Phosphorus from sewage sludge ashes

Sewage water in the Netherlands contains approximately 12 million kg of phosphorus of which 85% ends up in sewage sludge. When sewage sludge is  burned in a mono-sludge combustor, such as at HVC and SNB, most of the phosphorus ends up in the fly ash. Fly ash contains up to 27% phosphorus.

EcoPhos, in cooperation with SNB and HVC, developed a wet-chemical process to recover phosphorus from fly ash in the form of fertilizer. In Dunkirk (France), EcoPhos is building a new animal feed grade DCP (dicalcium phosphate) production plant with an annual capacity of 220 kilotons. This plant incorporates the new process to treat 50 to 60,000 tonnes fly ash. It will be the first industrial plant in Europe processing these ashes.

According to director Marcel Lefferts of SNB the contract is a big step for phosphorus recycling in Europe. “This collaboration in the supply chain makes it possible to recover more phosphorus than the operators of waste water treatment plants can recover by themselves at their own plants.”

FACTS & FIGURES

Processing capacity sewage sludge: 440,000 ton per year
Production phosphorus-rich fly ash: 50,000 ton per year
Recovery of phosphorus: 12,000 ton P2O5 per year

MORE INFORMATION

N.V. Slibverwerking Noord-Brabant
Havennummer 348
Middenweg 38
4782 PM Moerdijk

Postbus 72
4780 AB Moerdijk

T +31 168 38 20 60
E info@snb.nl
www.snb.nl | www.fosfaatrecycling.nl