The startup has developed a self-sustaining high-moisture organic waste combustion system that eliminates the need for external energy sources and raw materials during the drying and burning process. This technology enables clients to efficiently manage organic waste while maintaining environmental cleanliness through a cyclic process.
Funding
$790K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) face increasing challenges in managing sewage sludge disposal due to high transportation costs, gate fees, and dependence on land application, farmers, or incinerator operators. Existing incineration solutions are often cost-prohibitive for these smaller plants.
Solution
Empyrio offers a compact, on-site system for sewage sludge utilization, designed specifically for small to medium-sized WWTPs (20,000 – 200,000 population equivalent). The system provides a complex pre-drying and single-stage thermal treatment of high-moisture organic waste, such as sewage sludge (500+ tons/a of dry solids at 20-25% DS), without requiring external energy sources or raw materials. Heat generated from the thermal treatment process is recycled to pre-dry the incoming sewage sludge, creating a cyclical and self-sustaining process. This approach significantly reduces utilization costs by eliminating transportation and gate fees, while also enabling potential phosphorus recovery from the resulting ash, promoting a circular economy. The pre-assembled, container-based solution is easily integrated into existing WWTP infrastructure and can be operated by existing plant staff.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes operators and managers of small to medium-sized wastewater treatment plants seeking a cost-effective and sustainable solution for on-site sewage sludge management.
Features
- Compact, containerized system for easy installation and integration
- Self-sustaining combustion process eliminates the need for external energy sources during drying and burning
- Automated system operation minimizes operator intervention
- On-site utilization eliminates transportation costs and gate fees
- Potential for phosphorus recovery from ash by-product
- Suitable for small to medium-sized WWTPs (20,000
- 200,000 population equivalent)
- Processes 500+ tons/year of dry solids sewage sludge at 20-25% DS