A Path to Sustainability: Biogas Recovery towards Energy Self Sufficiency Wastewater Treatment Plant

The concept of Sustainability is vigorously introduced into the curriculum of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) due to worldwide concerns over increasing energy demand coupled with growing volumes of sewage sludge. This paper evaluates anaerobic digestion of bio-sludge as a method for alleviating environmental, economic and social challenges surrounding current energy source, demand and strict sludge disposal standards. Gaza Strip has been selected as a case study area to assess the applicability of such approach; as AD is proposed to be integrated into Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Gaza Strip to reduce the volume of sludge produced as well as recovering biogas. Results show that AD is an attractive strategy along the path of sustainably managing WWTPs delivering the two key objectives of recovering enough energy to make WWTPs self sufficient and minimizing waste generation. Keywords: key words, anaerobic digestion, sludge reduction, sustainability, wastewater treatment plant