What is it?

A major transformation of Bayer’s wastewater treatment plant in Antwerp, harnessing digital engineering and biological expertise to minimise chemical dosing and sludge production. An innovative approach introduced a self-neutralising concept to a facility that treats approximately 5,500 m³/d of complex life sciences and chemical manufacturing wastewater, consisting of eight production streams.

Who is involved?

Bayer provided internal process expertise and testing facilities while Waterleau contributed batch-scale investigation of the biological process. AM-Team provided digital twin models for virtual piloting and model-based process design, and Air Liquide provided jet mixing technology.

What makes it special?

• The self-neutralization approach challenged traditional biological treatment assumptions: instead of treating alkalinity during denitrification as a side-effect, the project strategically employed it as a process resource, generating a variety of savings. Sodium hydroxide consumption fell by 40% and sludge production by 35%, alongside significant reductions in dewatering chemicals, filter cake production and disposal costs.
• Engineering innovation solved the biotoxicity risks posed by introducing partially neutralised acid into a living biological system, through toxicity validation, sequential experiments and modelling. This minimised local low-pH toxicity and optimised high-intensity mixing technology design while preserving biological stability.
• A fully integrated digital engineering approach combined real-world testing with virtual full-scale simulation, replacing costly onsite piloting to enable rapid de-risking and accelerate implementation.