ELIQUO delivers sludge dryers for the first biosolids gasification facility in Australia

After a production time of about five months two sludge dryers "ELODRY®" type NT48 are ready for transport to Australia. The sludge dryers are an essential part of Australia’s first Biosolids Gasification project at the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Brisbane. Both dryers are produced at ELIQUO’s factory in the Black Forrest in Germany.

The Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest one in Logan City, treating the sewage of around 300,000 people in the region. The produced sewage sludge at the wastewater treatment plant still consists of 75% water and is currently disposed in the inlands of Australia. As a result, every year 34,000 t of sewage sludge are disposed by six trucks per day to the agricultural area of Darling Downs, 300 kilometres away, where the sludge is utilised as fertilizer. This disposal process causes currently around 1,000 t of CO2 emissions which are emitted during transport.

Truck transport and the associated CO2 emissions have a significant negative impact on the environment and are contributing to the climate change. Furthermore, the transport of the biosolids causes almost one third of the total operating costs of the sewage treatment plant. The costs for disposal of the biosolids are increasing by amongst others rising energy prices. The growing population in the region and stricter state regulations for the reduction of CO2 emissions are now boosting alternatives for the transport and disposal of produced sewage sludge.

Being awarded by Downer Utilities Australia, ELIQUO WATER & ENERGY supplies the two sewage sludge dryers as well as incorporated systems for heat recovery, sieving, mixing and discharge of the dried sludges. Project execution is conducted by ELIQUO STULZ’s and ELIQUO WATER & ENERGY’s experts from the Netherlands and Germany.

For the selection process, the End-User Loganholme visited several manufacturers of sludge dryers in Europe in order to find the most suitable technology. After a tender process, they finally awarded ELIQUO to deliver the dryers. The customer’s key award criteria for winning this project were ELIQUO’s high quality manufacturing capabilities and the impressive energy efficiency of the ELODRY® technology.

End of May 2021, the sludge dryers started their journey from the Black Forest in Germany to Brisbane in Australia. With a length of approx. 18 meters each, and a weight of approx. 34 tons, the first part of the journey on the narrow streets in the Black Forest was quite a challenge.

Currently all equipment is seaworthy packed in The Netherlands and heading up for its final destination. Expected arrival time of the dryers in Australia will be mid-August.

Björn de Theije, project manager at ELIQUO WATER & ENERGY: “Covid-19 and the associated travel restrictions have led to an intensive and unique digital collaboration between the ELIQUO companies, something we have not experienced before. In addition, we have made a positive contribution reducing CO2 emissions by making less business trips. "

After arriving in Brisbane in August, assembling on site will start in the last quarter of this year. The commissioning period is scheduled for early 2022.

Overview

More information?

Nina Reppich
Tel. +49 151 12 55 76 89