As part of its work toward energy and nutrient recovery from organic waste, the Derry Township Municipal Authority (DTMA) has purchased a full-scale biosolids drying and gasification process from Ecoremedy, according to a press release by Brown and Caldwell.
Ongoing upgrades at the five million gallons per day Clearwater Road Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) is part of a $12 million biosolids facility improvements program. The facility upgrades will expand capacity and increase energy efficiency, boosting the plant’s sustainability.
The authority purchased Ecoremedy®’s Fluid Lift Gasification™ (FLG) technology. The full-scale biosolids drying and gasification process allows for simultaneous gasification and nutrient and energy recovery from industrial residuals and municipal biosolids. The system is also able to reduce or eliminate emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“This major investment aligns with our mission to provide a cost-effective public service to protect and enhance the water environment and quality of life for our community,” says William Rehkop, DTMA’s executive director. “By implementing self-sustaining facility improvements and expanding our hauled waste program, the authority has generated alternate revenue sources which have significantly subsidized operation and maintenance costs to benefit our customers.”
Brown and Caldwell is providing construction management, design services, and permitting to accommodate the new system and development of a biosolids receiving facility at the plant. Once operational, the FLG system will process higher amounts of biosolids into renewable thermal energy, biochar, and concentrated minerals, thus keeping biosolids out of landfill and creating a sustainable fuel source.
“We congratulate DTMA for their visionary approach to recovering resources and reducing environmental impacts,” says Colin O’Brien, Brown and Caldwell project manager. “Our team is honored to help transform the facility and position DTMA as a waste-to-energy leader at a time when our industry seeks innovative ways to manage biosolids.”
