OxyPower HTC™ delivers sustainable solid wet waste handling.
Here are 8 reasons why.
Phosphorus recovery
Facilitates the recovery of phosphorus, one of the most important minerals used in agriculture.
Nitrogen recovery
Recovers between 80 and 90% of the nitrogen in biodegradeable solid waste.
Carbon recovery
Carbon is recovered from the sludge and upgraded to hydrochar and biogas, sustainable energy sources that can replace fossil fuels.
Stops GHG emissions
Immediately and effectively halts the decomposition of sludge, reducing the emissions of potent GHG gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
Energy efficient
Runs on the chemical energy in the sludge – no additional external heat energy is necessary.
Destroys pathogens
Thermally sterilizes the sludge – eliminating exposure to viruses and bacteria.
Reduces toxicity
Hazardous substances such as heavy metals and dioxins are concentrated and removed from the environment.
Reduces transportation
On-site processing helps avoid costly transportation (and resulting GHG emissions) of wet sludge for off-site disposal.
The total energy savings with OxyPower HTC™ transforms both the sludge itself and sludge handling from being net GHG (greenhouse gas) emitters to GHG sinks. By using OxyPower HTC™, a wastewater treatment plant serving a city of 600,000 people can reduce its net GHG emissions by 10,000 tons per year.
1. Phosphorus recovery
OxyPower HTC™ allows phosphorus to be separated from the incineration ash of the hydrochar.
Phosphorus is designated as a critical raw material by the European Commission. As much as 15 % of Europe's mineral phosphorus demand is lost in the direct disposal of sewage sludge and in the ashes from the incineration of sludge.
2. Nitrogen recovery
OxyPower HTC™ allows for +50% recycling of the nitrogen in the sludge through ammonium stripping.
About 60% of the sludge’s nitrogen content ends up in the separated water from the OxyPower HTC™ process, making it an ideal source of commercially useful nitrogen. As much as 90% of that nitrogen can be captured through ammonium stripping.
3. Carbon recovery
Carbon is concentrated and removed from the one-way resource highway with OxyPower HTC™.
Carbon is recovered from the sludge and upgraded to hydrochar and biogas, sustainable energy sources that can replace fossil fuels. Biogas production can increase by 5-10 %.
4. Reduction of GHG emissions
Up to 200 kg CO₂-eq/ton sludge of nitrous oxides and methane from the storage and composting of sludge is avoided with OxyPower HTC™.
5. Energy efficient
OxyPower HTC™ utilizes the chemical energy in the sludge to upgrade it into hydrochar, making the addition of external heat unnecessary. The process requires only a relatively small amount of external electricity to operate.
If OxyPower HTC™ is used instead of conventional sludge drying before incineration, the total energy demand can be reduced by as much as 90%.
6. Elimination of pathogens
By using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to thermally sterilize the sludge, OxyPower HTC™ eliminates all pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and microbial DNA, producing a sterile hydrochar in an environmental and cost-effective way.
7. Reduced toxicity
Toxic substances such as heavy metals, dioxins and PCB are concentrated in the hydrochar and can be effectively removed from the environment. If the hydrochar is incinerated, pharmaceutical residues, organic pollutants, and micro-plastics are also eliminated.
8. Reduced transportation
Sludge can contain up to 90 % water, making it voluminous, heavy and expensive to transport. Conventional sludge handling solutions often involve the transportation of sludge over long distances causing significant carbon dioxide emissions.
Fewer trucks. Better air.
On-site processing greatly reduces transportation needs and resulting GHG emissions.
Less expensive
Reducing transportation needs doesn’t just help save the environment, it also saves money.