Near Regensburg/Germany a pilot plant has been put into operation, which is able to answer the question “What to do with the sewage sludge?” with an ecologically as well as economically trendsetting answer.
Because in Germany it is no longer allowed to use sewage sludge as a fertiliser nor is it permitted any longer as landfill, up to now the combustion of the sludge was the only removal facility. This resulted, because of the small number of appropriate plants, to increased truck traffic and consequently also to increased CO2 emissions.
The solution is named Low Temperature Conversion (LTC) and in Pfattertal a pilot plant was brought into operation which uses sludge for energy generation.
Inside the low temperature professional converter the dried sewage sludge is converted to 10% oil, 35% gas and 55% coal. This happens by a physicochemical transformation under O2 exclusion and at a temperature from 400°C. The separation of this mixture proceeds afterwards in the affiliated condenser.
In all-out operation the plant is expected to utilize about 1400 tons dried sewage sludge a year and to generate fuels with an energy potential of approx. 3 million kWh.
For this innovative project ENOTEC supplied the statutory continuously measuring and recording emission measurement system consisting of measuring gas sampling together with measuring gas conditioning and CO/O2 analysers installed within a ventilated analyser professional cabinet. The CO measurement is effected by a NDIR measuring method and the O2 measurement using an electrochemical cell. The construction and the selected analysers and components guarantee low maintenance and long lifetime to the benefit of the operator and the environment.