Pyrocal Technology Creating Energy and Biochar for City of Logan

Pyrocal partnered with international assets and infrastructure company Downer and the City of Logan in an Australian-first project applying gasification technologies to transform biosolids from the sewage treatment process into renewable energy and biochar.

The Issue

At the City of Logan’s largest wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at Loganholme, Logan Water produces 34,000 tonnes of biosolids annually.

Everyday, six truckloads of biosolids were being transported 300km to an agricultural area to be used as a soil additive. This was a major cost for Logan Water of around $1.8M per year, or 30% of the operating costs of Loganholme WWTP.

The Project

Following the successful gasification trials at Loganholme WWTP, a full-scale, permanent gasification facility was constructed and officially opened in April 2022.

The $28M was funded by the City of Logan with a $6.2M grant from the Australian Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The Outcomes

• This Australian-first project has won multiple engineering and water awards, including the Infrastructure Project Innovation (Metro) award at the 2023 Australian Water Awards.

• Operational cost savings will return almost $1M a year to the City of Logan, and the production of biochar delivers a new revenue stream.

• Carbon emissions will be reduced by around 6,000 tonnes a year.

• The energy generated from the process is used to dry the biosolids.

• Biosolids gasification destroys chemicals in biosolids like persistent organic pollutants and micro and nano-plastics.