CarbonVALUE – Utilisation of the energetic and material potential of process waters from hydrothermal carbonisation
At a glance
- Project leader : Dr. Wolfgang Merkle
- Co-project leader : Susanna Hüsch
- Deputy of project leader : Alexander Treichler
- Project team : Imre Antalfy, Prof. Dr. Urs Baier, Martin Kühni
- Project status : completed
- Funding partner : Third party , Other
- Contact person : Wolfgang Merkle
Description
Hydrothermal carbonisation HTC of sewage sludge under high
pressures and temperatures causes the carbon compounds in the
sludge to be converted into biochar. This carbon can be used both
as an energy source and materially as a soil conditioner or as a
substitute for fossil carbon products. Compared to the conventional
dewatering, drying and incineration of sludge, the HTC process has
the advantage of massively improved dewatering and drying of the
coal fraction and thus a significant reduction in energy demand and
the associated costs and CO2 emissions. The HTC technology
therefore has both high economic and ecological potential.
The project addresses the hitherto unsolved challenge of treating
process water from the HTC process for the carbonisation of sewage
sludge in a wastewater treatment plant and develops an innovative,
resilient and transferable concept for the purification and
utilisation of this problematic wastewater fraction in the context
of a wastewater treatment plant.