Thermal hydrolysis

Thermal hydrolysis is a two-stage process combining high-pressure boiling of waste or sludge followed by a rapid decompression.

Sterilization destroys pathogens in the sludge resulting in it exceeding the stringent requirements for land application (agriculture).

[1] Sewage treatment plants, such as Blue Plains in Washington, D.C., USA, have adopted thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge in order to produce commercially valuable products (such as electricity and high quality biosolid fertilizers) out of the wastewater.

[4] The full-scale commercial application of thermal hydrolysis enables the plant to utilize the solids portion of the wastewater to make power and fine fertilizer directly from sewage waste.

[5] The city of Oslo, Norway installed a system for converting domestic food waste to fuel in 2012.