Festive completion of sludge treatment investment projects at Garmerwolde wastewater treatment plant
Today, two major investment projects were ceremoniously completed at the Garmerwolde sewage treatment plant, after which the installations were put into operation. Both projects ensure future-proof and sustainable processing of sewage sludge, a residual product of wastewater treatment. Herman Beerda, executive director of the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority, symbolically handed over the new installations to the water authority's operators. Other speakers included Julia Finkielsztajn, director of the wastewater chain at the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority, Michel Dijk, director of contractor ADS Groep, and Jur Lommerts, director of machine factory Jansen&Heuning. They looked back on the successful collaboration in the design and realization of the installations.
Automatic, efficient, and safe
The sewage sludge from the Noorderzijlvest and Hunze & Aa’s water boards is transported by tanker to the Garmerwolde wastewater treatment plant, where it is processed. The new filter presses extract water from the sludge, creating a sludge cake. This cake is then loaded onto trucks using a transfer installation and transported to Delfzijl for final processing by SNON (Slibverwerking Noord Oost Nederland).
The new installations have a greater processing capacity and are fully automated for continuous operation (24/7). They consume little energy and ensure efficient and safe processing. The sludge cake is transported by screw conveyors and a conveyor belt to two large silos, from where the trucks are loaded. On average, there are six truck transports to Delfzijl per working day.
The compact and enclosed transfer system minimizes space requirements and prevents employees from coming into contact with the sludge. Odors and other emissions are extracted and filtered.
Sustainable end processing
In recent years, the Noorderzijlvest, Hunze en Aa’s, and Drents Overijsselse Delta water authorities have been working together on a sustainable solution for the final processing of sewage sludge. In 2019, this resulted in a long-term partnership with SNON, a joint venture between GMB BioEnergie Zutphen and Energy from Waste Delfzijl (EEW).
EEW processes the sludge in a mono-incineration plant, where the heat released is used to produce steam for companies in and around Delfzijl. This ensures energy recovery from sewage sludge. In time, phosphate will also be recovered from the ash residues of the incineration process.
