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Sewage Sludge Treatment by Hydrothermal Carbonization: Feasibility Study for Sustainable Nutrient Recovery and Fuel Production

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  • Gabriel Gerner

    (Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Campus Grüental, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland)

  • Luca Meyer

    (Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Campus Grüental, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland)

  • Rahel Wanner

    (Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Campus Grüental, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland)

  • Thomas Keller

    (Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Campus Reidbach, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland)

  • Rolf Krebs

    (Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Campus Grüental, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland)

Abstract

Phosphorus recovery from waste biomass is becoming increasingly important, given that phosphorus is an exhaustible non-renewable resource. For the recovery of plant nutrients and production of climate-neutral fuel from wet waste streams, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has been suggested as a promising technology. In this study, digested sewage sludge (DSS) was used as waste material for phosphorus and nitrogen recovery. HTC was conducted at 200 °C for 4 h, followed by phosphorus stripping (PS) or leaching (PL) at room temperature. The results showed that for PS and PL around 84% and 71% of phosphorus, as well as 53% and 54% of nitrogen, respectively, could be recovered in the liquid phase (process water and/or extract). Heavy metals were mainly transferred to the hydrochar and only <1 ppm of Cd and 21–43 ppm of Zn were found to be in the liquid phase of the acid treatments. According to the economic feasibility calculation, the HTC-treatment per dry ton DSS with an industrial-scale plant would cost around 608 USD. Between 349–406 kg of sulfuric acid are required per dry ton DSS to achieve a high yield in phosphorus recovery, which causes additional costs of 96–118 USD. Compared to current sewage sludge treatment costs in Switzerland, which range between 669 USD and 1173 USD, HTC can be an economically feasible process for DSS treatment and nutrient recovery.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriel Gerner & Luca Meyer & Rahel Wanner & Thomas Keller & Rolf Krebs, 2021. "Sewage Sludge Treatment by Hydrothermal Carbonization: Feasibility Study for Sustainable Nutrient Recovery and Fuel Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:9:p:2697-:d:550676
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michela Lucian & Luca Fiori, 2017. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Waste Biomass: Process Design, Modeling, Energy Efficiency and Cost Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Roberta Ferrentino & Fabio Merzari & Luca Fiori & Gianni Andreottola, 2020. "Coupling Hydrothermal Carbonization with Anaerobic Digestion for Sewage Sludge Treatment: Influence of HTC Liquor and Hydrochar on Biomethane Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Aragón-Briceño, C.I. & Pozarlik, A.K. & Bramer, E.A. & Niedzwiecki, Lukasz & Pawlak-Kruczek, H. & Brem, G., 2021. "Hydrothermal carbonization of wet biomass from nitrogen and phosphorus approach: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 401-415.
    4. Zhiyu Li & Weiming Yi & Zhihe Li & Chunyan Tian & Peng Fu & Yuchun Zhang & Ling Zhou & Jie Teng, 2020. "Preparation of Solid Fuel Hydrochar over Hydrothermal Carbonization of Red Jujube Branch," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-10, January.
    5. Zhao, Peitao & Chen, Hongfang & Ge, Shifu & Yoshikawa, Kunio, 2013. "Effect of the hydrothermal pretreatment for the reduction of NO emission from sewage sludge combustion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 199-205.
    6. Kiran R. Parmar & Andrew B. Ross, 2019. "Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonisation with Anaerobic Digestion; Opportunities for Valorisation of Digestate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, April.
    7. Tulsidas, Harikrishnan & Gabriel, Sophie & Kiegiel, Katarzyna & Haneklaus, Nils, 2019. "Uranium resources in EU phosphate rock imports," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 151-156.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang Liang & Pavlina Nanou & Heather Wray & Jianliang Zhang & Ingemar Lundstrom & Stefan Lundqvist & Chuan Wang, 2022. "Feasibility Study of Bio-Sludge Hydrochar as Blast Furnace Injectant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Salah Jellali & Antonis A. Zorpas & Sulaiman Alhashmi & Mejdi Jeguirim, 2022. "Recent Advances in Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-6, September.
    3. Gabriel Gerner & Jae Wook Chung & Luca Meyer & Rahel Wanner & Simon Heiniger & Daniel Seiler & Rolf Krebs & Alexander Treichler & Roman Kontic & Beatrice Kulli, 2023. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge: New Improvements in Phosphatic Fertilizer Production and Process Water Treatment Using Freeze Concentration," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    4. M. Toufiq Reza, 2022. "Hydrothermal Carbonization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-3, July.

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