GEA biosolids Decanter pro: Successful launch on the Chinese market

The GEA biosolids Decanter pro is a line of decanters designed to achieve high wastewater sludge and biogas yields in municipal wastewater treatment systems. These decanters have been developed by GEA, the world’s leading German specialist for centrifuge technology. The new decanter line is based on decades of market-leading GEA expertise in the wastewater sector, which enables the company to continually develop pioneering sludge treatment processes and technologies. The high degree of standardization and the compact, modular design of the GEA biosolids Decanter pro ensure easy “plug & play” integration in established processes with minimal adjustment requirements and fast delivery. The line is also optimized for high energy efficiency, requiring as little as 0.7 kW/h per cubic meter of sludge to be dewatered. GEA provides the biosolids Decanter pro in nine machine sizes with throughput capacities of 1 m³/h to 120 m³/h – also available as skid, mobile or retrofit-type solutions.

With this portfolio of machines, GEA ensures a high degree of flexibility in terms of applications and covers almost all common requirements involved in the treatment of municipal wastewater sludge. “To achieve this, we first analyzed the requirements and parameters of numerous Chinese wastewater treatment plants in detail, and optimized the GEA biosolids Decanter pro to fulfil these requirements”, explained Steve Tzuoo, Country Managing Director for Greater China. “The development processes saw the GEA engineers in Germany collaborate closely with the GEA sales company in China.” In doing so, the team drew on GEA’s decades of expertise as a sludge specialist in the wastewater industry – with decanter centrifuges as its core technology – as well as the company’s 125 years’ experience in the field of centrifugal separation technology.

Successful market launch in China

The biosolids Decanter pro was rigorously tested at a Chinese wastewater treatment plant in 2016, and was subsequently integrated in the plant by its operator. Since then, more than 30 machines have been sold in China – not least because of GEA’s global all-round service, an aspect unique to the sector. “A significant factor in our decision to purchase the biosolids Decanter, in addition to the efficient plug & play technology, was GEA’s complete service and support package – with authorized workshops, service engineers and original spare parts directly on-site”, said the operator of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant in the south-eastern province of Fujian.

GEA officially first launched this decanter line to a wide specialist audience in early May at the IE Expo Shanghai 2018, Asia’s leading trade fair for environmental technology solutions.

Turning cost drivers into income sources

With the development of the GEA biosolids Decanter pro line, GEA offers a sustainable solution to facilitate economical operation of municipal wastewater treatment plants. This means that, in future, rather than simply relying on capital investments, decisive parameters will include the dryness level of solids, polymer consumption, biogas yield after digestion and nutrient recovery rate. It turns wastewater management – until now a cost-intensive process with high levels of energy consumption – into a new source of income and marketing through the recovery of valuable resources and energy carriers. Potential yields include phosphorous for the fertilizer market and biogas for power generation.