Belgium-based wastewater treatment company Aquafin has received subsidy support from the Helios Foundation to develop a biochar project at the RWZI Menen water treatment site.
As part of this project, the Menen site will host an innovative drying and pyrolysis plant that will convert sludge generated as a byproduct during the wastewater treatment into CO2-rich biochar.
The project is a collaborative effort between Aquafin and partnering companies Ebema, D-CRBN, and Stadsbader Group.
Once operational, the envisioned Memen site project is projected to be able to process more than 5,000 tons of sludge every year, producing approximately 600 tons of biochar.
Aquafin shares that these operations will contribute towards the reduction of over 2,000 tonnes of CO2 eq annually, matching the annual carbon dioxide emissions released through heating of no fewer than 880 households in the Belgian region of Flanders.
The project is also expected to result in 640 tons of additional CO2 capture in the biochar product, equaling the volume of the CO2 emissions that a 25-tree forest captures per year.
Established in 1990, Aquafin treats wastewater from the Flemish municipalities before releasing it back into nature. The resulting treated water is not of drinking quality but is rather suitable for species like fish, birds, and amphibians.
Through its established network of operations in Flanders, the company collects household wastewater in designated sewers, transporting it to wastewater treatment plants, where it gets processed in alignment with European and Flemish regulations and standards.
To date, Aquafin has been backed by approximately $7 billion (€6 billion) in investments provided by Flanders for the development of a wastewater treatment infrastructure in this region, and currently, Aquafin treats about 86% of domestic wastewater in this area.
The new carbon removal project at the Menen site will provide a biochar supply to interested buyers, and it will also be used to deploy pilots and test its application across the operations of Aquafin’s 3 partnering companies, aiming to create a sustainable local value chain.
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