Clean and Cost-Effective Utilization of Sewage Sludge

51070-98-I Clean and Cost-Effective Utilization of Sewage Sludge--Energy and Environmental Research Corporation, 18 Mason Street, Irvine, CA 92618-2706; (714) 859-8851 Dr. Vladimir Zamansky, Principal Investigator Mr. Wayne J. Plizga, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82573 Amount: $75,000 According to the Environmental Protection Agency¿s National Sewage Sludge Survey, approximately 7.8 million tons of sewage sludge (dry basis) are generated each year in the U.S. as a byproduct of municipal wastewater treatment. Management of sewage sludge is a growing concern due to the increasing volumes of sludge, demand for lower pollutant discharges, and rise in disposal costs. This project will develop technology for converting sewage sludge into a high-quality and low-cost pumpable slurry fuel. The slurry fuel can be utilized for cofiring or reburning in coal-fired utility boilers, with greatly reduced emissions compared to sludge incinerators. Phase I is a feasibility study for producing and utilizing economical marketable fuels from sewage sludge. Phase I objectives include 1) converting sewage sludge to a pumpable slurry fuel with an increased heating value, 2) determining fuel characteristics of the carbonized sewage sludge, 3) defining combustion generated emissions and ash characteristics, and 4) evaluating cofiring and reburning as potential application of the new fuel. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: This project would establish the combustion of carbonized sewage sludge as an economically and environmentally desirable method of disposal and utilization. The U.S. market for carbonized sewage sludge fuel is estimated to be approximately $1.3 billion per year. Preliminary economic estimates demonstrate that the technology would be extremely competitive in most geographic regions of the United States._