create
100% less sludge
together

WASTE WATER SLUDGE FROM COSTS TO A SOURCE OF INCOME 

Thanks to our unique processing method, sludge from wastewater treatment is no longer waste.

The world is full of unused waste. For example, every year about one and a half million tons of sludge is left over from wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands, which ends up in waste incinerators. Costs: approximately 150 million euros per year. We think this is a loss and don't see sludge as waste, but as a resource. TORWASH® is a unique patented treatment method for sewage sludge that converts sludge into solid biofuels, biogas, fertilizer, and treated water.

Optimized method

The TORWASH® process has proven itself in practice during extensive tests at the Almere water treatment plant. The pilot was carried out in collaboration with the Zuiderzeeland Water Board under the supervision of STOWA. Two products, solid biofuel and biogas, were found to be excellent for sustainable energy production. Based on these very positive results, it was decided to set up a separate company for further scaling up and commercialization: TORWASH BV.

Savings and income

The core of the TORWASH® method is a chemical reaction in superheated water: hydrothermal treatment. This changes the structure of sludge and ensures that water can easily and without much energy be extracted from the sludge. We reach a dry matter content of more than 50% without the addition of (fossil) additives such as PE (polyelectrolytes). This method of dewatering of  sludge works much better than existing techniques in water treatment plants. What remains is a largely dry cake that is suitable for energy production. The removed water is efficiently digested forming sufficient biogas to make the TORWASH® system energy-neutral. Phosphate that is released from the sludge can also be recovered. The effluent water goes back to the inlet of the water treatment plant so that it can be discharged safely onto surface waters. There is no more waste left, and the water treatment plant becomes fully circular.

In addition to large savings on sludge processing (80% on operating costs), the TORWASH® method provides three new products and therefore additional income. By avoiding sludge transport and the use of fossil additives, the CO2 emissions caused by the water treatment plant are reduced by 50%.

Global market

Municipal water treatment plants are the main market for TORWASH® application. For water boards, the TORWASH® process is not only financially attractive, but the circular nature is also an important argument.
The TORWASH® system is also a solution for companies that operate their own water treatment plant and spend a lot of money on sludge disposal. Various kinds of wastewater sludges from the paper, food, and chemical industries from both the Netherlands and abroad have been tested successfully. 

Future

Based on the successful tests in Almere, we, together with three water boards, among which Aa and Maas Water Board, have started building a scaled-up system at the wastewater treatment plant of Land van Cuijk. In 2023, tests will be carried out on a scale of one ton of sludge per hour. After this demonstration, the TORWASH® process will be introduced to the market in 2026.

In this way, we want to create a circular environment together with all parties in the water treatment sector, where no more waste is produced.