Topic

The focus of FLXsynErgy is to use both heat and electrical energy gained by co-digestion of sewage sludge and biogenic residues and waste products in a most efficient manner. Thus, a sewage treatment plant can contribute to the German energy transition by generating energy and providing energy storage capacities on demand. Using the existing infrastructure of municipal wastewater treatment plants can result in reduced further investment demand. Furthermore, the extent to which digesters could be used as heat storage facilities is to be investigated. Although agricultural biogas units and digesters at wastewater treatment plants are quite similar in terms of process engineering, there has been a significant  knowledge transfer gap between these two technologies. To overcome this, a Knowledge exchange should be promoted. FLXsynErgy pursues a holistic approach of identifying legal, environmental and social-ethical conflicts in order to increase acceptance and facilitate implementation of developed concepts at waste water treatment plants.

Aims

The aim of FlexsynEnergy is to provide and develop design parameters and control mechanisms in order to implement a demand driven energy production at existing wastewater treatment plants. The results obtained will be summarized in a technical guideline document. Additionally, a knowledge transfer between biogas production at agricultural biogas units and digesters will be promoted. At the same time, legal, environmental and social-ethical conflicts will be addressed to convey acceptance.

Measures

Universität der Bundeswehr München

• Conducting experiments for demand-driven gas production; Investigations concerning the use of a digester as a heat storage unit
• Assessment of co-substrates with regard to their use for demand-driven energy production, including investigations on synergies with regard to phosphorus recovery
• Deriving design values
• Recommendations regarding the design basis of substrate and gas storage units as well as for gas engines
• Participation in knowledge transfer between sewage treatment plant and biogas plants
• Summary of the results in a user-oriented guideline

DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH

• Knowledge transfer between water resource recovery facility and biogas plants through the organization of workshops with relevant stakeholders
• Transfer of the results to the user-oriented guideline

Hochschule für Philosophie München

• Identification of socio-economic and ethical areas of conflict that are relevant for a later practical implementation of the concepts
• Adaptation of the SEIC model in the context of the energy transition
• Elaboration of recommendations for a later practical implementation of the resulting concepts. Converting the recommendations into the guidline

Dr.-Ing. Steinle Ingenieurgesellschaft für Abwassertechnik mbH

• Translation of the findings into large-scale facilities

Wolter Hoppenberg Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB

• Investigation and identification of legal issues
• Developing legal recommendations for action

Focus

Universität der Bundeswehr München

• Demand-driven gas production
• Digester as heat-storage

DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH

• Knowlege transfer

Hochschule für Philosophie München

• Identification of socio-economic and ethical areas of conflict

Dr.-Ing. Steinle Ingenieurgesellschaft für Abwassertechnik mbH

• Recommendations regarding the design basis of substrate and gas storage units as well as for gas engines
• Integration of relativ findings into full-scale facilities

Wolter Hoppenberg Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB

• Investigation and identification of legal issues