Testbed Ellinge represented when waste was in new focus
In March, people interested in waste gathered from all corners of Sweden in Gothenburg for the conference Waste in New Focus. During the session that dealt with attitudes and potentials around sludge recycling, Dag Lorick participated and told about Gryaab's view on pyrolysis and about the work carried out in Testbed Ellinge.
Great interest in pyrolysis
The interest in sludge recycling was great among the participants and the hall was full even though the conference mainly dealt with traditional waste issues. Not least was the interest in high-temperature pyrolysis of sludge, and several representatives from the waste industry took the opportunity to register an interest in study visits to Ellinge as soon as the testbed is in operation.
Important to prepare for future requirements despite high-quality mud & solid upstream work
The participants at the conference agreed that Swedish sludge is generally of high quality, but that it is nevertheless important to investigate alternatives to today’s sludge handling. The EU is preparing an update of the sludge directive (Council Directive 86/278/EEC) from 1986. It is still unclear exactly what the updated directive will include, but stricter rules are probably to be expected. What might be included is still subject to speculation, but it is clear that it is important for watewater organisations to be prepared for future stricter requirements.
Gryaab wants to be well prepared against future uncertainties and is therefore participating in Testbed Ellinge
It is precisely to prepare for possible future requirements that Gryaab has chosen to be part of Testbed Ellinge. Gryaab has identified high-temperature pyrolysis as a possible clue if legislation in the future prevents the spreading of sludge on agricultural land. However, previous studies have shown strong variations in the separation rate for different substances, for example for cadmium, during high-temperature pyrolysis under apparently similar experimental conditions. The difference in separation thus appears to be partly due to the content of the specific sludge pyrolysed. Gryaab therefore sees trial pyrolysis of sludge from the Rya WWTP as a necessary step in evaluating whether high-temperature pyrolysis is a possible sludge handling process in the future for Gryaab.
If you are also thinking about whether high-temperature pyrolysis is a good option for your particular organisation, it may be a good idea to test pyrolyse sludge from your specific treatment plant. Fortunately, it will be possible to do so without constructing your own pyrolysis plant. As soon as the test bed is in operation, it will be possible to send sludge to Ellinge for a fee and have it pyrolysed.