Irish Water has officially opened the €12 million Nereda Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) at Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork this week.
The contract for the construction of the treatment plant, which involved a circa €12 million investment by Irish Water, was awarded to an EPS – Sorensen Joint Venture partnership in June 2014.
The plant is the second plant in Ireland and the UK to utilise the innovative Nereda biological treatment system. It can now treat waste for a population equivalent (PE) of 30,000 but has been designed to be able to double this capacity in stages.
The project also involved upgrade works to three outlaying pump stations and a 1.5 km marine outfall. Carrigtwohill WwTP was successfully handed over to EPS Operations on the 18th May 2016 to begin a 20 year operate contract on behalf of Irish Water.
Photo: Carrigtwohill Wastewater Treatment Plant during the operate phase.
The Nereda wastewater treatment technology purifies water using aerobic granular biomass. It requires a quarter of the area of conventional activated sludge installations and the process can reduce up to 50% on energy-costs. The award-winning technology was invented by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and developed in a unique public-private partnership between the University, the Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research (STOWA), the Dutch Water Authorities and Royal HaskoningDHV.
The Nereda process has made the plant a key learning centre for both Irish and international clients. It is expected that as well as improved water quality and removal of existing health risks for the community, the new plant will unlock the capacity for further development in one of Cork’s fastest growing satellite towns.
Katherine Walshe, the regional operations manager with Irish Water commented:
“Carrigtwohill is a major pharmaceutical and biotechnology hub and this project will enable new schools and housing developments, as well as attract future industry to the area.”
Michael O’Sullivan, Contracts Manager at EPS said:
‘EPS and Sorensen are delighted to be involved in such an innovative and locally beneficial project and are looking forward to supporting the community through the operate contract duration.’
EPS Group is a specialist wet infrastructure support services group of companies operating across the Republic of Ireland, the UK, the Middle East and West Africa.
An end-to-end service provider in the global water sector, EPS has grown from a modest electrical and pumping services business into an innovative, internationally exporting product and service provider, now focused upon the water, wastewater and clean technology sectors.
The company is Ireland’s largest, privately owned Design-Build-Operate (DBO) partner for the delivery and operation of water and wastewater assets. Current long-term operational concessions cover over 200 treatment assets serving a population equivalent close to 1 million. EPS has held contracts with all 34 water authorities in the Republic of Ireland (now transferred to Irish Water), as well as a significant share of the Trader sub-market.
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