Chalmers Conferences, LCM 2013

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PHOSPHOROUS RECOVERY FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE
Birgitte Sørensen, Ole Dall

Last modified: 2014-09-11

Abstract


The Danish waste treatment plant for hazardous waste “Nordgroup a/s”
plans to recover phosphorus from waste water sludge. The presented LCAstudy
indicates that environmental impacts by phosphorous recovery in an
energy efficient process are at the same level or lower than through the reuse
of sewage sludge applied directly on farmland.
The recovery method is based on drying and thermal gasification of
activated sewage sludge followed by extraction of phosphorous from the
ashes. The obtained product can be used as a fertilizer replacing similar
products on the marked.
The conclusion is that the general rule according to waste hierarchy, where
re-use is preferable to material and energy recovery, is wrong in this case.

Keywords


LCA; phosphorous; sludge; resource; gasification

References


Dall et al. 2009, (Dall, Ole; Gammelby, Line og Wenzel, Henrik 2009). Klimaregnskab og Carbon Footprint beregning for Kommunekemi a/s. Published at www.nordgroup.dk

DONG, 2012. Personal information about the existing gasification plant at Kalundborg.

Eco Invent database, 2012, background reports published at www.ecoinvent.org.

Kirkeby, Janus S. et al., 2012. Livscyklusvurdering og samfundsøkonomisk analyse for anvendelse af spildevandsslam Danish EPA-report only published online at www.mst.dk as Miljøprojekt nr. 1459, 2013 (in Danish language but summary in English)

Laurent, A. et al., 2011. (Laurent, Alexis; Olsen, Stig I. and Hauschild, Michael Z., 2011). Normalization in EDIP97 and EDIP2003: updated European inventory for 2004 and guidance towards a consistent use in practice. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol 16, pp. 401-409.

Nordgroup, 2012. Personal information about chemical and energy use for the phosphorus recovery process.

Sørensen, Birgitte and Dall, Ole, 2012. Miljøvurdering af tørring, forgasning og udvinding af fosfor fra spildevandsslam. Unpublished technical report in Danish language.

USGS, 2010. Minerals Yearbook 2010. Published at www.minerals.usgs.gov.


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