Norway. Nedre Romerike Avløpsselskap IKS

NIB is providing an uncommitted credit facility to improve wastewater treatment and biogas production.

Nedre Romerike Avløpsselskap IKS (NRA) provides wastewater treatment services for approximately 108,000 inhabitants along the River Nitelva in southern Romerike, north-east of Oslo.

The installation of a new wastewater pre-treatment line will ensure the plant’s mechanical and chemical treatment capacity in connection with exceptionally high incoming flow of incoming stormwater, or when the main treatment is not functioning properly. The investments will increase the wastewater treatment capacity of NRA’s plant to 5,600 l/s from 1,400 l/s, and the chemical treatment capacity to 4,200 l/s from 1,400 l/s. NRA estimates that the capacity increase will reduce the number of overflow incidents from the current 250 a year down to ten.

Construction of this treatment line started in 2015, and became operational in 2019. 

The construction of a biogas production plant to recover energy from wastewater sludge, will be dimensioned to handle an estimated sludge amount from 375,000 population equivalent (PE) in 2040. Estimated annual energy production from biogas will be around 70 GWh in 2030.

The biogas plant is expected to be operational by 2024.

Nedre Romerike Avløpsselskap IKS is owned by the four municipalities of Skedsmo, Lørenskog, Rælingen and Nittedal. The management and staff of NRA also operates the separate legal entity Nedre Romerike Vannverk IKS (NRV), which provides drinking water services in the area. NRV is owned by the seven municipalities of Skedsmo, Lørenskog, Rælingen, Nittedal, Sørum and Fet.

Productivity
The investment will improve public services by expanding and improving the quality of the wastewater infrastructure, given current capacity constraints and expected higher rain loads in the future. The increased capacity is also intended to accommodate the anticipated population growth in the region, which will add to gradually higher pressure and expectations regarding efficient and economically sustainable wastewater services.

Environment
The additional wastewater pre-treatment line will reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river Nitelva. The biogas production is expected to cover the heating need and approximately 70–80% of the electricity needs in NRA’s wastewater treatment operations.

NIB has not identified any significant sustainability issues.