NEOM Biosolids Strategy

NEOM: Developing a world leading biosolids strategy for the greenfield city. NEOM is a bold and audacious giga project in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. It is a semi-autonomous region built around helping to solve some of the challenges facing the world today in the face of unchecked urban development and climate change. NEOM will be a destination and a home for people who want to be part of building a new model of sustainable ecosystems at a time when the world needs fresh thinking and new solutions. NEOM is a central element of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 which seeks to diversify the Saudi economy and reduce its dependency on hydrocarbons. NEOM plans to build a 170km long urban development 'The Line'. A revolution in urban living, The Line will utilise technological innovation in all sectors to create unmatched liveability, sustainability, and environmental protection (Figure 2). The need to manage Biosolids in a sustainable and beneficial way is a key pillar of a region's circular economy. NEOM ambition is to be a global leader in Biosolids Management and Resource Recovery from wastewater. NEOM provided Atkins with a unique 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to influence Biosolids strategies in the region and globally. Starting with a blank slate, together we have opened our minds, pushed the boundaries, and embraced the 'art of the possible'. Atkins' Strategic Master Planning approach provided NEOM with a clear understanding of their 'drivers for change' and the 'ideal state Biosolids strategy' for their environment. It has challenged their ambition, defined critical success factors (Figure 3), embraced, and challenged global best practice. NEOM's aim is to provide a robust, dynamic and industry leading Biosolids strategy to pave a roadmap for effective management over the next decade. Situational awareness of their unique environment was developed, and any constraints or opportunities identified. Atkins, in collaboration with key stakeholders from across NEOM, developed technical papers devised to provide a full understanding of the potential to manage Biosolids within NEOM's environment: - Biosolids Quantification - Biosolids production projections were estimated using a bespoke model to allow for a rapidly changing input criteria. - Biosolids based fertilizer to land study & The viability and sustainability of alternative outlets is key in assessing the feasibility of potential strategic solutions. In order to assess the outlet Atkins utilized their land bank assessment model, created to demonstrate the potential capacity for recovery of Biosolids to varying outlets, and to enable the ability to apply sensitivity analysis and to stress test future state scenarios, for example a more stringent regulatory framework or an increase in competition for the outlet. - Biosolids energy potential and demand - NEOM's unique environment will be powered by the region's vast supplies of wind and solar energy, meaning that energy from biosolids is not as beneficial in NEOM as it is in other places in the world. A review of energy vectors from typical biogas CHP to novel processes such as syngas and green hydrogen was carried out. - Co-digestion Study - Biosolids and other organic wastes are synergistic and benefit from being considered collectively. Atkins assessed and explored the opportunity to leverage these synergies in characteristic, operation and treatment technology through co-location, co-treatment, and co-management. As NEOM is a greenfield project, there is promising potential to collaborate with other sectors to minimize investment, optimize operations and maintenance and create mutually beneficial arrangements. - Biosolids product standards & an international review of biosolids regulations and practises was undertaken to provide NEOM with a basis for their own regulatory framework. Deployment of the strategy requires technology to be implemented. In order to determine potential strategic directions and transformational delivery two comprehensive reviews of technology were undertaken: - Technologies for Treatment of Biosolids & over 50 process technologies and numerous configurations were assessed which ranged from established, well known technologies such as solar drying and mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) to more novel processes such as pyrolysis, post AD Thermal Hydrolysis and Hydrothermal Carbonization. A bespoke optioneering matrix was devised using criteria and weightings unique to NEOM and was used to assess and rank each process technology. - Technologies for Resource Recovery - Global interest in production of resources has significantly increased, supporting a drive towards zero waste strategies and circularity. The interest has driven increasing levels of research, market interest, and technology development. SWOT analysis and quantification of potential economic benefit for a variety of bio-resources was carried out. Examples include water reuse, phosphorus, nitrogen, cellulose, green hydrogen, and biopolymers. NEOM's aspiration to be at the vanguard of Bioresources Production has led them to include an innovation centre in their first regional Biosolids treatment facility (RBTF). Atkins undertook a global call for innovation and technology, to aid NEOM in devising the best fit combination for their needs. The review was undertaken due to recognition of the vast array of technologies in the market, the potential for innovative configurations and resource recovery opportunities that could be researched at the innovation centre. The Biosolids strategy also informed the selection of the main treatment process in the RBTF which is planned to be commissioned in the second half of 2023. 11 potential strategic directions were identified, through Atkins tried and trusted industry leading Bioresources Strategic Master Planning (SMP) approach, deployed to develop NEOM's immediate and future strategic plans. The SMP approach is specifically designed to challenge the norms, push the boundaries of the possible, open our imagination and ask the simple questions like 'why' and 'what if'. Our desire was to develop a purpose-built Strategic Master Plan for NEOM that truly meets their needs, ambitions, and sets new best practice for the industry. NEOM's Ultimate Biosolids strategy is focused upon Bio-resource production, maximizing the potential for resource extraction from Biosolids. The strategy drives innovation, modularity, and resource production to enable self-sufficiency and sustainable solutions for Biosolids management. As NEOM is a developing environment, their immediate strategy is a hybrid of agriculture and Bio-resource production. The immediate strategy will be focused upon provision of a high-quality agricultural product with no regret's investment. The immediate approach aligns with NEOM's self-sufficiency drivers, providing nutrients for land remediation, agriculture, and sufficient energy to off-set wastewater demand whilst enabling time for local markets and technology to develop to fully deploy the 'Bio-resource production' strategy. The strategy enables flexibility, with the opportunity to respond to changing demand / environmental drivers. In addition, providing the ability to pause or accelerate within the hybrid phasing zones as needs and markets change. The strategy enables future proofing as needs evolve or when new opportunities arise as technology / markets develop. The hybrid strategy provides the right balance between ambition and risk mitigation and will put NEOM at the vanguard of Global and Regional Biosolids management (see Figure 4). Atkins created a road map for NEOM to follow to implement their desired strategy. The comprehensive 10-year road map, featuring complimentary roadmaps for processes, systems and people gives NEOM an all-encompassing direction incorporating decision points and KPIs to determine when and if the strategy needs to adapt (see Figure 5). One of the key lessons to take away from this project is that there is not a global 'one size fits all' solution to Biosolids management. Globally, there will always be a need to manage Biosolids in an effective and sustainable way. However, the optimum solution for any given region massively depends on their local environment. During this project, the team had to move away from a European / American centric view of Biosolids management and understand NEOM's environment in the context of their location in Saudi Arabia. With NEOM's Biosolids strategy defined, and masterplan set out, NEOM are now at the beginning of their exciting journey of implementing their innovative and world leading Biosolids management plan. NEOM's culture of innovation, sustainability, and environmental guardianship with regards to Biosolids management will act as a template for global water utilities to take inspiration from.