Barwon Water has received $3 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to advance its Oxygen for Wastewater Project. 

The project is designed to enhance the efficiency of wastewater treatment through the use of pure oxygen, derived as a by-product from hydrogen production at the Viva Energy Hub in Corio.

The approach involves utilising pure oxygen, produced during the hydrogen creation process, to improve the biological breakdown of waste in Barwon Water’s treatment plants. 

The hydrogen itself is generated using recycled water from Barwon Water's Northern Water Plant and renewable electricity. 

By incorporating oxygen-enriched air into the aeration process - where bacteria break down waste - the project aims to significantly boost efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

“As part of our Strategy 2030, we aim to produce zero waste and reach zero net emissions,” says Shaun Cumming, Managing Director of Barwon Water. 

“This innovative project aims to enhance wastewater treatment efficiency by using oxygen-enriched air.”

The aeration process is critical in wastewater treatment, consuming up to 70 per cent of the energy used. 

“Aeration blows air into the water,” Cumming said. 

“The air we breathe has an oxygen concentration of about 21 per cent, but if we add pure oxygen, which we will have available onsite as a by-product of the hydrogen production, we can get a fivefold increase in the efficiency of the oxygen supplied to the bacteria.” 

This enhancement is expected to lower energy usage and extend the lifespan of the treatment facilities, yielding substantial cost savings.

At the Northern Water Plant. In this system, wastewater treated at the plant is used by Viva Energy to produce renewable hydrogen. The pure oxygen generated during hydrogen production is then redirected back to Barwon Water for wastewater treatment, creating a closed-loop system.

In a related development, Barwon Water has also signed an agreement with HDrive for the purchase of a hydrogen-powered prime mover. 

This vehicle, the first of its kind in Victoria, will be used in the collection of organic waste for recycling at the water reclamation plants. 

The acquisition is part of the broader Viva Energy Hub hydrogen refuelling station project, which received $34 million in ARENA funding, with an additional $1 million from the Victorian Government.