Biosolids drying demonstration plant

Project typeSewer
Project value$800,000
Project schedule2022 to 2026

We’re exploring innovative drying technologies to deliver smarter solutions for our biosolids management.

Biosolids are the organic material left over after wastewater is treated at a sewerage treatment plant.

Our goals are to:

reduce biosolids volume, transport and management costs
minimise environmental impacts
provide flexibility to pivot to thermal treatment
reduce the footprint required for biosolids processing, freeing up valuable land for infrastructure.

Why this project matters

Managing biosolids is one of our largest operational costs. We are currently using sludge drying beds to reduce the volume of biosolids, but have experienced challenges including:

performance is weather dependent, and
the beds taking up a significant amount of space.

Other biosolids drying systems rely on external heat to dry, making the beds expensive and energy-intensive to implement.

Partnering for innovation

In 2022 we partnered with IPMF Technologies to pioneer a world-first, low energy vertical biosolids drying system. This technology works at ambient temperatures and does not need an external heat source to process biosolids.

This project will test the economic potential of the system for wider use. If successful, the technology could be implemented across other treatment plants to support sustainable and resilient biosolids management nationally and internationally.