The project proposes an ecological alternative to the disposal and management of sewage sludge produced by wastewater treatment, through the creation of an innovative plant that contributes to the development of state-of-the-art technology in the economically sustainable recovery of sewage sludge.
A new life for sewage sludge: the FREEDOM project
A new life for sewage sludge: the FREEDOM project
Solving treatment of wastewater sewage sludge with new HTL technology to produce hydrocarbons, asphalts and fertilizers.
What are the expected benefits?
- Reduction of the economic and environmental impact of managing sewage sludge as solid waste.
- Potential production of value-added recycled materials from sludge.
- Potential development of circular economy supply chains.
Brief information
| Project | Details |
|---|---|
| Start | October 2020 |
| End | June 2025 (ongoing) |
| Theme | Circular economy, waste |
| Funding | SI (Horizon Europe) |
The Consortium
6 partners, 3 countries, 3 research institutes, 3 industrial partners. Coordinator: Agrosistemi s.r.l. (Piacenza).
Project objectives
The overall objective of the project is to demonstrate the application of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) as an innovative and reliable technology for treating sewage sludge and transforming it into value-added materials.
The potential of the technology is as follows:
· Elimination of sewage sludge production as waste: considering only the Cassano d'Adda sewage treatment plant, where the innovative system will be installed, approximately 4,000 tonnes of biological sewage sludge per year will be diverted from landfill or incineration, with clear environmental benefits. More than 80% of the water contained in the sewage sludge mass, which is currently unrecoverable, will be reintegrated into the treatment cycle.
· Potential production of value-added materials from sewage sludge. Some examples are bio-oil and tar for use in the asphalt industry, nutrients for agricultural use and fillers for the plastics and brick industries.
· Overall reduction in sludge management costs, with immediate benefits for citizens. Thanks to effective marketing, in the future it will be possible to generate revenue from the sale of the raw materials produced.
