The 65% Energy Problem in STP Aeration: How Binder Group Is Shifting the Cost-and-Group Performance Curve
Aeration is the heart of biological wastewater treatment and at the same time, its most energy-intensive process. Operational data from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) worldwide confirm that aeration alone accounts for approximately 65% of total plant energy consumption. While aeration is essential for sustaining biological activity, conventional control strategies often rely on fixed dissolved oxygen (DO) setpoints, leading to over-aeration, wasted energy, and rising operational costs. This challenge has accelerated the shift toward intelligent, demand-driven control strategies. Among the global technology leaders addressing this issue is Binder Group, a German specialist in gas flow measurement, analysis, and control systems.
Binder Group: Engineering Control for a Better Environment
Headquartered in Ulm, Germany, Binder Group brings more than six decades of experience in gas flow technologies. Its solutions are deployed in over 50 countries across water, wastewater, environmental, and energy sectors. The company’s philosophy, “Better Control. Better Environment.”, is reflected in its integrated approach to efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
“Aeration is where wastewater plants consume the majority of their energy. If you want to reduce operating costs and carbon footprint, this is the process where intelligent control delivers the highest impact ” says Dr. Maher AlHammoud, MENA Sales Manager at Binder Group.
From Fixed DO to Intelligent Aeration Control
Traditional aeration systems operate on the assumption of stable biological loading, maintaining constant DO setpoints regardless of real-time process conditions. In practice, influent load, ammonia concentration, and biological activity are continuously fluctuating, making fixed control strategies inherently inefficient. Binder Group addresses this gap through VACOMASS®, an intelligent and fully integrated aeration control and management system designed for wastewater and sewage treatment plants.
VACOMASS® – Intelligent Aeration Control
VACOMASS® isn’t a single device but a complete aeration control ecosystem.
The system integrates:
- Dedicated aeration air flow meters
- Specialized aeration control valves
- The intelligent VACOMASS® flexcontrol unit
- Process sensors including DO, NH₄-N (ammonia), and NO₃-N (nitrate)
This architecture enables precise air distribution and real-time adjustment based on actual biological demand. As a result, aeration energy consumption can be reduced dramatically while maintaining stable treatment performance.
Well-designed systems aim to achieve aeration energy consumption below 15 kWh per population equivalent (PE) per year, and total plant energy consumption below 25 kWh/ PE/year, benchmarks that are increasingly achievable through intelligent aeration control strategies.
Ammonia-Based DO Control: Responding to Real Process Load
One of the key differentiators of VACOMASS® is its ammonia-based DO control strategy. Instead of maintaining a fixed oxygen concentration, the system dynamically adjusts aeration based on measured ammonia levels in the biological process.
“ By linking dissolved oxygen directly to ammonia concentration, VACOMASS® ensures that air is supplied only when and where it is truly needed. This eliminates over- aeration while protecting process stability explains Dr. Maher AlHammoud.
This approach improves nitrification and denitrification efficiency, stabilizes effluent quality, and significantly reduces blower energy demand.
COMBIMASS® – Extending Control Beyond Aeration
While VACOMASS® focuses on aeration control, Binder also offers COMBIMASS®, a comprehensive gas flow measurement and gas analysis solution. They provide quantitative and qualitative monitoring of gases such as NH₃, CH₄, CO₂, O₂, and H₂S, supporting safe operation, process optimization, and environmental compliance.
Together, VACOMASS® and COMBIMASS® reflect Binder Group’s holistic approach to gas management across the entire wastewater treatment value chain.
Expanding Control Capabilities with the Smart Aqualogic® Platform
Recently, Binder Group expanded its control portfolio by acquiring Aqualogic®, an advanced fuzzy-logic-based process control platform for wastewater biological treatment. Aqualogic® complements VACOMASS® and COMBIMASS® by providing intelligent, load-dependent process regulation, enabling additional energy savings, enhanced operational stability, and integrated chemical dosing control setting the stage for future AI-driven adaptive plant management.
Measured Energy Savings and Performance Gains
Field data from multiple installations demonstrate the tangible benefits of intelligent aeration control:
- 10–30% energy savings through precise aeration control
- 8–15% additional savings from ammonia based DO control
- 5–15% savings through diffuser monitoring and maintenance functions
Combined, total aeration energy savings can exceed 40–50%. In parallel, plants report total nitrogen reductions of up to 25% in the effluent, alongside lower chemical consumption and reduced operational expenditure (OPEX).
Global Reference Projects
VACOMASS® systems are successfully operating in major WWTPs worldwide. At Shanghai Bailonggang WWTP in China, one of the largest treatment plants in Asia, flexible DO setpoints—typically ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 mg/L—have delivered stable operation and significant energy savings. In Munich, Germany, the modernization of aeration control reduced pressure losses and resulted in annual energy savings exceeding €100,000. Today, VACOMASS® systems serve more than 23 million m³/day of treatment capacity in China alone, highlighting the scalability and reliability of Binder Group’s solutions. Furthermore, Binder systems as a whole are used in 1200 WWTPs in 50 countries worldwide, spanning capacities from the smallest plants to those handling 7 million cubic meters.
As wastewater utilities face increasing energy costs and stricter environmental regulations, intelligent aeration control has become a strategic necessity rather than a technical upgrade. Through VACOMASS® & COMBIMASS®, Binder Group demonstrates how advanced control strategies, real-time process data, and integrated system design can significantly reduce energy consumption while enhancing treatment performance. By transforming aeration from a fixed-setpoint operation into a demand-driven process, Binder Group is redefining efficiency, & supporting a more sustainable future for wastewater treatment worldwide.
Contact Information Website: https://jaeger-envirotech.com/en/ Representative in Egypt: Smart Sustainability for Water & Energy Business Development Executive: Eng. Haidy Walid Mobile: +20 128 395 7134 Email: ceo@smart-sustain-ability.com
