The city of Olomouc, located in the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, is home to a long list of historic attractions, including the magnificent Holy Trinity Column – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to its distinguished history, the city also boasts a modern, well equipped wastewater treatment facility. The plant, which is part of the Veolia Group has its sights set firmly on the future with cutting-edge process optimization enabled by smart digital tools. In addition to municipal wastewater, the plant processes industrial streams from food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and soap production facilities.
The next step on a long collaborative journey
“Our relationship with Kemira goes all the way back to 1994 when they first started supplying us with water-treatment chemicals, and they have been a trusted partner ever since,” says Robert Váňa, who manages the wastewater treatment plants in the Olomouc region. “We have always been seeking ways to achieve the best possible treatment results for the lowest possible cost, and therefore optimization has long been a focus at the plant,” Mr. Váňa continues.
As part of this optimization drive the plant operators had developed their own smart algorithm to optimize the use of ferric sulfate – a coagulant used to remove phosphorus from the wastewater. “In this way the Olomouc plant has always been forward thinking, so we were working with a system that had already been optimized to a great extent,” says Patricia Aubeuf-Prieur, Marketing Manager, Advanced Water Treatment, Kemira.
“With their own system the plant had already reduced chemical consumption by 15%, which is impressive. Our goal was to work together with the team at the plant to demonstrate how the KemConnect P multi dosing point algorithm could help them achieve even more efficient use of chemicals,” Patricia continues.
Smart chemical management enables additional savings
Kemira KemConnect™ P is a smart chemical management technology that helps plant operators to dose the exact amount of coagulants they require for chemical phosphate removal. It provides continuous monitoring combined with precise dosing control to react quickly to fluctuations in the feed to their wastewater plant. Controlling phosphorus levels in their effluent is particularly important for the Olomouc plant because the effluent is discharged into a local river.
“Although we had our own system in place, Kemira’s proposal was an attractive one because of the potential for additional savings and the fact that the KemConnect P user interface would make it much easier for us to monitor exactly what was happening in real time and give us the data and tools to react quickly to changing conditions in the optimal way,” highlights Mr. Váňa. “What’s more, it could be safely and securely integrated with our own system without causing any disruption or presenting any cybersecurity risks.”
After implementing KemConnect P the plant has seen an additional reduction of 6–12% in average dosing volume.
“First and foremost, we appreciate the flexibility of the Kemira system because we can basically change the coagulant doses online, says Mr. Váňa. This means we can react almost immediately according to the quality and quantity of the wastewater flowing into the plant. The user interface and dashboards are also very clear and easy to use, with key data available at a glance, helpful visualizations, and comprehensive reporting tools,” Mr. Váňa explains.
A bright future with its roots in the digital world
Kemira’s collaboration with the Olomouc plant is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when two pioneering organizations pool their expertise in water treatment and smart digital solutions. Behind all the algorithms, chemicals, and technological solutions though, is a good old-fashioned human touch.
“Our cooperation with Kemira’s representative has always been open and honest. Their communication is excellent, and they are always willing to help out with any questions or issues whenever we need additional support,” says Mr. Váňa.
“We are very pleased to be able to continue our long-standing partnership with the Olomouc plant and using our expertise and smart technologies to help them take even greater steps forward in process optimization with the help of our smart digital solutions and world-class chemistry expertise,” concludes Patricia.
