Simplified and Robust

Wastewater Treatment
Upgrade Technology for
Refining, Petrochemical and
Other Industrial Applications

By applying simultaneous fixed-film biological treatment

with activated carbon polishing, the newly released
Siemens PACT® AGR process offers a robust, economical
and environmentally sound solution for treating industrial
wastewaters, especially from refining and petrochemical
production

siemens.com/water-solutions
White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications

With fresh water growing
scarce worldwide and industrial
wastewaters being subject to
ever more stringent
regulations, Siemens Water
Solutions continues to develop
cost-effective ways for treating
industrial wastewaters.
Our latest innovation — the
Siemens PACT® AGR process — combines our Siemens PACT
(Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment) technology and its
cost-saving Wet Air Regeneration (WAR) capabilities with an
Attached Growth Reactor (AGR) biofilm process. It can treat
the toxic and high-salt content wastewaters of refinery,
petrochemical and other industrial operations.
In short, the Siemens PACT® AGR system provides plant
operators with a robust, economical and environmentally
sound solution to significantly reduce levels of chemical
oxygen demand (COD) from industrial wastewaters. Then,
outfitted with Siemens Zimpro® Wet Air Regeneration (WAR)
technology, it can both:
 Regenerate the activated carbon to be used again in
the PACT® AGR process; and
 Destroy the excess biomass, eliminating the need for
and reliance on off-site solids waste disposal.
PACT: Combining biological and carbon treatment
in a single treatment step
To explain the Siemens PACT AGR process, it helps to first
understand the underlying PACT water treatment
technology. With more than 100 installations worldwide,
Siemens PACT technology has proven its effectiveness, and
early deployments have continued to operate for decades.
Among those are several U.S. and international refineries.
They have achieved treated water quality that meets some
of the strictest discharge standards anywhere in the world,
as well as rigorous bioassay testing standards.
Siemens PACT technology combines biological and carbon
treatment in a single treatment step by consolidating the
biological reactions of conventional activated sludge with
the mass transfer kinetics of carbon adsorption. This
reduces footprint and capital requirements compared to the
multiple steps involved in conventional, separate biological
treatment and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.
The PACT system’s biological capabilities remove
biodegradable organics, at rates typically better than
conventional activated sludge. That’s because carbon’s
presence buffers the biosystem against toxic shocks. As a
simultaneous polishing step, the activated carbon
effectively adsorbs refractory organic pollutants, volatile
organic compounds and odors from refining processes.

To reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) during a

PACT system’s multi-decade lifecycle, Siemens WAR
technology is supplied, regenerating up to 95 percent
of the spent activated carbon on-site, saving substantial
replenishment costs. In doing that, the excess biomass is
destroyed. It would otherwise have to be dewatered and
hauled off for landfill disposal, so operators using the
combination of PACT and WAR technologies can save
additional costs and effort.

Siemens PACT technology combines biological and carbon treatment in

a single treatment step by consolidating the biological reactions of
conventional activated sludge with the mass transfer kinetics of carbon
adsorption. This reduces footprint and capital requirements compared
to the multiple steps involved in conventional, separate biological
treatment and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.

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White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications

AGR: Adding Attached Growth Reactor biofilm
technology for enhanced treatment
The Siemens PACT® AGR process is an enhancement of a
standard biological treatment system by adding long solids
residence time, attached growth technology operating in a
suspension of powdered activated carbon. The block
diagram in Figure 1 shows how the PACT AGR process is
applied to the treatment of refinery and petrochemical
wastewaters.
Biological treatment processes rely on various colonies of
microorganisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi and
algae, to convert the organic contaminants and ammonia
that are commonly present in refinery wastewater into new
microorganisms, carbon dioxide and water.
These colonies are collectively known as a biological
treatment system’s biofilm or, once accumulated, its
biomass. As with any living matter, the biomass is subject to
temperature and pH conditions as well as food availability.

With the Siemens PACT AGR system, the biomass needed

to perform this treatment process is attached to large blocks
of high-density, UV-resistant polyethylene support media
with a large surface area for microorganism growth.

Powered Activated
Carbon Make-up

TO DISCHARGE

Primary and PACT® AGR

Secundary PROCESS BIOLOGICAL Clarifier
Deoiling TREATMENT Thickener

OILY Wastewater Supernate

SOLIDS
Wet Air
Regeneration

Figure 1. Typical PACT(R) AGR process

With the Siemens PACT AGR system, the

biomass needed to perform this treatment
process is attached to large blocks of high-
density, UV-resistant polyethylene support
media with a large surface area for
microorganism growth.

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White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications

Over time, in an environment controlled to promote
biological growth, a biofilm of microorganisms will develop
on the surfaces of the carrier media feeding on the food
substrate provided by the wastewater. Eventually the
biofilm accumulates to become the unit’s operating
biomass.
The incoming wastewater will continue to provide substrate
and nutrients for sustained biomass growth. Eventually the
biomass thickness increases to a point where it sloughs
from the carrier media. This is a normal operational
phenomenon and controls the age of the biomass needed to
achieve the desired effluent quality. All this is occurring in
the presence of suspended powdered activated carbon,
which in addition to adsorbing the remaining recalcitrant
COD, helps to scour excess biofilm from the AGR media.
The well-mixed, treated wastewater will carry the excess
biomass out of the aerobic treatment zone to the final
clarifier, which then separates solids from the liquid. In
an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) system, a
portion of the settled solids are sent back as recycled sludge
to the aeration zone to enhance biological treatment. It
does this by operating at a longer solids residence time that
may be needed for periodic elevated organic or nitrogen
loading conditions.
Excess biomass in the form of waste sludge is removed from
the system by sending its solids to a thickener tank. That’s
where the sludge thickens before further treatment by
dewatering and/or wet air regeneration (WAR). The clear
water overflowing the clarifier weir is discharged or is
suitable for select reuse by treatment in downstream micro
or reverse osmosis filtration processes.

