of environmental pretection projects relating to water and waste water technology
There are signs in Europe of dynamic development in what is already a very extensive market for water and waste water technology. Plants which can be operated as self-sufficiently as possible are in great demand. These require environmentally friendly techniques such as the efficient use of biogas obtained through combined heat and power stations, or heat and energy generation using turbines. These processes help to reduce climate-damaging levels of carbon dioxide, which means for example that a sizeable sewage plant that is largely energy self-sufficient can avoid the production of about 1,200 tons of CO2 per year.
Germany is traditionally recognised as the driver of growth regarding water and waste water technology, and will continue to play this role. Many other countries are now creating framework conditions in line with the German EEG (renewable energy legislation). These examples show how sensible this is: Twelve million tons of sewage sludge extracted per year from waste water plants enable the utilisation of sludge gas for the generation of 14,806 gigawatt hours per year in combined heat and power stations. The heat potential of waste water that could be passed through a heat exchanger amounts to 1,693 megawatts per day.