Co-disposal of Food Waste and Sewage Sludge
The idea of co-digestion by mixing food waste and sewage sludge is new to the UK, but it makes fairly obvious good-sense.Currently, reforms from Ofwat in the UK, are separating the tasks of treatment and exploitation of sewage sludge into an individual new market.
Therefore, now is a good time to invest in sludge treatment.
When the UK water industry was privatized in 1989, nobody thought that sewage sludge would become a valuable source of bio-energy, with efficient anaerobic digestion plants, capable (as they are now) of powering sewage treatment works.
And, often with enough electricity left-over to export as well!
In those days (to allay public concerns about pollution from sludge) the privatized water industry was not allowed to send any sludge away to be disposed of by "irresponsible" sub-contractors.
In effect, the UK water industry has not been allowed, until now to co-dispose other wastes with their sludge, or indeed to contract-out sewage sludge treatment off-site to other companies, such as AD plant operators.
And yet there are big gains to be made!
With energy costs making up a large proportion of the operational cost for water companies, the creation of green, renewable energy from what was previously considered a waste product can make a significant difference to the bottom line.
Back in 2016 Ofwat’s preliminary estimate put a £780M value on the sludge co-disposal market, said Elaine Coles, Editor of Waterbriefing.
Everybody involved in the UK water industry and biogas industries is now seeking benefits from the combined disposal of waste such as food waste with sludge, allowing improved biogas yields, from more efficient AD plants, and from better quality bio-solids.
Click here to read another article on the subject of sewage sludge co-disposal.
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