Prize winning circuit
Local sewage is used as fertiliser for bio energy crops in the Swedish city Enköping.
SEWAGE. The local sewage management plant has made big investments inspired by the idea that sludge and waste water might somehow be useful. Photo: Stockxpert
Collaboration between sewage management and farmers who grow crops for bio energy has created a unique prize winning circuit in Enköping, Sweden.
Benefits
Several sources of sewage are being utilised as agricultural fertiliser, giving environmental benefits. For this Enköping in 2009 was awarded a prize, the members of the jury pointing out the city's ability to innovation. The municipality administration and agricultural stake holders collaborate in a good way, the result being environmental as well as business benefits.
Useful waste
The local sewage management plant has made big investments inspired by the idea that sludge and waste water might somehow be useful. The power plant Ena Energy was at the same time looking for wood as a source for energy and safe disposal of ashes from the power plant incineration.
Sludge and ashes
The municipality administration got in touch with local farmers and sewage sludge treatment ponds were built at four farms. Ashes from the local Ena Energy bio power plant is mixed with sludge from local sources and is used as fertiliser for crops used for bio energy.
Further reading:
Ena Energy: Energy forest – a tool to facilitate the modern bio-cyclical society
AGS: Multifunctional bioenergy systems [pdf]
Salix cultivation linked with energy and sewage plants, thus satisfying the need for both biomass for energy and recirculation of nutrients which would otherwise require different handling, or else go to a deposit or a surrounding recipient. (Illustration: AGS)
