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New composting procedure for the treatment of sewage sludge

Country of Origin: Hungary
Reference Number: TOHU20160803002
Publication Date: 5 August 2016

Summary

A Hungarian SME with several years experience in composting procedures has developed a new, more useful and environmentally friendly technology for sewage sludge composting, which can be useful for sewage works or town management of regional governments. The end-product of the process has a high fertilising value, organic matter and harmonious trace element content. The company is interested in licence or commercial agreement supported by technical assistance.

Description

The composting technology offered by the Hungarian company is suitable for composting sewage sludge. It is based on the application of controlled composting for rapid degradation of

organic pollutants and immobilization of inorganic micro-pollutants for safe land disposal by using industrial slurry-phase by-products (e.g. by-products from sunflower seed oil processing industry).

 The process of controlled composting contributes to preserve the fertilizer value. Before the composting, the untreated sewage sludge is mixed with waste sludge (e.g. sludge produced by sunflower seed oil processing industry) and other specific additives to accelerate mineralization and to moderate ammonia and GHG (greenhouse gas) emission. In some cases composting simulation is used for optimalisation of raw material composition and gas emission controlling within 3 weeks in an adiabatic drum system. Composting occurs under controlled condition which means that additives, digesters and labile carbon sources are added continuously to the compost pile. 



Specific additives are responsible for the suitable and rapid mineralization and thermophilic stage to preserve fertilizer value. Depending on the properties of raw materials encapsulated windrow composting is applied for controlled composting which means a covering of compost pile by using specific polymers. The end-product is a potential source for soil improvement and conditioning after 4-pre- and 6-week-term post maturation stages. The whole composting process is not longer than 70-90 days.



Current and potential domain of application: The offered technology can be used by sewage works or the city management of regional governments.  



The Hungarian firm is looking for industrial partners dealing with waste management, recycling, sewage works, city management interested in a commercial agreement with technical assistance. The potential partners should be interested in integrating the new technology in their systems in order to achieve a more effective waste management procedure. The company is also looking for potential partners interested in a license agreement to reach new markets and widen partnership network of the company.

Advantages and Innovations

During the pre-storage of raw sewage sludge the GHG emission and f. coliform and streptococcus number is reduced significantly within 24-48 hours.  Application of composting simulation occurs under controlled and closed condition which contributes to the preservation of fertilizer value.  

Utilization of specific non-hazardous additives and residuals from different industrial activities induces longer thermophilic phase.  Acceleration of organic micro-pollutants' degradation and immobilization of inorganic toxic elements result in safe land disposal. During the pre-storage of raw sewage sludge the GHG emission and f. coliform and streptococcus number is reduced significantly within 24-48 hours.  Application and utilization of non-hazardous specific additives and digesters result in safe land disposal. Application of non-hazardous additives, digesters, water treatment residual byproducts is suitable for reduction of total N (nitrogen) loss, P (phosphor) loss and suppressing pathogens before and during the composting. The offered technology is based on using of encapsulated semi-permeable membrane covering for moderation of GHG and odor emission. 



The offered technology is able to utilize solid phase biogas residuals, post maturation of prematurated municipal sewage sludge from closed composting reactor or root-zone treatment.

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Stage Of Development Comment

The technology is already on the market. It is part of a complex technological package consisting of different environmental procedures to produce stable organic fertilisers for the controlled plant nutrition and soil decontamination.

Requested partner

- Type of partner sought: industrial partners interested in licence or commercial agreement supported by technical assistance.



- Specific area of activity of the partner: industrial partner dealing with waste management, recycling, sewage works, city management.  



- Task to be performed by the partner sought: sewage works or the city management of regional governments.