Drivers and Performance of Europe’s Largest Thermal Hydrolysis Plant at Davyhulme

Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) is Europe’s largest thermal hydrolysis facility and one of the biggest in the world. Owned by United Utilities, the plant treats the wastewater of about 40% of the entire population served by the water utility. The facility is located in Manchester, UK, and treats all the sewage sludge from Davyhulme and seven other large treatment works.

Since beginning operations in 1894, Davyhulme remained a frontrunner in the innovation of wastewater treatment processes, even becoming the birthplace of the waste-activated sludge early in the 20th century. In 2009, Cambi’s thermal hydrolysis process was installed at the plant to increase renewable energy generation and provide flexibility in sludge treatment for the North West region. After digestion, sludge is either dewatered for land application or incinerated as liquid.

Dr. Bill Barber presents the project background and the drivers for choosing Cambi technology. Currently Technical Director at Cambi, Bill was then the biosolids technical specialist on the thermal hydrolysis project at Davyhulme.

He is followed by Thomas Stead, MBC Production Manager at Davyhulme, who will share his first-hand experience running the plant. Tom will talk about the innovative technologies installed at the site, the sludge center’s daily operations, and data on performance indicators such as biogas production, digester capacity, and biosolids quality.