Cabinet approves Bortnychi Aeration Plant action plan

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has reviewed the priority action plan to prevent technological accidents at the Bortnychi Aeration Plant (BAP) at a meeting on Oct. 17, the Information-analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

«Bortnychi Aeration Plant remains ‘the only filter’ that processes both household and industrial wastewater in Kyiv and Kyiv Region. The issues we have to resolve today have been accumulating for many years. The safe operation of this facility is literally of national importance,» Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said at the meeting.

The BAP processes all domestic sewage of Kyiv, as well as industrial effluents after primary treatment at plants. It also receives wastewater from towns of Kyiv Region: Irpen, Vishnevoye, Vorzel, Hostomel, Borispol, Vyshgorod, Bucha.

Unit 1 of the plant, which was launched in 1965, is in worst condition: the level of its depreciation is 97.7% and most operations are carried out manually.

For this reason, reconstruction of the BAP (as soon as investment funds are raised) will start with Units 2 and 3. After the upgrade, they will be prepared to carry a full load in order to decommission Unit 1.

Experts say the BAP reconstruction project should envisage construction of a new line for wastewater treatment using nitrogen/phosphorus removal technology at all units. Biological treatment facilities were designed to attain only three indicators in processed water based on the technology of the 1960s. Today, the quality of treated wastewater should be monitored in line with 14 key indicators.

Also, talks are under way with the Japanese government about a loan of over 500 million euros for the Bortnychi Aeration Plant. Its reconstruction may take five or six years, and construction of thermal sludge disposal facility may take three years. The entire modernization project will cost a total of around 10–12 billion UAH.

The government intends to modernize the BAP through by using investment funds attracted using the scheme where an investor pays for the project design and construction and operates the plant pending being payoff by Kyiv municipality.