XVIIWAWorldConferenceonAnaerobicDigestion,Delft,2019
AD16,TheNetherlandsandBelgium
Placeandspecificvenuefortheconference
TheconferencewillbeorganizedwithpartnersfromTheNetherlandsandBelgium.Theorganizationalleadwill
betakenbytheTechnicalCommitteeAnaerobictreatment(TCA)oftheRoyalNetherlandsWaterAssociation
(KWN)incooperationwithFlandersKnowledgeCenterWater(VLAKWA).Universities,involvedinthe
organizationofworkshopsandthescientificprogrammingwillbeWageningenUniversity(WU),DelftUniversity
oftechnology(DUT),Ghentuniversity(UGhent),CatholicUniversityLeuven(KULeuven)andtheinstitutefor
watereducationUnesco‐IHE(IHE).
TheconferencelocationwillbeDelft,TheNetherlands.Thissmallcityhasarichhistoryinscienceandculture,
suchasthebirthplaceofAntonivanLeeuwenhoekandtheDelftschoolofmicrobiologyandofcoursetheworld
famouspainterJohannesVermeer.DelftishousingtheDelftUniversityofTechnology,whichwillhostthe
conference.TheConferenceCentreoftheTUDelft(Aula)willbetheconferencevenue.TheAtriumhasplacefor
1000personsforplenarysessions,while5lecturerooms(200‐350persons)directlyconnectedtotheAulaoffer
greatpossibilitiesforbreakoutsessions.Furthermorethereisalargefoyerforcateringandvidesandsmaller
roomslinkedtothisfoyerforpostersessionsandexhibitions.
Beforetheconferencewewillalsoorganizespecialistcoursesatthelocationsofthepartneruniversitiesin
BelgiumandtheNetherlands.
ProposedThemes
Themesthatarecurrentlyofgreatinterestare:
AnaerobicMicrobiology:
‐ Microbialpopulationdynamicsinanaerobicsystems
‐ Interspecieselectrontransfer,syntrophy
Resourcerecoveryandfermentationprocesses:
‐ Anaerobichydrolysisandpretreatmentofcomplexsubstrates
‐ Roleofanaerobicdigestioninresourcefactories(recoveryofnutrientsandenergy)
‐ Reductivetransformationsforproductrecoveryand/orproductsynthesis
‐ Fermentationdesignforefficientdown‐streamprocessing
‐ Secondgenerationbio‐electrochemicalsystems
‐ Electro‐fermentation
‐ Maximizingchemicalenergyrecovery
Modellingandinstrumentation:
‐ MixingandCFDmodellinginAD
‐ Bigdataanalysisforanaerobicsystems
‐ ProcesscontrolinAD
Emerginganaerobictechnologies:
‐ Novelnichesandapplicationfieldsrequiringnoveltechnologicalapproaches
‐ Anaerobictreatmentunderextremeconditions
‐ Biogasupgradingandbiogasuse
‐ Aerobictreatmentofdomesticsewageandslurries
Detailsaboutaccommodationandtransport
Delftisatouristicsmallcitywitha17thcenturystreetplan,easytodiscoverbyfoot.Atotalofalmost800rooms
areavailableinthecitycenterofDelft,another500roomsareavailablewithin15minutesbypublictransport,
varyingfromhostelstotopendhotels.Pubsandrestaurantsarescatteredinthesmallhistoriccitycenter,forall
ofustoenjoy;nobodycangetlost.InthedirectvicinityofDelft,TheHagueandRijswijkhasevenmorelarge
hotels.AHTMconferencetransportpass(€15,50for4daysunlimiteduse)allowsparticipantstotravelbypublic
transporttoRijswijk,TheHagueandeventothebeachesofScheveningen.
Delfthasafrequentdirect(40min.)connectiontoAmsterdamSchipholAirportforlessthan10€).Mosthotels
areatwalkingdistancefromthebrandnewDelfttrainstation,orareconnectedbybusortram.Participants
couldevenrentabikeatthetrainstationtogoaroundascarsarenotallowedinlargepartsoftheoldcenter.
Scientificcommitteeselectionpolicy
Thestartingpointofthescientificcommitteeselectionwillbeanopencalltojointhecommittee.Asmall
committeefromthe4organizingUniversitiesandtheKWNandVLAKWAwilljudgetherequests.Themembers
ofthescientificcommitteeshouldbegeographicallywelldistributed,haveanexcellenttrackrecordinthefield
ofanaerobicdigestionprocessesandcomefromthedifferentrelevantdisciplinescoveringtheprogram.Special
attentionwillbepaidtoincludingyoungerupcomingtalentstobepartofthescientificcommittee.
MotivationtoorganizeAD16
BelgiumandtheNetherlandsarehistoricallystronglyrelated,whichcertainlyisthecaseforAnaerobic
Treatment.Worldmarketleadersonanaerobictechnologyarebasedinourcountriesandsodothefounder
fathers’universitiesofthevariousanaerobictechnologies.However,thusfar,theworldIWA‐ADconferencewas
neverheldintheNetherlands.The4organisinguniversitiesplayaprominentroleinconsolidatingwhathas
beendeveloped,meanwhileadvancinginthenextgenerationofADtechnologiesincooperativeresearch
projects.ADisfullyintertwinedinourenvironmentalengineeringapproachandmanydifferentkindof
applicationscanbefoundatfull‐scale.Inaclosecooperation,wewouldliketoshowourachievementsand
discusswithallADintereststhecurrentpotentialsinthefield.Wearesurethatnewcreativeideasand
cooperationwillevolvefromtheconference.Ourproposalisfullybackedbythenationalwaterprofessional
networks,governmentalinstitutionsandcommercialcompaniesworkinginthefield.
