Bitterfeld-Wolfen combined waste water treatment plant supports climate protection and energy efficiency with groundbreaking technology
The number of innovative environmental and energy technology companies in eastern Germany is higher than average. These companies generate added value in ecological and economic terms and create jobs. At the ceremony to launch the expansion of the Bitterfeld-Wolfen combined waste water treatment plant Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen stated: "20 years ago this region was still characterised by polluted drinking water, considerable air pollution and bad water quality in the Elbe and Mulde rivers. Action programmes have now reduced the pollution load of the river Elbe and its tributaries to such an extent that life in the rivers is back. Modern, appropriately sized waste water treatment plants facilitate the expansion of existing industrial plants and allow the location of new businesses". The Federal Environment Ministry's environmental innovation programme provided 3.8 million euros for the new plant.
The Bitterfeld-Wolfen combined waste water treatment plant went into operation in 1994: this is where both sewage from private households in local communities and industrial sewage from local industry are subject to activated sludge treatment. This entails energy-intensive aeration of waste water. In future a highly innovative procedure without energy-intensive aeration will be used to treat highly saline waste water. At the same time biogas generation will constitute an additional energy source. Sewage sludge volumes will decrease.
"In our endeavour to protect the natural basis of life we have achieved a lot in the 20 years of German unity, more than some people could have dreamt of", Minister Röttgen noted. He stressed that some of the new Länder have become environmental technology pioneers. Thus the areas around Bitterfeld-Wolfen (Saxony-Anhalt), Freiberg (Saxony) and Frankfurt/Oder (Brandenburg) have become renowned solar technology locations. In addition to renewable energy sources, information and communications technology, nanotechnology and optical technologies are examples of eastern Germany's opportunities and future perspectives in highly innovative sectors. The coal-fired power plant technology used there is among the most advanced worldwide. In the 90s the Halle-Leipzig-Bitterfeld chemicals region became a reference location for state-of-the-art environmental technologies.
The Federal Environment Ministry also contributed to this development: Between 1990 and 1994 alone funds from the environmental innovation programme were provided for the region's pollution reduction demonstration projects. Around 250 million euros were made available for 63 projects, one of which was the combined Bitterfeld-Wolfen waste water treatment plant.