Speaker: Dr Show Kuan Yeow

About this event

Anaerobic treatment of wastewater has been practiced for more than a century. Use of anaerobic process for waste treatment has evolved from the earliest septic tanks to complex waste treatment systems involving modern technologies. In spite of its proven significance and potential development, the process has not been as widely used as it might deserve mainly due to some misconceptions and a lack of fundamental understanding of the process.

Characterized by low energy consumption and sludge yield, high organic loading capacity and process efficiency, as well as energy recovery in the form of biogas, it is now emerged as one of the most promising and favorable wastewater treatment systems. The process is manifesting the desired criteria for future technology for renewable energy and clean development mechanisms (CDM). This seminar is conducted with an objective of introducing the basic knowledge and development in anaerobic wastewater treatment. The seminar shall draw attention to misconceptions, perspective and applications.

The concept of Carbon Credit arose out of increasing environmental awareness of the need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to combat global warming which was formalized in the Kyoto Protocol. In addition to contribution to sustainable development with energy recovery in the form of methane, carbon credits can be claimed by application of advanced anaerobic wastewater treatment for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The carbon credits can be claimed in international carbon trading to generate revenue and to finance the CDM project. A scenario on emission reduction based on a methane recovery and utilisation in a palm oil mill effluent treatment project is presented. Development and future trend in carbon trading are also outlined.

About the speaker - Dr Show Kuan Yeow

The seminar will be conducted by Dr Show Kuan Yeow, currently Dean and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Prior to joining UTAR in 2007, Dr Show was lecturing as Associate Professor in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He was appointed as Deputy Director of the Joint National Environmental Agency-NTU Environmental Engineering Research Centre in 2004, and concurrently as Deputy Director of LIEN Institute for the Environment, NTU in 2006. He has been involved in a number of R&D and consulting work in the field of environmental engineering specialising in water and wastewater treatment in Singapore. Dr Show returned to his homeland Malaysia in 2007 under the programme administered by the Ministry of Human Resources to encourage Malaysian citizens with expertise residing overseas to return to Malaysia.

Dr Show has published over 125 technical papers in refereed journals and conferences, 45 research reports, 1 journal issue editorship, 1 co-authored book and 7 book chapters. He has been awarded one United States Patent 6793822 and one International Patent WO 2003/070649 on biogranulation technology for wastewater treatment. His research output are documented in a number of renowned international journals including the Biotechnology Advances (UK), Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (US), Biotechnology & Bioengineering (US), International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (US), Journal of Environmental Engineering Division by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Water Research (UK), and Water Environment Research (US).

Dr Show has received several professional awards. He won the prestigious National Technology Award 2003, Singapore for “Biogranulation Technologies for High-Performance Biological Wastewater Treatment”. The Award represents Singapore’s highest honour presented to outstanding research scientists and engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Science and Technology in Singapore. He received The Enterprise Challenge Innovator Award in 2001 for innovation of the project “Biological Treatment of Industrial Food Waste” from the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office. He also participated in a biogranulation research team who won the Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2004 by the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) on Biogranulation - An Innovation for High-performance Biological Wastewater Treatment. The annual Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of engineers and the organisations responsible for outstanding projects in Singapore. The winning project showed engineering achievements that demonstrate outstanding engineering skills which have made a significant contribution to the engineering progress and the quality of life in Singapore.