Siemens Water Technologies & Engineering Co Limited has signed a EUR 4.2 million contract with Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group Co Limited in China to provide a Biological Nutrient Removal system for upgrading and retrofitting the facilities of Tianjin Xianyang Road Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tianjin.

The BNR system will be designed to treat 450,000 cubic meters per day and to significantly improve the effluent discharge standard of Xianyang Road WWTP from the national standard of Class II to Class I. The project is scheduled for start up in April 2010. The vertical process is part of the Siemens solution at the Tianjin Xianyang Road Wastewater Treatment Plant.

As one of six main drainage systems in Tianjin, the Xianyang Road WWTP serves an area of 6806 hectares. The WWTP upgrade is one of the key sewage treatment projects for pollution control of the Hai River. The project was awarded to Siemens following a successful BNR pilot study conducted for TCEPC in June 2009.

With the BNR process, the biological reaction tank footprint is minimized, and therefore the capital cost is significantly reduced. TCEPC will not need to construct additional basins that otherwise would be required for conventional activated processes. In addition, the dissolved oxygen profile of 0/1/2 mg/l maintained in the three respective reactors greatly reduces oxygen demand, thereby reducing energy usage.

Water treatment technologies and solutions are an important feature of Siemens’ environmental portfolio. In 2008, revenue from the products and solutions of Siemens' environmental portfolio was nearly EUR 19 billion, which is equivalent to around a quarter of Siemens’ total revenue.