On-Site Regeneration of Granular Activated Carbon : A literature study, comparison and assessment of different regeneration methods to find potential on-site regeneration method in Sweden

Sammanfattning: In this thesis project, different existing granular activated carbon regeneration methods/technologies are assessed based on existing literature. The project aims to identify and analyse the method with the highest on-site regeneration potential by using the Himmerfjärdsverket wastewater treatment plant as a reference and performing a cost estimation analysis.  Information is gathered about different methods from the literature study and then sorted into the following parts: working principle, technology readiness and cost, advantages and disadvantages, and references (case studies). The methods are then assessed and compared by a scoring and weightage system, where the factors which are regeneration efficiency, ease of implementation, sustainability, cost, and reliability are weighted and then scored for each method. Furthermore, the highest scoring method is then compared to the proposed regeneration method at Himmerfjärdsverket.  The results from my comparison and assessment show that chemical regeneration is the highest scored method, followed by microwave and wet-oxidation regeneration methods. On applying chemical regeneration at Himmerfjärdsverket, it is found out that it may indeed be cheaper and more sustainable than the proposed off-site regeneration method. However, thermal and biological regeneration are better alternatives at Himmerfjärdsverket than microwave and wet- oxidation.  From the above results, chemical regeneration has the highest potential for on-site regeneration of granular activated carbon in Sweden.