Transforming Sludge into Resources for a Sustainable Future
SLUDGE2VALUELIFE represents a revolutionary innovation in industrial sludge treatment through a circular economy approach. The project converts sludge from paper mill wastewater treatment plants into bio-products and bio-energy through a carbon-negative and energy-positive process.
The innovative TORWASH technology combines torrefaction and hydrolysis, separating sludge into solids (transformed into carbon-negative substrate) and liquids (processed via anaerobic digestion in a UASB reactor). The result: biofuel with high calorific value (HHV=20 GJ/ton) and biogas to power the process itself.
The consortium
TORWASH
Project coordinator. Responsible for the central phase of sludge processing, managing reactor technology and coordinating subcontractors for design, production, and installation. Key partners: IWE (sludge supplier) and CRH (biofuel buyer).
CA.RE. FOR. Engineering
Conducts a full life cycle assessment (LCA) and a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to demonstrate the minimization of environmental impacts and assess the future social impacts of the integrated technology.
Technological Innovation
- Local process at the wastewater treatment plant
- Reduction of material transport
- No chemical use
- Pre-industrial scale (TRL8)
- Patented technology TORWASH (WO2021032842)
SLUDGE2VALUELIFE demonstrates how technological innovation can transform an environmental challenge into an economic opportunity, creating value from sustainable industrial waste management and concretely contributing to the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy.
