Eco-PIK - Eco-efficient process-integrated sewage sludge recovery - Funding project
In the collaborative project involving Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Blue Energy Europe GmbH and bifa Umweltinstitut, the objective is to implement a concept for the “combination of sewage sludge gasification with biological methanation in situ in anaerobic fermentation and subsequent use in a flexible microgas turbine process”.
The overall objective of the project is to look at the energetic use of sewage sludge as a biogenic recycling material in its entirety, specifically for wastewater treatment plants with 50,000–300,000 PE and to develop a new type of recycling process. The collaborative aims to develop and validate an ecologically and economically advantageous project, which is integrated in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) process on site and therefore uses various synergy effects.
The following subprocesses are planned for the ecoefficient sewage sludge recycling integrated in the wastewater treatment plant process (Eco-PIK):
- thermochemical gasification of sewage sludge (assigned to: Blue Energy Europe GmbH)
- biological in-situ methanation in anaerobic fermentation (assigned to: bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH)
- more flexible microgas turbine process with combined heat and power generation (assigned to: Augsburg University of Applied Sciences)
The material and energy streams of the subprocesses will be coordinated with each other and with the WWTP process for an energetically and economically optimised overall process. The overall process and process variants will be evaluated on the basis of the research results with regard to their energy efficiency, economy and influence on climate change (ecoefficiency analysis).
Information on the project can also be found under: Energetic use of biomass
In the subproject worked on by bifa, the biological exploitability of the products (gases, oils) produced during the sewage sludge gasification by microorganisms in the digester will be examined. The aim is to achieve the most extensive biomethanation of the products possible and methane enrichment of the biogas. In addition, based on the results of the subprojects, bifa will produce a life cycle assessment of the effects on the ecoefficiency of the sewage sludge recycling.
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Funding code: 03El5441A
Support programme: Zuwendung aus dem Bundeshaushalt, Einzelplan 09, Kapitel 03, Titel 68301, Haushaltsjahr 2022
Funding priority: Kombination einer Klärschlammvergasung mit einer biologischen Methanisierung und einem flexibilisierten Mikrogasturbinenprozess; Teilvorhaben: Methanisierung
Project duration: 06.2022 – 05.2025
Funding: Bundesministeriumfür Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz
Projectpartner: Blue Energy Europe, Hochschule Augsburg
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