{"id":17179,"date":"2026-02-17T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isleutilities.com\/?post_type=case-study&p=17179"},"modified":"2026-07-06T09:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T08:28:56","slug":"real-time-n%e2%82%82o-control-helps-utilities-reduce-wastewater-climate-emissions","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/isleutilities.com\/it\/case-study\/real-time-n%e2%82%82o-control-helps-utilities-reduce-wastewater-climate-emissions\/","title":{"rendered":"Real-Time N\u2082O Control Helps Utilities Reduce Wastewater Climate Emissions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holistic aeration management trial shows how operational optimisation can deliver rapid emissions and energy savings.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

N\u2082O is a greenhouse gas around 275 times more potent than CO\u2082, accounting for up to 80% of wastewater treatment plant emissions. In France, N\u2082O reduction is led by wastewater authorities, driven by national climate targets and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Controlling these emissions is becoming increasingly important for French utilities as net zero and nutrient removal requirements emerge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobalt Water\u2019s N2ORisk decision-support platform offers a route to achieve this. The platform combines expert process knowledge with machine-learning models to quantify N\u2082O emissions in real time. The platform also supports operational optimisation to reduce both emissions and energy use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trial Reservoirs Initiative supported a trial to evaluate this technology under real-world conditions at Rennes M\u00e9tropole\u2019s Beaurade wastewater treatment plant. The project brought together Purecontrol (real-time aeration control), Cobalt Water Global (N2ORisk DSS), and Rennes M\u00e9tropole (end user).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The objective was to validate the combined decision-support and real-time control approach for measuring, monitoring, and mitigating N\u2082O emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The trial achieved approximately 20% electricity savings and avoided nearly 25,000 tonnes of CO\u2082e. By linking operational parameters, including dissolved oxygen levels, to N\u2082O risk, the system enabled targeted mitigation strategies without infrastructure changes. Following its successful demonstration at Beaurade WWTP, the technology moved to commercial use across four additional sites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vantaggi dell'innovazione<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n