Malmberg and ELIQUO working towards Net Zero methane emissions at wastewater treatment plants

Malmberg are partnering up with ELIQUO to introduce a new vacuum degassing technology for digested sludge in Sweden and Norway

• Malmberg and ELIQUO have agreed on a partnership to introduce ELIQUO’s ELOVAC® technology to the Norwegian and Swedish market
• New technology for wastewater treatment plants in the Nordic market to significantly reduce their carbon footprint
• Vacuum Degassing system for digested sludge reduces methane emissions during sludge treatment whilst simultaneously preventing struvite scaling issues and improving dewatering results

Ahus, February 24, 2022. Malmberg and ELIQUO WATER GROUP have signed a partnership agreement to introduce ELIQUO’s ELOVAC® vacuum degassing technology for digested sludge to the Nordic market. Malmberg will bring ELOVAC® to Norway and Sweden, to develop Net Zero for wastewater treatment plants by reducing Methane (CH₄) emissions which occur during sludge treatment. By installing this new technology, wastewater treatment plants can make an important contribution to help reduce their carbon footprint and counteract climate change.

Greenhous gases are key factors in causing irreversible negative impacts on the global climate and temperature increase. Methane is a greenhouse gas that in comparison to CO₂ has higher destructive effects on the environment. Over a period of 20 years, one kilogram of methane causes the same negative impact as 84 kilograms of CO₂.¹

Wastewater is the fifth largest source of methane emissions – giving wastewater treatment plants a huge potential to contribute to help stop climate change by avoiding methane emissions.² At Wastewater treatment plants, 75 per cent of direct Greenhouse gas emissions occur as methane during sludge treatment.³ Hence, technologies for decreasing methane emissions during the sludge treatment process can make a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint at water utilities facilities. Saving energy and disposal costs can improve the carbon footprint even further.

Technologies like ELOVAC®, combine several benefits to reduce the carbon footprint. ELIQUO’s patented technology ELOVAC® is a skid-mounted plug and play biosolids degassing system, with optional integrated phosphorous precipitation. For the vacuum degassing process, biosolids from the anaerobic digester are continuously fed from the digester into a degassing reactor tank. A vacuum pump captures the entrapped biogas from the digested biosolids and brings it back into the gas system. The energy produced from this additional gas can be used for the power consumption. Magnesium is optionally added to the reactor tank. At the same time, degassing increases the pH. Both processes result in controlled phosphorus precipitation. At the end of the process, the degassed biosolids are discharged for dewatering. This leads to better dewatering, lower polymer use and PO₄-P loads to the treatment works, and eliminates downstream struvite scaling problems. As a result, Water Utilities save up to 20 per cent sludge disposal costs, lower maintenance and overall reduce their carbon footprint by up to 25 per cent.

With Malmberg´s decades of experience in municipal wastewater treatment in Sweden and Norway, both companies strive to make a positive impact by helping water utilities to become carbon neutral.

Erik Malmberg, Managing Director of Malmberg AB says: “Malmberg’s vision is zero waste and to enable the circular community. We call us “Generation Zero”. Therefore, we are proud to cooperate with ELIQUO and looking forward to introducing ELOVAC® technology. ELOVAC® is a future technology for the municipal wastewater treatment market looking for sustainable and circular solutions.” Gauke Reitsma, Managing Director of ELIQUO WATER GROUP adds: “Both Malmberg and ELIQUO are companies with a long-term focus and vision on water and sustainability. We are excited to join forces with Malmberg in Sweden and Norway to introduce our ELOVAC® technology for reducing the CO₂ footprint at water utilities.”

Malmberg

Malmberg is a global market and technology leader in the cleantech sector. A Swedish family-owned business established in 1866, our principle areas of focus are on the design, production and development of technologies and solutions for water treatment, biogas upgrading, geothermal energy and drilling. Malmberg works towards a better future environment under the motto” We’re Generation Zero.”

ELIQUO WATER GROUP GmbH

Established in 2014, ELIQUO develops and implements innovative technologies for the municipal water and wastewater market. ELIQUO bundles the activities of SKion Water in the field of municipal water, wastewater and sludge treatment in Europe. With more than 500 employees and over 30 years of experience with EPC Contracting, ELIQUO’s products and services cover THP, vacuum degassing of digested sludge, sludge drying, 3^rd & 4^th treatment step, energy efficiency projects and nutrient recovery solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of water utilities and protect our most valuable resource: water. www.eliquowater.com

SKion Water GmbH

Skion Water is a technology and solution provider, and a plant manufacturer, in both municipal and industrial water and wastewater technology founded by entrepreneur Susanne Klatten. SKion Water invests in innovative water technology companies. ELIQUO is one of its portfolio companies among others like Ovivo, EnviroWater Group, Paques, Ecopreneur, ADASA, inCTRL and Matten. www.skionwater.com

Press Contact

Malmberg
Viktor Ekberg
Marketing & Communication
+46 766 395 921
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ELIQUO
Nina Reppich
Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
+49 151 12 55 76 89
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¹ IPCC AR5 (https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar5/#), accessed 11 February 2022

² Anastasios Zouboulis, Athanasia Tolkou: ”Effect of Climate Change in WastewaterTreatment Plants: Reviewing the Problemsand Solutions”, page 16, 2015

³ Andrea Gärtner et al: Diffuse biogene Emissionen aus Kläranlagen, KA Korrespondenz Abwasser 2017 (64), Nr. 11