Contact us to see how high-quality biochar produced from PYREG’s hi-tech pyrolysis systems is a proven and scalable solution in the fight against PFAS.

Der Beitrag Biochar – a scalable solution in the fight against PFAS erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Expanding water resource recovery infrastructure for Sydney’s growing northwest region

Sydney, Dörth, November 07, 2024: The North West Hub Alliance (the Alliance) – a collaboration between John Holland, KBR and Stantec – and PYREG are working together on a major project with Sydney Water to increase the city’s wastewater treatment capacity at the Riverstone Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF).

The Alliance is delivering the North West Treatment Hub Growth Program – a brownfield treatment program that will begin with upgrades to the Rouse Hill and Riverstone WRRFs.

The 10-year program will increase wastewater treatment capacity at Sydney Water’s Water Resource Recovery Facilities as north-west Sydney continues to grow to support new homes and businesses in the area.

The program will see carbonisation technology introduced at Riverstone WRRF, a first for Sydney Water. For this purpose, the Alliance is purchasing two PX1500-S plants from PYREG. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of 2024.

The PYREG carbonisation technology processes wastewater sludge into high-quality biochar, which contains valuable phosphorus, an essential nutrient for plant growth. This process offers communities in North West Sydney a solution that contributes to a circular economy with the potential to reuse the phosphorus-rich biochar in industries including agriculture and construction.

Sydney Water – Riverstone Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)

Since 2015, PYREG has been installing its scalable biochar production systems at wastewater treatment plants throughout Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the United States. This project is the first of its kind in Australia; with this project, PYREG is now entering its fourth continent.

Rob Evans, Executive General Manager – Infrastructure at John Holland, said John Holland is proud to be at the forefront of innovation in the water industry: “Thanks to an innovative solution, we are not only increasing the capacity of the wastewater network in Sydney’s North West, but also improving environmental and sustainability outcomes. We know this is an important piece of infrastructure that will leave a lasting legacy.”

Jörg zu Dohna, CEO of PYREG, said: “Sydney Water is creating the world’s largest and most advanced sewage sludge pyrolysis plant with the Riverstone project and we are proud to have been awarded the project following a global selection process. PYREG is now coming to Australia and we will put down roots there!”

Robert Kovach, CSO of PYREG, added: “The PX 1500-S plant is designed for customers who are looking for a reliable, sustainable and profitable solution for sewage sludge. We are pleased to contribute with our technology to John Holland’s approach to significantly reduce disposal costs and ensure environmental compliance.”

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Der Beitrag PYREG is heading “Down Under” with Carbonisation Systems for Sydney Water to recycle Sludge in a closed Loop erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

This is the result of the joint efforts of AquaGreen Denmark, the European Biochar Industry Consortium EBI and many biochar supporters. The EBI calls on the EU Commission to include biochar from sewage sludge in the EU Fertilizer Regulation as an important step towards a safe and sustainable circular economy and agriculture. In the absence of a clear position on pyrolysis as a means of upgrading sewage sludge, the EBI has addressed a position paper to the European Commission. It describes the Pyrolysis process and summarizes the current state of research as follows:

What is pyrolysis?
The heating of biomass in a low-oxygen environment is called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis converts organic carbon into a gas (pyrolysis gas) and fixed/elemental carbon. While organic carbon is degradable and while during its natural degradation, greenhouse gases like CO₂ or CH₄ are released into the atmosphere, fixed carbon is recalcitrant (resistant to weathering/degradation). Unless it is burned, it will not react with any element and stay in its stable form as C. Thus, it can be considered as a permanent carbon sink if used in a material way (no combustion). The specificities of the pyrolysis process include:
– A temperature and process time high enough to “decompose” and/or “volatilize” major feedstock contaminants, like virus or micropollutants (see below).
– The retention of key nutrients (like phosphorus) in the solid phase.
– The capacity to convert part of the carbon contained in the feedstock into “recalcitrant carbon” in the char, ensuring a stable carbon sink if the char is not
oxidized (burnt). This process is called Pyrolytic Carbon Capture and Storage (PyCCS).

