Kemira Water and St. Petersburg waterworks - collaboration gains interest throughout Russia

17 October 2007

St. Peterburg's central waste water treatment plant is the biggest of the city's twenty plants. Its phosphorous removal system will improve the state of the Gulf of Finland.

Kemira Water and St. Petersburg waterworks
Collaboration gains interest throughout Russia

Kemira Water and SUE Vodokanal St. Petersburg have been collaborating since 2004 for drinking water and waste water treatment. In many waste water projects the third partner has been the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. As a result of several common research and development projects one important milestone was reached recently when St. Petersburg phosphorous removal system was taken in use. Based on successful experiences, the collaboration continues in the frames of ten-year agreement. The cooperation has attracted considerable interest throughout Russia.

Kemira Water, a world-class producer of water treatment chemicals and a part of Kemira Group, has been involved in Russia, including the St. Petersburg region since the early 1990s as it started exporting of chemicals for drinking water treatment.

Kemira Water’s collaboration with the SUE Vodokanal St. Petersburg - the leader in the field of water treatment in Russia - was reinforced in 2003 when it acquired a local water treatment chemical plant.

On the base of the acquired plant, Kemira Water established a new company ZAO Kemira Eko, which with annual production of 80,000 tons produces liquid aluminium sulphate for purifying drinking water. It is also the only company in Russia? which produces iron-based chemicals industrial scale for cleaning wastewater.

"In cooperation with Kemira Finland, Kemira Eko provides comprehensive solutions and services for water treatment, for instance, laboratory tests for selection of optimal chemicals and water treatment process improvements as well as full scale trials," says Helena Lähteenmäki, General Manager Russia, Kemira Water.

"In Russia, there is fierce competition. Our competitive edge is based on long-term agreements and providing comprehensive solutions, new products and services,” she continues.

Photo: Kimmo Brandt

The Eko’s main customer is St. Petersburg’s waterworks. In addition, customers include waterworks in different towns of Russia, for example Vyborg and Petrozavodsk.

Cooperation started from drinking water

In 2004, Kemira and UES Vodokanal St. Petersburg started partnership program in the use of chemicals for potable water and wastewater treatment.

“One of our first objectives was to improve the quality of drinking water, and we tested in cooperation hundreds of compounds in search for chemicals that are best suited to the processes on St. Petersburg's waterworks. A special aim was to reduce corrosion in the city’s water pipes,” Lähteenmäki explains.

The challenges in St. Petersburg are substantial. There are several purification plants supplying a total of 2.5 million cubic meters of drinking water every day.

Research for reducing phosphorous load

On observing a couple of years ago that there will be difficulties in meeting phosphorous discharge recommendations of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – HELCOM, Vodokanal and Kemira Water tackled this problem.

During last two to three years the research for phosphorous removal has been one of the most important projects, according to Lähteenmäki.

"Together we made the necessary calculations, laboratory experiments and small-scale test runs for chemical phosphorus removal. Full scale tests began at medium-size wastewater treatment plants in Kronstadt, Kolpino and Metallostroy."

"The trials resulted in decreasing phosphorus content to 1,0 – 0,5 mg per litre. In Konstadt, the removal system is already in use," Lähteemäki notes.

The HELCOM recommendations for maximum phosphorous discharges is 1.5. mg per litre, but the Vodokanal's objective for all of its treatment plants is to reach below the 1.0 mg per litre maximum phosphorus concentration required by the European Union.

Improving the state of the Gulf of Finland

The good trial results from the three plants encouraged to start full scale trials for phosphorous removal at St. Petersburg’s central waste water treatment plant at the beginning of 2007. The phosphorous removal system was officially taken in full use in October 2007.

“As a result the phosphorous load to the Gulf of Finland will be reduced with about 500 tons annually, which amount corresponds 5 - 8 percent of the total phosphorous load to the Sea,” Lähteenmäki describes.

Besides Kemira and Vodokanal, Finnish Ministry of the Environment and John Nurminen Foundation have participated in the project.

"The phosphorus removal process of the St. Petersburg's Central wastewater treatment plant is the single most cost-effective measure available for improving the ecological state of the Gulf of Finland," Lähteenmäki points out.

The Gulf of Finland’s external nutrient load is two or three times the Baltic sea’s average value. The load has resulted in increase plant and bacterial growth which negatively affects the whole ecosystem of the Sea.

The total investment in the removal system is around EUR 1.9 million, of which about EUR 0.6 million were financed by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.

“The on-site tests are being done to determine how to carry out most cost-effectively joint chemical and biological phosphorus removal. The aim is to achieve a post-treatment maximum wastewater phosphorus content of 0.5 mg per litre,” Lähteemäki reminds.

"For the time being, the full-scale tests are going on in Kolpino, Metallostroy, Sestroretks, Zelenogorsk and Pontonnyij. It is only a question of time that all the waste water treatment plants in St. Petersburg will reach the 1 mg per litre limit in phosphorous removal and the results will for sure effect positively to the state of Gulf of Finland," Lähteenmäki continues.

Cooperation with Vodokanal continues

Last year a new south-western wastewater treatment plant was completed in St. Petersburg at a total cost of EUR 190 million. The plant treats 11 percent of the city’s annual output of about three million cubic meters of waste water.

Kemira and Vodokanal, together with the operating company Ekovod, have implemented chemical phosphorous removal in this plant also and today the plant reaches 1.0 mg value.

Although Vodokanal now has sufficient treatment capacity to handle all the city’s wastewater, it is unable to do so because full utilization of this capacity requires completition of a planned 12-kilometer sewer tunnel. This tunnel will require a further EUR 700 million.

The Ministry of the Environment of Finland will continue to prioritise support for projects that have an immediate impact on improving the state of the Gulf of Finland. Such projects include constructing the Neva river sewer tunnel.

Since the beginning of 1990s, Vodokanal of St. Petersburg has implemented nearly 100 projects aimed at developing its water and wastewater operations. Finnish Ministry of the Environment and Kemira Water has participitated in a number of these projects.

“Kemira distinguishes itself from other suppliers of chemicals by providing Vodokanal with cost effective solutions and partnership,” Lähteenmäki stresses.

Interest throughout Russia

Recent wastewater tests have encouraged the local politicians and other decision-makers to take phosphorous removal into consideration.
In addition, businesses and corporations have shown interest in environmental affairs and in environmental sponsoring.

“The collaboration between Kemira and Vodokanal has attracted considerable interest throughout Russia”, says Lähteenmäki.

“Currently, we are however focusing on services for Vodokanal in St. Petersburg while investigating our prospects elsewhere in Russia.”

Besides St. Petersburg's waterworks also waterwork's in Vyborg and Petroskoi and other areas are interested in phosphorous removal.

“Representatives from several local water utilities have come to review our solutions. We have gained reputation not only for our products, but also for our expertise. This gives us a good platform for enlarging our business operations to other regions in Russia.”

Legislative limits for phosphorous - a challenge

Currently, there are no legislative limits on phosphorous discharges in Russia.

"We are currently monitoring the progress of water management in Russia with interest. In addition of cities, communities and industry, the proposals for phosphorous limits may concern also agricultural sector with large discharges.

"For industrial and agricultural sector we have special expertise. Besides phosphorous removal solution, we have developed and are providing solutions for treating the sludge that these sectors produce," Lähteenmäki says.

"We are interested in the incorporation of local authority water utilities and the involvement of international financiers in this process, tariff policies and changes in water consumption," Helena Lähteenmäki concludes.