PUMP SYSTEMS/REGULATION Blowing down costs


Installing the most efficient blowers for aeration at Singapore’s largest MBR plant was a key consideration for the Public Utility Board, says Nigel Jackson, projects manager for ABS


lant costs were a major consideration for Singapore’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR), the Jurong Water Reclamation Plant, which has a peak flow capacity of 68,000m3/d (see page 31 of January’s WWT for more on MBRs). When the contract to build a new process plant at the works was awarded, the country’s national water agency, the Public Utilities Board paid close attention to the selection of plant that would be used.


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While the choice of pumps and mixers were carefully considered, the major focus was given to the blowers. The major component of running costs for any aeration process will be the blower system, so PUB decided to trial various options to determine which offered the best overall solution.


The exercise, which ran over a 12-month period, resulted in a clear victory for the ABS Turbocompressor HST. The machines were


found to have the lowest overall power consumption figures, which will save the client over 250,000kWh per annum.


However, this was not all due to the machine’s minimal maintenance requirements – the projected OPEX costs, which include both power consumption and maintenance expense, were significantly lower than any of its competitors. Because of the small footprint of the HST machines, the size of the blower building was considerably smaller than originally envisaged, reducing the construction costs.


The machines do not transmit any vibration to the structure, so no plinths or special foundations were required, neither was there a need to provide a crane in the building, as HST machines can be transported by a manual pallet truck. The Motor Control Centre also cost less as the machines have inbuilt variable-speed drives, negating the need for separate starter compartments and making


the MCC room smaller – again saving on construction costs. When all of the associated capital and construction costs were taken into consideration, the ABS Turbocompressors HST offered the lowest overall cost, thereby giving both the builder and PUB the most attractive solution available.


The Turbocompressor HST makes use of advanced magnetic bearing technology and a simple but robust mechanical design. This means there is only one moving part in the machines, which has no contact with the rest of the machine during operation. This eliminates all need for lubrication and results in no friction or energy losses and no wear of components. The inbuilt variable-speed control keeps the machine at its optimal efficiency at all times, maximising energy utilisation. 


…time for a change of strategy


into the Water White Paper in the summer. And by autumn 2011 Ofwat plans to pull together details of how price limits might be set and consult on high-level framework principles. Although we are not at the stage where we have drawn conclusions, we can give you some idea of Ofwat’s direction of travel by looking at our regulatory compliance project.


Reducing the regulatory burden


From June returns and regulatory accounts to principal statements and charges schemes, the regulatory process has transformed into a formidable machine that demands to be fed.


In 1990 the annual return had 16 tables and 64 pages of reporting guidance. In 2010 there were 77 tables and 854 guidance pages. The man hours – by companies and ourselves – that go into checking, querying, analysing and quality checking this are considerable. This is not sustainable. So we set up our regulatory compliance project to look at how we need to change. With the successes we have under our belt, now is the time to focus just on the riskiest areas rather than analysing everything in sight. This means we will have to find new ways of identifying those risks. Where is failure most likely? We could learn this from more sophisticated customer complaint analysis, from greater use of our whistleblower charter, from listening to stakeholders – environmentalists, investors or others. Or from targeted information requests. Companies would benefit from a reduced reporting burden, while we would be able to better protect consumers by focusing our resources on the areas where they are most required. And, of course, all our costs would be reduced. We set out our initial thinking on how we might achieve this in our


VI Consultant and Contractor File January 2011


report Getting it right for customers – how can we make monopoly water and sewerage companies more accountable? And we have sent a clear signal on our commitment to reducing the amount of data companies need to provide us with. For 2010-11 we are not asking companies to provide extensive commentaries on each section of their annual June returns. One company provided us with 800 pages of commentary last year. This year they won’t have to do that and we won’t have to read and analyse those 800 pages. But the most important thing if we are to move away from a one-size- fits-all to a more risk-based approach, is a change in culture. We are used to having a lot of data to analyse in this sector but we all need to move away from that. Water companies will increasingly need to manage their risk. Regulators will need to let go, standing back where appropriate and focusing on the areas that matter most to consumers.


A pivotal moment


Our world is changing and we need to adapt. Only by working together – government, regulators, companies and consumers – can we deliver sustainable water and ensure that customers continue to receive the safe and reliable services they expect at a price that is clear, fair and affordable. Just as we were at the dawn of privatisation 21 years ago, we are at a pivotal moment – and we need to act decisively as we did in 1989 to ensure the continuing success of the sector. 


Ofwat is keen to get as much input as possible from the sector. For more details on their future regulatory programme and how to get involved, please visit www.ofwat.gov.uk


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