Question 1

Does the delivery of the sewage sludge lead to a higher traffic load in the neighbourhood of the industrial park?

Accepted Answer

The number of truck movements will increase. Due to the very good location of the industrial park with its link to the B2 federal road, adjacent residential areas will only be slightly affected by the truck movements. All available synergies will be used for the supply, empty truck journeys will be avoided as far as possible.

Question 2

How are these pollutants eliminated?

Accepted Answer

The sewage sludge is first dried and then incinerated. This leads to the decomposition of pollutants. Heavy metals are effectively removed by the filter devices installed. The flue gas cleaning system at the new plant will filter out the residues in a multistage process after incineration.

The combustion complies with the strict emission limits of the 17th BImSchV. The plant is operated according to the latest state of the art and is continuously monitored. In addition, annual individual measurements are carried out by an approved external measuring institute. All measured values are transmitted to the supervising authorities and evaluated there.

These measurement results are published in the annual environmental statement of MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH.

Question 3

How can sewage sludge be disposed of sensibly and sustainably?

Accepted Answer

The thermal recycling of sewage sludge in mono-incineration plants creates the basis for the recovery of phosphorus from the ash. The legally required recycling process is a prerequisite for the planned construction of such a plant in the Gersthofen Industrial Park.

Question 4

How is the sewage sludge delivered and stored?

Accepted Answer

The sludge is delivered by truck. The sewage sludge is unloaded in the delivery hall and temporarily stored in closed silos. The delivery hall is equipped with an extraction system.

Question 5

Is an increased odour nuisance to be expected?

Accepted Answer

No odour nuisance is to be expected from delivery in a closed hall with extraction.

Question 6

What does "thermal recycling" mean?

Accepted Answer

Thermal recycling means that the sewage sludge is first dried and then incinerated. The resulting heat is used as an energy source in the Gersthofen industrial park. The valuable phosphorus content can be recovered from the combustion ash.

Question 7

What happens to the ash from the sewage sludge recycling plant?

Accepted Answer

There are valuable phosphorus components in the sewage sludge ash. With an appropriate treatment process, it is possible to recover these proportions. This raw material, which is only available in limited quantities worldwide, is needed, among other things, for the production of fertilizers. The processes required for recycling are currently in the development stage.

Question 8

What is it about the extraction of phosphorus?

Accepted Answer

Phosphorus can be recovered from the ashes of incinerated sewage sludge. This valuable and globally limited raw material is needed, for example, for the production of fertilizers. There are no natural deposits in Germany; phosphorus must be imported. The phosphorus recycling process is currently in the development stage.

Question 9

What is the timetable for the sewage sludge utilisation plant?

Accepted Answer

Construction and approval applications have been submitted to the authorities. The hearing took place in the form of an online consultation in March 2022, and approval by the Government of Swabia is expected in the 1^st quarter of 2023.

Question 10

What makes Gersthofen Industrial Park an ideal location for a sewage sludge incineration plant?

Accepted Answer

Gersthofen is located at the heart of the Bavarian-Swabia region and has optimal transport links. That means short transport routes for the sewage sludge. Not only that: To date, there are no sewage sludge incineration plants in the Greater Augsburg region.

We can draw on synergies offered by the infrastructure available at the existing power plant, the modern control centre and above all the valuable expertise on hand with our staff.

The waste heat from incineration can be directly integrated into the energy supply at the industrial park.

Sewage sludge is a regenerative fuel, meaning that the energy produced is classified as CO₂ neutral. That is an important aspect in the sustainable development of Gersthofen Industrial Park.

The new plant will enable us to safeguard the location and create several new jobs.

Question 11

What pollutants are contained in sewage sludge?

Accepted Answer

The sewage sludge collected at sewage plants is contaminated by pollutants from domestic wastewater, such as cleaning agents, ingredients of medicines, non-degradable micro-plastics and DIY chemicals. The sludge may also be contaminated by organic compounds that are introduced into the wastewater via municipal surface drainage (such as road drainage and tyre abrasion). These pollutants cannot be degraded at a sewage plant!

Question 12

What quantities can be burned in the new plant and how will the energy be used?

Accepted Answer

The planned plant is designed for the use of digested (i.e. stabilised) and dewatered or dried sewage sludge from municipal wastewater purification plants. The plant capacity depends on the water content of the sewage sludge delivered. That results in the difference to the annual capacity of 85,000 tonnes up to a maximum of 116,800 tonnes stated in the approval application.

The surplus heat from incineration will be used to cover demand at Gersthofen Industrial Park.

Question 13

Where does the sludge come from?

Accepted Answer

The sewage sludge comes from municipal sewage treatment plants in the region, with a large part coming from Augsburg. We thus offer the surrounding communities a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly, but also legally compliant disposal route.

Question 14

Why can the sewage sludge not be disposed of as before?

Accepted Answer

Up to now, sewage sludge has either been spread as fertiliser on agricultural fields or co-incinerated in coal-fired power plants and domestic waste incineration plants.

To protect groundwater, the Fertiliser Ordinance severely restricts or in some cases entirely prohibits the disposal of sewage sludge via agricultural channels. Over-fertilisation with sewage sludge may increase the pH value of the water and pollute it with environmentally harmful heavy metals.

Not only that: The Sewage Sludge Ordinance calls for the phosphorous contained in the sewage sludge to be recycled. This means that it is no longer possible to co-incinerate sewage sludge at energy from waste plants and makes it necessary to treat the sludge at specialised mono-combustion plants. Moreover, the planned coal exit means that disposal via co-incineration at coal-fired plants is no longer assured.

Incineration capacity:	85,000 tonnes/year
Rated thermal input:	10 megawatts
Firing type:	Fluidised bed
Operating hours:	8,000 hours/year
Phosphorous ash:	7,500 tonnes/year

The challenge of sewage sludge disposal

We are focusing on efficiency and sustainability and creating a new disposal method for sewage sludge.

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