There was reason to celebrate at the sewage sludge utilisation plant that WTE is building for Berliner Wasserbetriebe: we successfully completed pressure testing of the three steam boilers. All boilers withstood the required test pressure without any pressure drop. In short: they are safe for future operation. This was fittingly celebrated on 6 May 2025 with the traditional beverage ‘Kesselwasser’.

The boilers are a core element of the entire plant technology, which is why the boiler pressure test is a very important and safety-relevant test. As part of this test, the boilers were pressurised to a test pressure of 174 bar, which corresponds to approximately 2.5 times the subsequent operating pressure. Line 1 was successfully tested on 5 April. The test of line 3 took place on 5 May and two days later line 2.

Around 120 people, including the WTE team, representatives of Berliner Wasserbetriebe and key suppliers and partners, gathered for the recent boiler pressure test celebration in the plant’s tent-lined car park. A small group then made their way to the incineration hall to the boiler on line 3, where the boiler plate was affixed as a visible sign of the successful test.

Back at the venue, everyone raised a toast to this important milestone. In keeping with the occasion, everyone enjoyed a drink called “Kesselwasser” –  Williams pear schnapps printed with the project name and date of the pressure test.

As is customary at such celebrations, speeches were given by project managers from the BWB and WTE, who paid tribute to the project and thanked everyone involved for their commitment.

The afternoon ended with a convivial get-together with food and drink, and a shot or two of Kesselwasser. On that note: cheers! Here’s to a successful pressure test and the great work of all the teams involved!