Abstract
The objective of this article is to exemplify how an exergy analysis could be used to estimate the consumption of physical resources at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The exergy analysis has been performed for Luleå WWTP in Northern Sweden. About 60 000 population equivalents are connected to the WWTP, which has mechanical and chemical treatment. Flows included in the analysis are the wastewater heat, precipitants and other chemicals, organic matter and nutrients in the wastewater and biosolids, and electricity used for operation and maintenance. One conclusion is that the value of the heat is overestimated in a conventional energy analysis. Also, the organic matter probably represents the largest technical exergy flow. It is not clear how the exergy value of nutrients should be estimated.

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