather than having to build plants with 10-15 year design horizons.”
The Tubli WPCC is the largest in the country serving a population equivalent to 1.4m.
The new project, marking the UK company’s second contract with the ministry at Tubli Bay, is expected to boost the plant’s waste treatment capacity by 120m litres per day (mld), delivering the total treated wastewater to 230 mld.
“Bahrain knows us and our products, as there are existing HYBACS units operating successfully within treatment works,” said Bluewater Bio executive chairman Richard Haddon.
According to the contractors, similar installations are underway in Saudi Arabia, enabling the company to use Bahrain as an important base and hub for the region.
“We have worked with Bluewater Bio over many years and know the benefits its technology brings and therefore we are looking forward to this upgrade to our plant,” said Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry Under-Secretary Ahmed Al Khayat in a statement.
“It will further enhance the water provision for both the residents and businesses of Bahrain.”
British Ambassador Simon Martin hailed the development as an excellent example of positive British-Bahraini collaboration.
The GDN reported in 2015 that experts had warned of the WPCC being overloaded and in need of an urgent upgrade.
The Tubli WPCC treats around 150m litres of sewage on a daily basis, but only one-third of that is suitable to be re-used for irrigation, according to Bluewater Bio, involved in the facility since 2011.
This article was authored by Raji Unnikrishnan and first appeared in Gulf Daily News on Monday 21 January 2019. To view the full article please click here