WhywouldpeoplecometoAD16inDelft?
TheNetherlandsandBelgiumgavebirthtoanumberofADtechnologiesthatfoundtheirwaytosuccessful
commercialapplication.InTheNetherlandsandBelgium,ADplaysakeyroleindevelopingenergyneutralor
evenenergyproducingsewagetreatmentplants.Numerousindustriesapply,alreadysincetheearly1980’s,
anaerobictreatmentoftheirwastewaters,whilerecoveredwaterandenergyareincreasinglyreusedin
industrialortreatmentprocesses.ReductivetechnologiestoclosetheN‐cycleandS‐cyclecanbevisitedatshort
distance.Infact,everythingisatshortdistanceintheNetherlandsandBelgium(!),readytosharewithallofyou.
Before,duringandaftertheconferencewewillofferaninterestingcontent/line‐upinafriendlyatmosphere,
withchancestonetwork,interactanddiscussatacompactconferencevenueinasmallcity.
Possibletechnicaltoursandnetworkingevents
Wewillorganizespecialistscoursesbeforethestartoftheconference,thetopicswillbedeterminedbyour
scientificcommitteereflectingtheforeseenmosturgenttopicsof2019.
PossibletechnicaltourswithintheNetherlandsandBelgiumtofullscaleanaerobicinstallationsare:
‐ AnumberoffullscaleUASB,EGSBinstallationsforindustrialwastewatertreatment(chemical
wastewater,foodprocessing,beer).Paques,Biothane,Waterleau,Colson,etc.arearoundthecorner,
happytoinviteyouforacloselook.
‐ Towardszerodischargewithanaerobictreatmentascore‘kidney’technology(paper,textile)
‐ NovelfullscaleAnaerobicMBRsforconcentratedwastewaters(e.g.candyfactory)
‐ AnaerobiccompostinginstallationsofOrganicWasteSystems,Dranco,Aterro,Omrin,orOrgaworld.
‐ Full‐scaleADreactorstreatingblackwaterinnewsanitationapproaches.
‐ Full‐scaleautotrophicNremovalusingAnammox,Demon,Olandorothertechniques.
‐ Full‐scaleS‐cycletechnologiesforoff‐gases,metalrecovery,biogascleaning.
NetworkingeventswillbeorganizedinDelftandTheHague:
‐ AguidedcitytouralongthehighlightsofDelfthistory,includingthegraveofAntonivanLeeuwenhoek,
RoyalDelftwherethebeautifulDelftBluePotteryisproduced,Vermeer’shomeandtheroyaltombs;
‐ Aconferencedinner,foreseenatthehistoriclocation‘theKurhaus’attheScheveningenbeach
‐ DelfthasasmallcityCentre,wherepeoplewillmeeteachotheroverdrinksanddinner.
Touristictoursthatwillbeorganizedaspossiblepartnerprogram:
‐ Excursiontotheinternationalcourt(peacepalace)andMadurodam(miniatureHolland)
‐ ExcursiontoUnesco’sheritage–thewindmillsofKinderdijk,theharborareaofRotterdam,orthe
famouscoastaldefense,the‘Deltaworks’:seehowtheDutchlivewithwaterforovercenturies.
‐ Inadditiontouniversitycities:visitAntwerporAmsterdam–greattradingcitiesoflateMedievalages.
Wayswewilladdresslowincomenationattendance
AsduringformerADconferences,specialrateswillbeensuredforattendeesoflowincomecountries.
Inaddition,withthehelpofsponsorswewouldliketo(co‐)fundtheparticipationofselectedyoung
professionalsfromdevelopingcountries.WewillalsofocusonAfricanyoungwaterprofessionals;currently
manyinitiativesonADareemployedinthescopeof“BiogasforLife”and“AfricaBiogasPartnershipProgramme”
ofSNVandHivos.Unesco‐IHE,theInternationalInstituteofWaterEducation,home‐basedinDelft,willactively
approachtheirstudents,alumni,andnetworkinlowincomecountriestoparticipateinAD‐16.
HopingtomeetyouallinDelftin2019!!!
LiseAppels,DamirBrdjanovic,RafDewil,NicoGroeneveld,MerledeKreuk,RobbertKleerebezem,JulesvanLier,
MarkvanLoosdrecht,HenkLubberding,KorneelRabaey,ChrisReijken,CarlSchultz,HenriSpanjers,
BramVersprilleandGrietjeZeeman.
AndofcoursethisinvitationhasitsstrongsupportfromGatzeLettingaandWillyVerstraete!
PicturesfromDelftandpossibletechnicaltours
TUDelftconferencecentre
ImagesofDelft(Beestenmarkt,canalsofDelft)
Technicaltours
(DrancoinstallationforVFYdigestion,Anaerobichigh‐ratetreatmentinazero‐dischargepapermill,
AnaerobictreatmentofdomesticwastewaterintheDESAHapplication)