Construction of new sludge cake transfer facility in Garmerwolde gets off to a festive start
On Friday, May 24, construction began on a new sludge cake transfer facility at the wastewater treatment plant in Garmerwolde. The construction of a new sludge cake transfer facility stems from a desire for modernization. On the one hand, endeavours water authority endeavours water authority innovation, energy savings, and more efficient delivery and removal of sludge to partners who handle the final processing of the sludge. On the other hand, these upgrades will result in less traffic, which is a positive development for all residents living near the Garmerwolde WWTP.
Official kickoff
The official kickoff was given by Noorderzijlvest Water Authority Beerda, Executive Director of Noorderzijlvest Water Authority water authority .
During brief speeches by Julia Finkielsztajn, Director of water authority , Herman Beerda, and Jur Lommerts, Director at Jansen en Heuning, many words of praise were spoken.
In her speech, Director Finkielsztajn highlighted the partners with whom they are collaborating. There are many developments and innovations underway at Garmerwolde. Jansen en Heuning is proud to be the general contractor building the new sludge cake transfer facility, Lommerts noted. “It is a sludge cake transfer facility that water authority will be able to use for more than half a century,” said Lommerts. The Garmerwolde Wastewater Treatment Plant is the central processing site for the sewage sludge of water authority and water authority .
Herman Beerda is proud of all the developments underway. Years ago, the sludge that remained was spread as fertilizer on the land. This has not been desirable for years. Innovation regarding sludge is therefore important. Additionally, phosphate recovery is necessary. The availability of phosphate cannot be taken for granted, and recovering phosphate is therefore very important for both the present and future generations. After all the wonderful and inspiring words, the group headed to the construction site. Herman Beerda climbed into the crane to drive the first foundation pile.
Energy-efficient, space-saving, and safer
The new sludge cake transfer system reduces energy consumption by approximately 30 percent compared to the current installation. In addition, the loading of sludge into trucks is further optimised. The trucks are positioned on a weighbridge, allowing for highly accurate loading. This results in fewer vehicles on the road, which is better for all nearby residents. Since the construction primarily involves building upward, a significant amount of space is saved on the wastewater treatment plant grounds in Garmerwolde. The new transfer system is a so-called closed transport system. This means that employees have less contact with the sludge cake. This ensures that the new working environment is safer for the staff.
A Northern Partnership
In recent years, the Hunze en Aa’s Water Authority, water authority and Overijssel Delta water authority , and water authority have joined forces to collaborate on sewage sludge treatment capacity. In 2019, a decision was made to pursue the most sustainable solution possible for final sludge treatment. This led to a contract with SNON (Slibverwerking Noord Oost Nederland), a partnership between GMB BioEnergie Zutphen and Energy from Waste Delfzijl (EEW). EEW processes the water boards’ sludge in a mono-incineration plant. The heat released during this process is used to produce steam for delivery to businesses in and around Delfzijl. In short, energy recovery from sewage sludge. Eventually, the raw material phosphate will also be recovered from the ash residues of the incineration process.
