Driven to help cities manage wastewater sustainably since 1989.
90
Cambi THP plants
27
countries around the world
35
+
years in the industry
Our story
Cambi is the leading global provider of thermal hydrolysis solutions for sewage sludge and organic waste management. Since inventing the thermal hydrolysis process in the early 1990s, we have become a well-known and trusted technology provider for advanced anaerobic digestion and biogas solutions in wastewater treatment.
History and milestones
Through more than 35 years of our history, we've pioneered and refined treatment technologies, collaborated with like-minded partners, and expanded our plant network to serve over 118 million people across six continents.
1989 - First steam explosion
Cambi was founded by the forest owners' association Glommen Skogeierforening to develop new methods for cellulose production through steam explosion technology. The name is derived from the Latin word "cambium," which is the part of the tree where growth takes place.
1992 - New owner and focus on wastewater solids
Per Lillebø takes over Cambi under a Norwegian oil trading and distribution company, Petrol Holding, in its bid to diversify its portfolio. The focus shifts towards the steam explosion of wastewater solids, following promising laboratory test results. Wastewater solids are homogeneous, produced in high volumes, and rich in organic matter - an ideal feedstock for thermal hydrolysis.
1994 - First contract for a full-scale thermal hydrolysis plant, in Hamar (Norway)
Hias, an inter-municipal company based in the Norwegian town of Hamar, took a bet in 1994 by investing in a novel technology that promised to turn wastewater solids into a safe, high-quality resource for agriculture. Construction started the same year, and commissioning took place at the end of 1995. It was the start of a successful partnership. The plant has been through several upgrades since then, the latest delivered in 2020. The long-term average plant uptime of 98% attests to the reliability of the Cambi process.
1996 - Cambi ASA was founded
Cambi ASA was founded on 14 November.
1998 - Collaboration agreement with Thames Water, starting operations in the UK
Building on a good performance during the first years of operation in Hamar, Cambi started to look for opportunities abroad. In 1998, it entered a cooperation agreement with Thames Water in the UK. The two companies established the joint-venture Simon-Hartley Cambi to make the CambiTHP® process available in the UK and Ireland. The first plant in the UK was installed in Chertsey (England) and was commissioned in 2000. Cambi acquired sole ownership of the JV in 2003.
2000 - Contract award for the first large-scale THP plant (Dublin, Ireland)
By the turn of the century, Cambi had signed several additional contracts to install THP plants - in Lillehammer and Sarpsborg (Norway), Fredericia and Næstved (Denmark), as well as Aberdeen (the UK). An important milestone was reached with the contract award for a CambiTHP® plant at the Ringsend WWTP in Dublin, Ireland. Early in 2001, Cambi started work on its first large-scale project.
2005 - First project for co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste
In 2005, Cambi was awarded the turnkey contract to deliver a co-digestion facility with thermal hydrolysis for treating source-separated food waste, industrial biowaste, and wastewater solids. The client, Ecopro, is a cooperation of 52 municipalities in the middle and northern part of Norway. This was Cambi's first turnkey project, successfully commissioned in 2008. In 2021, Ecopro awarded Cambi a new contract to expand the facility with an additional digester.
2006 - Overcoming challenges to succeed in the UK
In agreement with Thames Water, Cambi took over operations at a struggling Chertsey THP plant, made improvements to the process, and delivered the promised benefits. The operational JV was a success and opened the gate for many more systems delivered to Thames Water and most of the other private water utility companies in the UK. Currently, Cambi processes through its systems about 40% of all the sewage sludge in the UK.
2010 - Launch of the B6, the first compact Cambi plant design
Building on 15 years of operational experience and more than 20 successful projects, Cambi decided to develop a more compact plant for medium-sized projects. Called the B6, it uses reactors with a volume of 6 m3, which is half the size of reactors used in the B12 plants. The first contract for a B6 project was signed in 2010, for a plant in Drammen (Norway). Since then, the B6 concept has been refined and standardised into prefabricated modules, significantly reducing the time needed for production and site erection.
2011 - Breakthrough in the USA and a turnkey contract in Oslo
Thermal hydrolysis was included as part of a major upgrade of the Blue Plains wastewater treatment plant in Washington, DC. The project represented Cambi's breakthrough in the USA. DC Water saved about 200 million USD in digester construction costs and lowered its annual operation costs by approximately 20 million USD.In the same year, Cambi won the contract to deliver a turnkey biowaste plant for the city of Oslo. The Romerike biogas plant processes source-separated kitchen waste into high-quality organic fertiliser, while the upgraded biogas fuels buses in Oslo.
2013 - Cambi establishes in-house manufacturing in England
In 2013, Cambi acquired its main supplier for steel products and complete plant modules, the SES workshop in Congleton, England. The modern production facility can deliver most of Cambi's THP systems and ancillaries, such as process gas units and heat exchangers. Cambi's management and manufacturing processes are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 140001:2015 certified.
