SEWAGE SLUDGE FROM WASTEWATER TREATMENT AS ENERGY SOURCE

Abstract

Increasing urbanization and industrialization cause to an enormous increase of wastewater all around the world which requires modern wastewater treatment plants [1]. Today such wastewater treatment plants are highly efficient and eliminate more than 98% of the chemical and biological contaminants and pollution. This pollution is subsequently accumulated in the sewage sludge, the byproduct of wastewater treatment plants. In the past, the most sewage sludge produced throughout the world was disposed in 4 ways; spreading on farm land as fertilizer, landfill, ocean dumping or combustion. All these methods are discussed controversial, but since disposal routes like ocean dumping, landfill and even agricultural use are already banned in many countries the energetic utilization will become more and more important in the future. The following paper is focused on the transformation of sewage sludge into useful energy by efficient and environment friendly combustion processes.