Catalysing water treatments: A Comprehensive Examination of sludge, its treatment and Energy Valorisation Solutions

Department of Rural Engineering, Hassan II Agronomy and Vererinary medecine Institute, Morocco

^* Corresponding author: z.boularbah@iav.ac.ma

Abstract

The escalating production of sewage sludge in WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) due to urban population growth and its management poses a substantial risk to the energetic and environmental efficiency of WWTP. This paper aims to explore the potential for sludge as a renewable energy source to reduce reliance on traditional energy through a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles and case studies. This overview demonstrated that various treatment methods such as anaerobic digestion, incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis are the most used and the most promising in terms of their energy outputs and effectiveness. The paper discussed the complexity of sludge composition, its financial burden on WWTP, and the crucial role in the success of these systems. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the different valorisation techniques was conducted that highlighted the energy production potential existing within each method and its underlying constraints while emphasising on the proper sludge management for overall efficiency. Finally, this paper recommended the need for sustainable, cost-effective approaches, considering legal standards for efficient WWTP.