Safe and sustainable utilization of sewage sludge in Finland
Safe and sustainable utilization of sewage sludge is currently one of the major challenges of the water sector in Northern Europe. New technologies enabling nutrient and carbon recycling in a secure way are actively searched for. One of the most promising technologies is pyrolysis, which can be used to produce char rich in phosphorus and carbon, but free of micropollutants and pathogens.
Helsinki Regional Environmental Services Authority (HSY) is implementing a sludge pyrolysis pilot plant with capacity of about 30 000 PE during 2020. The pilot will be used to assess the feasibility of a full-scale plant, which would have capacity of about 300 000 PE, and treat all sludge from the new Blominmäki wastewater treatment plant.
AFRY has carried out expert services for HSY in the project since the project was started in 2017. The project applies existing technology in a novel way, which requires cross-disciplinary expertise and experience from various industry sectors and locations across the world. AFRY’s expertise in pyrolysis technology, infrastructure and permitting procedures, as well as international presence in various countries, such as China, Switzerland and Germany, are of great use in this unique project.
