AquaCritox® Processing Plants for Sustainable Destruction of Waste

AquaCritox® is a world-first technology developed by Irish-based company SCFI, providing a sustainable solution for the treatment of a variety of municipal and industrial wastes.

Converting industrial effluent into harmless substances

AquaCritox can take toxic waste streams such as industrial effluent, including from oil and gas, and sewage, and completely convert them into harmless substances such as water, CO₂, and inert oxides, while generating excess energy at the same time.

This exciting technology has been supported by the EU Eco-innovation initiative in a project to build an AquaCritox demonstration unit, which can showcase the process in industrial locations and real operating conditions as required around the world.

Eco-friendly elimination of sewage to generate renewable power

AquaCritox uses hydrothermal oxidation (HTO) to convert virtually all (greater than 99.99%) of organic materials present in waste into inert by-products. It reduces volume by 97% and produces a residue that is safe for disposal or for further recovery of valuable minerals (such as phosphorus) from the treated waste.

The technology is fast, safe and odourless, and has additional major advantages in sewage treatment. It eliminates the need for landfill and land spreading, and mitigates social, political and environmental concerns in a one-step, cost-effective process. Excitingly, the process is exothermic, so will generate renewable energy with the right waste flows.

The AquaCritox demonstrator is portable and housed in three adapted shipping containers, which can be easily transported to sites around the world to demonstrate its effectiveness in different working environments and across a range of waste types.

Eco-innovation funding helped the project overcome several technological and commercial hurdles to create a flexible modular demonstrator, which delivers HTO at various pressures and temperatures appropriate for different types of waste.

The Eco-innovation initiative helps SMEs with innovative, environmentally beneficial products, which have been proven through piloting, overcome obstacles to commercial success. It is part of the EU’s commitment to not only boost economic growth, but also ensure Europe leads the way in helping meet the world’s sustainability challenges.

Environmentally safe disposal of wet waste

With the destruction and disposal of wet waste a notable commercial and environmental problem globally, SCFI’s AquaCritox technology was selected for grant funding, providing a safe, secure and sustainable solution that had not been realised before.

The Eco-innovation grant supported SCFI’s mission to position AquaCritox technology at the forefront of the global waste treatment industry. The project has provided evidence of its significant environmental and financial benefits, and also demonstrated the commercial feasibility of the technology, establishing a viable route to market for a range of applications.

Sustainable processing of industrial sludge

SCFI carried out the design, manufacture and construction of the modular AquaCritox demonstrator in Cork. A range of municipal and industrial sludges have been processed during a comprehensive test phase, and the company is now looking forward to transporting it to specific waste generation sites for demonstration purposes.

SCFI chief executive John O’Regan said: “Seeing is often believing when it comes to new technologies, so this is a major step forward for SCFI in proving both the technical and commercial effectiveness of AquaCritox to our potential clients.”

_{*This information has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of SCFI and Hydrocarbons-technology.com and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.}