SCARLET-PLUS: gas from digestate and sewage sludge
Europe has thousands of treatment plants for waste water; same consume large quantities of energy. Apart from cleaned water the processing produces millions of tons of sludge and mineral waste. Currently only 25 to 40 % of this material is further processed for energy production by anaerobic digestion.
In this project sludge is converted into fuel gas by treatment at high pressure and temperature. The project develops the design of a demonstration plant for 1 MWhr
Implementation of the technology at water treatment plants will replace fossil energy by green energy.
Scarlet – Plus develops energy – neutral water cleaning by Supercritical Aqueous Reforming (SCAR) of sludge. Products are fuel gas, disposable water and minerals including phosphates.
Expected results are proof – of – concept at pilot plant scale and the design of a demonstration plant.
The economic advantage is a major savings of fossile fuels in water treatment plants, a cheaper disposal of sludge and recycle of nutrients.
The EU market has potential for thousands of these units with several billion euros sales volume. Spin-off to adjacent markets, e.g. food industry ( vegetables, canning, meat processing) and chemical industry can double the market size for SCAR technology.