Pyrolysis destroys feedstock pathogens
Sewage sludge originates mainly from human excrements. Naturally, the sludge contains pathogens and pyrogens, which are of public health concern. Standard hygienization of sewage sludge e.g., heating of the sludge to 70°C, does not eliminate spores, pyrogens or pathogens.
The process conditions of pyrolysis (> 350°C for several minutes) are much harsher than approved sterilization conditions (Requiring 132°C for 4 minutes with steam (see CDC Steam Sterilization Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelines) and 250°C to remove pyrogens (bacterial endotoxins) under dry conditions (Dry Heat Sterilization). DNA is denatured at 90 °C, hence pyrolysis removes all pathogens and pyrogens contained in sewage sludge (incl. bacteria, fungi, vira, spores, parasites, antibiotic resistance genes etc), from the final product, i.e. the biochar, thereby eliminating these public health concerns.

Pyrolysis eliminates micropollutants from sewage sludge.
Increasing concern is raised regarding sewage sludge spreading on farmland, due to the presence of micropollutants in sludges. Recent scientific research has demonstrated that pyrolysis will have a destruction or removal effect on several types of micropollutants:

Organic pollutants (pharmaceuticals, hormone disrupting molecules):
Recent scientific evidence shows that, at sufficiently severe pyrolysis temperatures (> 500°C) and residence times (> 3 min), all reference organic contaminants and organic micropollutants were completely or nearly completely degraded or driven off the solid material. A study published by the German Ministry of Environment in 2019 (Bundesumweltamt 2019) investigated pharmaceutical residues of various biosolids after pyrolytic treatments above 500 °C. Following the pyrolysis treatment with operating temperatures above 500°C all values of the investigated pharmaceuticals were below the detection limit. The authors concluded: With thermo-chemical treatments (i.e. pyrolysis) a complete destruction of the pharmaceutical residues is achieved. No further technical treatment measures are necessary.

PFAS:
PFASs have been used in consumer products since the 1940s. They are extremely persistent and accumulate in the environment as well as in our bodies. For this reason, they are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” According to research, some of them cause serious health effects such as cancer and liver damage. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are eliminated by the process of pyrolysis. Kundu et al. [2] found that >90% of PFOS and PFOA in sewage sludge were destroyed in a pyrolysis-combustion integrated process. Evidence from the US EPA Office of Research and Development (2021) work with Bioforcetech’s commercially installed PYREG pyrolysis plant shows that pyrolysis at 600°C for 10 minutes and combustion of pyrolysis gases at 850°C eliminate PFAS from sewage sludge [3].
Bioforcetech (2021) has reported 38 PFAS compounds that were all kept at or removed to below detection limit in the biochar in their pyrolysis and pyrolysis gas burning process [4].

PAH:
Direct land spreading of sewage sludge is a preferred method in some European countries. A potential issue with this method is the elevated content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sludges. The process of pyrolysis can eliminate the content of those to below detection limits in the biochar with proper design of the pyrolysis process (Moško et al., 2021) demonstrated that slow pyrolysis > 400 °C removed more than 99.8 % of PCB, PAH, and endocrine disrupting and hormonal compounds studied [5]. The conclusion from the study is “high temperature (>600 °C) slow pyrolysis can satisfactory remove organic pollutants from the resulting sludge-char, which could be safely applied as soil improver.

Pyrolysis eliminates microplastics from sewage sludge
Research indicates that sewage sludge is a sink for microplastics and further handling of sewage sludge is critical for potential dispersal. Thus, effective reduction of microplastics in the sludge is an important issue (Rolsky et al., 2020). The elimination of microplastic contaminants can be assured by the high temperature during the treatment and the residence time. Ni et al. 2020 [6] found that “Polyethylene and polypropylene, the two most abundant microplastics in sewage sludge, were entirely degraded when the pyrolysis temperature reached 450 °C.”.

