Pilot plant at Ellinge WWTP is further delayed
The startup of the pilot plant at Ellinge Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is further delayed. The first batches of sludge will be pyrolyzed in October instead of August as previously planned. The supplier, Aquagreen, will be on-site until December to fine-tune the facility.
The delay is due to problems in the manufacturing of the pyrolysis reactor. Since we want to test the best pyrolysis temperature for heavy metals and organic pollutant separation, as well as phosphorus availability, in our pilot experiments, our reactor needs to withstand temperatures between 500–900 °C, unlike full-scale facilities that pyrolyze at 600–700 °C. This requires the use of a different steel grade. In our case, we are using a steel that is quite difficult to process, which has led to difficulties in achieving the required reactor dimensions.
Furthermore, the operational planning is delayed, partly due to the delayed startup but also due to uncertainty about how the facility should operate. Most likely, we will have to wait for the first sludge runs in the pilot during autumn before determining the final operating sequence.
So far, 22 different wastewater treatment plants have registered their interest in running their sludge through the pilot facility.
The gas combustion chamber and the water scrubber are basically complete.