It combines the advantages of attached
biomass systems (greater robustness and compactness) with
those of periodic systems (greater flexibility and stability).
SBBGR is, however, a unique system in virtue of the particular
type of biomass growing in it (a mixture of biofilm and granules
packed in a filling material) which allows a greater
retention of the biomass in the reactor (up to one order of magnitude higher than that recorded in conventional biological
systems). As a result, remarkable improvements in substrate
conversion capacities and sludge production are
achieved