The phosphorus present in the feedstock is retained in the pyrolysis char
Phosphorus must be recovered from sewage sludge in more and more EU member states so that fields can be fertilized with this recycled phosphorus in the future. There are various methods for phosphorus recovery, but pyrolysis at temperatures from 500-800 °C is among the most carbon efficient and leads to a product that is directly useable as a fertilizer for soil applications without the need for any further chemical extraction. The P-availability (P₂O₅) of the sludge biochar is between 40-80% in ammonium citrate (Friedrich et. al. 2015) [7] which is a highly suitable method for measuring the value as a P-fertilizer (Kratz, S.; Schnug, E., 2009) [8]. According to the same reference this indicates a highly valuable fertilizer.

Sources:

[1] Paz-Ferreiro J, Nieto A, Méndez A, Askeland M, Gascó G (2018) Biochar from Biosolids Pyrolysis: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 956
[2] Removal of PFASs from biosolids using a semi-pilot scale pyrolysis reactor and the application of biosolids derived biochar for the removal of PFASs from contaminated water, Kundu S. et al, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021, 7, 638–649
[3] EPA PFAS innovative treatment team (PITT) findings on PFAS destruction technologies, EPA Tools & Resources Webinar February 17, 2021, Gullett B.
[4] https://ccag.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BFT_FEB_2020-1.pdf
[5] Effect of pyrolysis temperature on removal of organic pollutants present in anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge, Moško J. et al, Chemosphere 265
(2021) 12982
[6] Ni et al., 2020: Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2020, 7, 12, 961–967. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00740
[7] Deutsche Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft e.V., 5. Wissenschaftskongress Abfall- und Ressourcen- wirtschaft am 19. und 20. März 2015 an der Universität Innsbruck Kevin Friedrich, Katharina Schuh, Thomas Appel Trockene Klärschlammkarbonisierung – ist ein dezentrales Phosphorrecycling möglich?
[8] Kratz, S.; Schnug, E., 2009 On the solubility and plant availability of phosphorus from mineral fertilizers – a review, JOURNAL FÜR KULTURPFLANZEN, 61 (1). S. 2–8, 2009, ISSN 0027-7479 VERLAG EUGEN ULMER KG, STUTTGART,

Der Beitrag Biochar from sewage sludge: the phosphorus fertilizer for a safe and sustainable agriculture erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

From now on, municipal sewage sludge is sanitized and recycled into phosphorus fertilizer on site in Lorsbach, a climate protecting and cost-saving manner.
In the applied PYREG process, the sewage sludge is first dried using the belt drying system from Eliquo Stulz and then carbonized by the PYREG reactor temperature of 500°C to 700°C. This carbonization eliminates any organic pollutants such as critical pharmaceutical residues, microplastics, PAH, PCDD/F, PCB and hormones. The resulting process gas is freed from dust and carbon particles by a process gas filter and transferred to the combustion chamber. Combustion takes place with a FLOX® burner at temperatures of around 1,000 °C. The hot exhaust gases arising there heat the reactors indirectly via the outer shell of the reactors. It is therefore an autothermal process and the generated renewable energy is used for the drying of the sewage sludge.
The carbon contained in the sewage sludge is permanently bound in the generated biochar from biosolids. Used as a phosphorus fertilizer in agriculture that biochar closes the material cycle. And it furthermore acts as a stable carbon sink for over 1000 years.
The PYREG PX 750 processes 5000 t of dewatered sewage sludge per year (or 16 t per day at 7500 operating hours) with 25% dry matter, or 1250 t per year of dried sewage sludge. As a valuable output, the association generates up to 625 t of biochar form biosolids per year with a phosphorus content of about 15%.

With the commissioning of this plant, Abwasserverband Main-Taunus is taking a resource-saving approach to the legally required recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge. The goal is to use the recovered biochar form biosolids for agricultural purpose

Der Beitrag The wastewater association Main-Taunus chooses a climate-protecting and cost-saving way to recycle phosphorus from sewage sludge erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Der Beitrag PYREG GOES CZECH REPUBLIC: Plant for sewage sludge recycling will soon go into operation erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.