Severn Trent aims to create ‘super fertiliser’ from sludge

Severn Trent has secured £1 million funding from the Carbon Trust to trial a sludge processing system that will convert waste to agri-fertiliser and energy.

The technology, developed by CCm, is being trialled at SVT’s Minworth wastewater treatment plant and uses carbon capture technology to convert the sludge to energy.

Chief engineer at SVT Bob Stear said the company, which already generates around half the energy it uses from anaerobic digestion and biogas, explored ways to lock up more of the carbon dioxide generated by its processes.

“What’s particularly exciting about this project is that it has the potential to combine carbon dioxide with otherwise hard-to-treat ammonia and make what we hope will become a ‘super fertiliser’,” Stear said. Adding that it could be “a real game changer.”

SVT’s project is part of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator programme, a government initiative that aims to increase the use of energy efficient technology within industries including wastewater treatment.

Concurrent to the project, SVT opened a launch pad called the Resource Recovery and Innovation Centre at its Spernal treatment works at the end of 2019 where it trials innovative wastewater treatment prior to scaling up.

The process uses captured carbon dioxide to stabilise nitrogen, phosphate and organic chemicals in the wastewater treatment streams and turns them into sustainable plant nutrients.

The system is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on-site and the carbon-free heat co-generated in the process can be used to reduce energy consumption across the site.

Paul Knuckle, external funding lead at SVT, said the project is a first for both companies involved. “We’ve demonstrated how well aligned our wastewater recycling ambition is to the government energy efficiency strategy and how we can support the circular economy with the potential to produce value from waste,” Knuckle said.