Integration of Wastewater Treatment Plant Investment and Operating Costs for Scenario Analysis Using Simulation

Biotim and Biomath recently started an ambitious R&D program aiming at the development of a new modelling and simulation tool, MoSS-CC (Model-based Simulation System for Cost Calculation), that supports a holistic economic evaluation of a WWTP over its life cycle. The use of dynamic simulation and the integration of variable operating costs in the assessment of scenarios will maximise the optimisation of the WWTP process design itself and minimise the total wastewater treatment cost (investment cost + fixed and variable operating costs). In addition, using dynamic simulation allows the investigation of the potential benefits achieved when implementing adequate control strategies. In this paper, the first developments of the MoSS-CC software are presented, i.e.: 1the principle of the scenario analysis using the MoSS-CC software tool, roughly consisting in two interdependent phases: the design phase and the dynamic analysis phase; 2the definition of an objective economic index derived from cost functions, including both capital and variable operating costs; 3the features of the VPL (Virtual Product Life-cycle), the software concept underlying MoSS-CC which is currently being developed. It is expected that by the end of this year a prototype of MoSS-CC will be available for internal use.