The CHP in the utilization plant of Stadtentwässerung Koblenz runs on pure synthesis gas made from sewage sludge. The plant (1.8 MWth) was entirely developed by our subsidiary Kopf SynGas and works with our SE²OPERATOR control system. In addition to providing an end-to-end control solution, we also supported the project with electrical planning and complete commissioning.
The patented conversion process of Kopf SynGas sets new standards for plant efficiency. The innovative process transforms the energy present in the sewage sludge into far more efficient gas and thus generates green electricity in a sustainable manner using a CHP. Currently, 3,300 tons of dry matter per year accumulate at the sewage treatment plant. In the future, the amount of sewage sludge is expected to increase to approximately 4,000 t/a. Sufficient mass is thus available to reduce the operator's energy costs with the energy recovered at a very high degree of efficiency and to amortize the acquisition costs of the recycling plant in the short term.
With the commissioning of the plant in Koblenz, the final stage of the innovative sewage sludge treatment concept in the EU’s "SusTreat” project is complete. This flagship project is intended to demonstrate a new approach for the complete capture and utilization of the energy potential that exists in wastewater and sewage sludge in municipal sewage treatment plants. Individual module solutions that make optimum use of internally available energy flows are intelligently combined. As CO²-neutral energy sources, sewage sludge and the digester gas produced from it are present in the sewage treatment plant, but tend to be under utilized since a considerable amount of energy is still present in the sewage sludge after the digestion process. With the head SynGas process, this last remaining energy in the sludge can be utilized in full.
More information about Kopf Syngas, the process and the new plant can be founde here.
Background
KOPF SynGas is a joint venture of AVAT and SÜLZLE. The company offers comprehensive processes for decentralized and energetic sewage sludge utilization where electricity and heat are generated directly on site from dried sewage sludge. This not only lowers the characteristic pollutant load, but also significantly reduces CO² output.
