The encyclopedia · Engineering & Operations · Operational decision · 2016–2017
Aqualia's wastewater plant cut power 13.5% by policing its own setpoints
An IBM cognitive optimizer ran a one-year pilot at Aqualia's Lleida plant, cutting electricity 13.5% and phosphorus chemicals 14%.
Aqualia · IBM
the move
Aqualia's wastewater plant in Lleida, Spain, ran on conservative setpoints that over-used electricity and chemicals to stay safely within effluent limits.
IBM built a cognitive optimizer that models the plant as a constrained Markov-decision-process and continuously recommends better setpoints.
In a one-year pilot at the plant, the system held water quality within regulation while cutting energy and chemical use.
why it works
- It targets the conservative operating setpoints, not the equipment.
- Optimizing control loops keeps effluent within legal limits.
- It reduced electricity consumption by 13.5% in the pilot.
- It cut phosphorus-removal chemicals by 14%.
what transfers
For environmental processes, there is headroom between 'safe' and 'optimal'; a real-time optimizer can find it without crossing the compliance line.
what came after
The one-year pilot at Aqualia's Lleida plant showed a 13.5% reduction in electricity consumption and a 14% reduction in the chemicals used to remove phosphorus, demonstrating an optimization-based way to save resources in wastewater treatment.
references
- IBM cognitive technology helps Aqualia to reduce costs and save resources in wastewater treatment
- IBM cognitive technology helps Aqualia to reduce costs and save resources in wastewater treatment
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