Two dryers have been successfully in operation since April 2022
Two ELODRY® NT48 belt dryers have so far been used to dry Loganholme's sewage sludge, which is then processed into biochar using the Pyrocal CCT gasification process. The low-temperature dryers contribute to the high energy efficiency of the entire sludge treatment process. The recovered thermal energy from the gasification process is used to dry the dewatered sludge. As part of the "Logan City Biosolids Gasification Project", another belt dryer was commissioned in August 2023. This will extend the utilisation of the sewage sludge to external sludge.

Production of valuable biochar
Gasification of the sewage sludge destroys the chemicals it contains, such as persistent organic pollutants and micro- and nanoplastics, while retaining macronutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. The biochar has many uses, especially as a fertiliser in agriculture or as a soil conditioner.

Sustainable and economic utilisation of sewage sludge
With the belt dryers and the gasification plant, not only is the sludge volume reduced by 90%, but a waste material is converted into a valuable material. Until the new process was implemented, the sewage sludge had to be transported from Loganholme over a distance of about 300 km for disposal. Since the commissioning of the drying and carbonisation plant, this transport and disposal effort has been eliminated. The valuable biochar can instead be sold as a recyclable material for 45 Australian dollars/t. Another important advantage of the new plant is the significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.