Smart Water Magazine
Summary
Achieving full energy positivity required the support of an outside partner. VCS reached out to Jacobs, on the back of a technical paper the solutions provider had developed about energy optimisation.
The use of plant-wide modelling gave both parties the ability to test assumptions, run scenario planning and avoid costly missteps during implementation. This methodology became a foundation for every technical decision made over the following decade. It enabled the team to prioritise interventions based on measurable return, not assumptions. By using real operational data, the team could better understand interdependencies across the plant, an essential step in moving from partial gains to full energy self-sufficiency. Rather than relying on isolated upgrades, Jacobs and VCS committed to holistic, long-term improvements.
These measures focused on process changes to reduce energy consumption and increase power generation. One of the first steps involved re-routing organic carbon in wastewater from early treatment stages to anaerobic digesters, producing methane-rich biogas while reducing power demand in subsequent treatment. This renewable energy powers a combined heat and power system that delivers electricity to the facility and heats local homes and buildings via a distribution network spanning more than 20 kilometres from Ejby Mølle. These changes improved energy efficiency, reduced operational risk and created greater flexibility in plant performance.
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