Energy Efficient Sludge Treatment
Sludge treatment consumes only 10 – 20 % of the power, but 80 – 90 % of the heat at plants with anaerobic digestion.
Power-heat-cogeneration from digester gas generates a multiple of the power and far more heat than needed for sludge treatment. Surplus heat can be used for heating of buildings or sludge drying.
Additional power and heat can be generated by on-site sludge incineration and used for thermal sludge drying.
Energy balances of the following sludge treatment processes should be considered and optimized: