New Süd-Chemie process optimises energy production from waste water purification and biogas plants by up to 30 percent

Süd-Chemie AG, Munich (Germany), a leading global specialty chemical company, is premiering an innovative, environmentally compatible process for waste water purification and biogas plants at the IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 trade fair. The solution, which is based on a chemical-free electrokinetic disintegration process, increases the energy production of waste water purification and biogas plants by as much as 30 percent and also significantly reduces the disposal costs of waste water purification plants. This enables public municipalities to significantly reduce their own costs in the area of waste water purification.
The operation of waste water purification plants involves high energy and disposal costs. With conventional technology, these plants can only cover roughly 30 percent of their energy needs by converting sewage sludge to methane gas. By enhancing waste water purification plants with the innovative disintegration system from Süd-Chemie, energy production during the sewage sledge conversion process is increased by nearly one third. The investment can pay for itself in about two years, not least due to the reduced operating costs of the disintegration system.
Dr. Christoph Riemer, head of the Süd-Chemie Water Treatment business unit, says: “Waste water purification plants are an indispensable component of municipal waste water treatment, but they are also one of the largest drivers of operating and energy costs for communities. Our chemical-free disintegration process, which requires almost no energy, is an innovative, highly effective and affordable solution that increases the energy production of waste water purification plants and helps communities improve their cost situation on a long-term basis."

Successful implementation in Bruckmühl leads to large savings

In less than a year, Süd-Chemie, together with its technology partners UAS Messtechnik GmbH, Viechtach (Germany) and the University of Applied Sciences Deggendorf (Germany), developed an innovative disintegration process into a proprietary marketable product. The disintegration technology was first implemented at the Bruckmühl waste water purification plant near Bad Aibling in late 2009. During the first six months of operation, methane gas output, and as a result energy production, increased by a good 20 percent. In addition, operating and disposal costs were significantly reduced since the volume of flocculants used for treating the sewage, as well as the amount of sludge that requires disposal, were both reduced by 10 percent.

Electrical field decomposes biological cell structures: more efficient conversion to methane gas results in lower disposal costs

This innovative electrokinetic disintegration process exposes the biological sludge in waste water purification plants to a powerful electrical field. This acts to break down (“disintegrate”) the cell structure and the cell membrane (referred to as extracellular polymeric substances or EPS) stabilising the biological sludge. As a result, the conversion of the energy contained in the biological cells of the sludge to methane gas in the biochemical processes of the digester of the waste water purification plant is considerably more efficient. The energy that is produced is then used to operate the purification plant. Because more biomass is converted into methane, less sludge accumulates, which reduces disposal costs accordingly. Since the disintegration process uses just a powerful electrical field but no electricity, the energy consumption of the disintegration plant is negligible. This is another reason why this disintegration process developed by Süd-Chemie, UAS Messtechnik and the Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences is clearly superior to other processes from an efficiency standpoint.

Biogas represents additional market

Biogas plants are regarded as an attractive market of the future. However, their widespread expansion is at present hindered by the relatively low level of efficiency in converting biomass into energy. The biological raw materials have to be mechanically pre-treated in biogas plants in a so-called circulator. This additional energy expenditure reduces the efficiency of the technology. By using the electrokinetic disintegration solution from Süd-Chemie, the circulation step is eliminated, which significantly increases the efficiency of biogas plants.

Munich, 14 September 2010

Süd-Chemie (www.sud-chemie.com) is specialty chemicals company headquartered in Munich, Germany and operating on a worldwide scale. The common denominator of all Süd-Chemie products and services is the efficient and sparing use of natural resources to enhance the quality of life for humans and the environment. Key markets served by its Adsorbents Division include the consumer goods, packaging and foundry industries, as well water treatment. Products manufactured by the Catalysts Division offer solutions for the chemical, petrochemical and refinery industries, for energy storage and hydrogen production, as well as off-gas purification. In 2009, the company reached revenue of EUR1.07 bn. In the mid 2010, the group had more than 6,400 employees at over 80 sales and production companies worldwide. In its Water Treatment Business Unit, Süd-Chemie offers products and solutions for water treatment and water management to companies and local authorities having its main regional focus of operations in emerging economies in South Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and in the Alpine region in Europe.

Süd-Chemie AG
Corporate Communications
Patrick Salchow, Jochen Orlowski
Lenbachplatz 6
80333 Munich
Germany
Ph.: +49 (0) 89 5110-250/-247

This release was published on openPR.