2014 - Beijing chooses Cambi. A record is set for contract awards
Cambi signed contracts for 14 new plants in 2014. The breakthrough deal was reached in China. The Beijing Drainage Group contracted Cambi for five large THP plants to serve the city's population of more than 20 million. Other project awards during the year were in South Korea (Anyang, an underground facility), Spain (Ourense), the Netherlands (Hengelo), and the UK (Leigh and Burnley).
2016 - The first B2 plants go online. Awilhelmsen acquires shares
A new Cambi design concept was introduced in 2014: the B2 containerised plant. Using reactors with a volume of 2 m3, the B2 has short delivery and commissioning times and meets the needs of mid-size wastewater treatment plants. Contracts for B2 plants were secured shortly after, with the first ones starting operations in 2016 in Ourense (Spain), Leigh and Burnley (the UK). The first contract for a B2 project in the US was also signed that year.
2017 - Cambi acquires 80% stake in Grønn Vekst
Høst - verdien i avfall (now Grønn Vekst) was founded to process waste streams for the Norwegian soil market. Upstream, it enters into disposal contracts for wastewater sludge and biosolids. Downstream, it sells the processed resources to construction companies and retails soil products. With this acquisition, Cambi diversified and increased its recurring revenue streams.
2018 - EQ Renewables joint venture initiated in the USA
The joint-venture reunites partners covering core disciplines to successfully execute thermal hydrolysis and sludge management projects, from turnkey plant delivery to biosolids handling. With its JV partners, Cambi is actively identifying and developing projects for centralised (merchant) sludge treatment at suitable sites (e.g. in areas with high biosolids costs) in the USA. Find out more on the EQ Renewables website.
2020 - Restructuring for the future and a 100% stake in Grønn Vekst
A corporate reorganisation took place. Eirik Fadnes became the CEO of Cambi Group, while founder Per Lillebø remains President and CEO of Cambi ASA, focusing on strategic issues. Cambi is organised into two business segments: Cambi Group, comprising THP equipment sales and related services, and Cambi Invest, which works to expand the recycling business under Grønn Vekst and develop Design-Build-Operate (DBO) projects. Grønn Vekst becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary.
2021 - Cambi goes public
Following a successful private placement, with substantial interest from highly regarded Norwegian and international investors, Cambi was listed on Euronext Growth Oslo on 9 February 2021.
01
Our mission
Improving the environment by transforming wastewater solids and organic wastes into valuable bioresources through reliable solutions for municipal utilities and industries.
Cambi helps clients achieve ambitious sustainability goals for the benefit of neighbouring communities. We strive to develop and deliver equipment that is efficient, low-maintenance, and easy to operate. Our services aim to maximise asset lifetime value, ensuring optimal plant design, start-up and operations.
02
Our vision
Transforming the world by facilitating a swift transition to sustainable communities, as a trusted leader in solutions for anaerobic digestion and organics recycling.
Cambi plays a significant role in the global transition to sustainable, smart and liveable cities. Our solutions for advanced anaerobic digestion and sustainable biosolids management address the global challenges of the water-food-energy nexus. We will continue to market reliable solutions that make business sense and stay at the forefront of green technology development within the industry.
03
Our philosophy
Customer focus, quality and integrity are the guiding lights of all our operations.
Sustainable value creation for our customers is at the heart of everything we do. Cambi only pursues projects with a clear business and environmental case. We optimise plant performance for maximum potential.
Cambi is committed to providing every solution, product, and service with a high degree of quality through testing and ensuring long lifetime. Our management system is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified.
In conducting business across countries, we always act with integrity, following the prevailing international and local rules, regulations, and business practices.
Our values
In all settings, we strive to be:
Proactive
We are passionate about advanced anaerobic digestion and strive to inspire people to make the world more sustainable. We seek and provide constructive feedback, grounded in mutual respect for individual expertise, values and beliefs. We pay attention, learn new skills, and take preemptive action against potential problems.
Responsive
We respond to market changes with agility and reply to enquiries quickly and directly. We treasure diversity and approach every conversation with an open mind, with a focus on finding optimal solutions.
Team oriented
One company, one team. Teamwork defines all interaction with colleagues and customers, making cooperation effective and productive. We build strong relationships through honest collaboration.
Innovative
We practice ingenuity and creativity in all problem-solving. By anticipating customer needs and meeting demanding expectations, we identify and explore new opportunities, get better, and improve our competitive position.
Accountable
We act with integrity, never compromising the truth. We take responsibility for our performance in all decisions and actions. We communicate openly and fairly with all stakeholders, and our actions are consistent with our words.
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