Figure 2. Left, New AGR HDPE media prior to pilot testing and, right, following 120 consecutive days of submergence in a PACT AGR system.
The established biofilm is a thin layer of bacteria enmeshed with carbon attached to the entire surface of the media.

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White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications
PACT+AGR: A simplified “best of both” combination
of technologies for brownfield upgrades
The Siemens PACT AGR system combines the simplified
operation of the submerged fixed-film attached growth
biotreatment process with the benefits of activated
carbon adsorption.
First, the AGR efficiently removes a facility’s wastewater’s
biodegradable constituents. Then, the difficult to degrade
and recalcitrant organic contaminants are adsorbed onto
powdered activated carbon (PAC) and removed from the
system. The Siemens PACT AGR process reduces BOD and
COD while performing nitrification, the biological oxidation
of ammonia to nitrite followed by the oxidation of the
nitrite to nitrate.
This combination of the two technologies into a single
treatment process delivers simplicity and highly effective
results for the treatment of refinery and petrochemical
wastewaters as well as wastewaters from other industries,
such as pharmaceuticals, dairy and food processing.
PAC’s ability to adsorb toxic organics, VOCs, color and odor
improves final effluent quality. PAC also assists the
treatment process by improving biological solids settling,
thickening and dewatering characteristics.
Figure 3. Left, blocks of UV-resistant polyethylene (PE-HD) AGR support media consisting of grid tubes welded together into a lattice can be
custom made to fit any tank dimension . Right, assembled blocks, available in four surface area sizes, can support the weight of technicians
walking on them. (Photos courtesy of NSW)
As mentioned, the addition of on-site activated
carbon regeneration using Siemens’ Zimpro Wet Air
Regeneration (WAR) technology provides a cost-saving,
PAC-replenishment solution.
Value-added for brownfield upgrades:
 High effective sludge retention time, favorable
for nitrification
 Responds to load fluctuations without operator
intervention
 Low sludge production
 Small footprint requires less space
 Adaptable to a tank’s geometry
 No media attrition, eliminating replenishment costs
 Resilient to toxic shock
 Sludge return line not normally required
 Greater simplicity, as no F/M (Food to Microorganisms)
ratios or MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids) levels to
maintain
 Low energy consumption
 Pre-fabricated support media for fast assembly
 Easier maintenance: no retaining screens required
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White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications
Siemens PACT AGR: Ideal for brownfield retrofits and
greenfield new-builds
With a relatively compact size, the Siemens PACT AGR
wastewater treatment solution can be retrofitted to most
existing industrial wastewater systems, especially refineries
and petrochemical plants. It can also be installed as a cost-
effective treatment solution for greenfield applications.
For example, to enhance the wastewater treatment
capabilities for one of Latin America’s largest oil and gas
companies, Siemens engineered a PACT AGR solution having
a capacity to process 7 million gallons of production water
daily.
CAPACITY TO PROCESS
7 MILLION
GALLONS OF PRODUCTION
WATER DAILY
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The upgraded wastewater treatment plant is designed to
produce effluent quality compliant with the regions recently
promulgated effluent discharge standards.
The site presented Siemens with significant engineering
challenges, limited plot space and unique existing basin
geometry. Most noteworthy were long, narrow, trapezoidal
shaped basins with sloped side walls and shallow water
depth. Siemens solved those concerns through the use of
stationary AGR media, which offers the greatest flexibility
in matching media layout configuration with existing
basin geometry.
The Siemens PACT AGR system offers the refinery and
petrochemical sectors with the opportunity for enhanced
wastewater treatment capabilities using the cost-effective
stationary fixed-film AGR approach that combines proven
Siemens PACT technology with an efficient, high-
performance AGR biofilm process.
White paper | Simplified and Robust Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Technology for Refining, Petrochemical and Other Industrial Applications

Siemens Water Solutions: Not just global service and Few companies have the global reach and presence to
support, but continuous innovation and global life cycle deliver service and support using such an approach. With a
management direct sales and support presence worldwide, Siemens is the
preferred solutions provider for many of global oil and gas
To maintain and extend our industry
companies. For help in addressing your toughest water
leadership, Siemens Water Solutions
treatment challenges, contact your nearest Siemens
continues to innovate, delivering new
representative.
technologies and solution platforms to
oil and gas customers worldwide,
achieving exceptional performance in
wastewater treatment quality and
sustainable reuse projects. We don’t just provide global
service and support for our customers, but complete Life
Cycle Management.

Contact Information:
Siemens Water Solutions
301 West Military Road
Rothschild, WI 54474 USA
Tel: +1 715 359-7211
Toll-free: +1 800 826-1838
Email: water.energy@siemens.com
Website: www.siemens.com/water-solutions

Published by and copyright Siemens 2020:

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Trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of Siemens AG, its
affiliates, or their respective owners.

Subject to change without prior notice.

The information in this document contains general descriptions of the
technical options available, which may not apply in all cases. The required
technical options should therefore be specified in the contract.