Photo Veolia Water (DR)
In 2004, when Poland joined the European Union, just 30 to 40% of Greater Warsaw's wastewater underwent summary treatment. Most of the city's effluent - especially that from the more densely populated and developed left bank - flowed directly into the Vistula River and then into the Baltic Sea.
European Union funding was set in place to bring up to standard the existing Czajka treatment plant on the right bank of the Vistula, ten kilometers north of Warsaw city center.
The upgrade task was enormous: install 30 kilometers of wastewater collection system; construct a tunnel and a siphon under the Vistula to transport the left bank effluent; rebuild, modernize and extend the existing treatment plant; and build a sludge incineration plant.
The total investment came to more than 3 billion zlotys, or €769 million.
The work at Czajka alone accounted for €565 million, with 40% funded by the European Cohesion Fund and almost 60% by the Municipality of Warsaw. Following an international tender process, the work was contracted to Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, a subsidiary of Veolia Water.
"For the wastewater treatment plant (€462 million), Veolia Water was a member of a consortium led by Warbud, the Polish subsidiary of Vinci Construction, alongside three Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies subsidiaries and the German company WTE. For the sludge incineration plant (€103 million), the consortium was led by Veolia Water and included three Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies subsidiaries and Warbud."
Jean de Vauxclairs
Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Water
Green revolution for the Polish capital
With capacity for a population equivalent of 2.1 million, the Polish capital's new wastewater treatment plant is one of the largest in Eastern Europe. It treats 435,000 cubic meters of wastewater a day, and can handle up to 515,000 cubic meters at peak flow rate, which is well in excess of the old plant's capacity of around 200,000 cubic meters a day.
The treatment is based on the active sludge principle. This technology was chosen for its reliable and solid treatment and service. The wastewater is settled and treated biologically to remove the carbon, phosphate and nitrogen. The biological treatment is managed using advanced controls enabling a high level of treatment performance, while saving energy and reagent consumption.
It is Veolia's Bio-denitro™ process that achieves high levels of nitrogen removal. Odors are treated using the Veolia's air treatment process, Aquilair™.
Once the wastewater has been treated, the sludge from the Czajka wastewater treatment plant, as well as that from Poludnie, Warsaw's other wastewater plant, is incinerated in a furnace at 850°C. The incineration plant uses the Pyrofluid™ thermal treatment process that oxidizes the organic matter leaving recoverable ash and energy.
"At the end of the treatment process, 90% of the infeed sludge has disappeared and theremaining 10% is recovered. The plant treats 600 metric tons ofsludge a day."
Jean de Vauxclairs
Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Water
The incineration plant also uses the sludge's inherent heat to generate green energy.
Lastly, the technical performance of the processes used at this plant means that the incineration flue gas released into the atmosphere above the Polish capital falls well within the already very stringent air quality standards applicable in this area.
The green revolution is underway in Warsaw.
Veolia Water
Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services. With 89 094 employees, Veolia Water provides water service to 100 million people and wastewater service to 71 million. Its 2012 revenue amounted to € 12,078 billion.
Veolia Environnement
Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is the worldwide reference in environmental solutions. With 220,000 employees*, the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in three complementary segments: water management, waste management and energy management. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of €29.4 billion* in 2012.
(*) Excluding VeoliaTransdev employees and revenues currently under divestment
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