SPILLAGE- AND ODOUR- FREE TRANSPORT OF WASTEWATER SLUDGE; EXPERIENCES AND CONCLUSIONS FROM A CASE STUDY AT NORSKE SKOGSINDUSTRIER A/S IN NORWAY.

When the Norske Skogsindustrier was obliged by the local authorities to introduce mechanical and biological cleaning of the process water at their paper mill in Skogn, Norway, they decided to use the Sicon enclosed belt conveying system for transporting the de-watered sludge from the filter presses to the storage silo. The picture shows a cross section of the conveyor belt with the transported material enclosed inside the belt and it shows the support and guide rollers from which the belt is suspended. This new and unique conveying system was able to negotiate tight bends without transfer points and thus allowing some existing conveyor bridges to be used for a part of the conveying distance. At the same time, the sludge was transported totally enclosed without any spillage or escape of odour.The flexibility in layout and the small dimensions of the conveying system made it possible to install the filter presses in an existing building and the energy savings compared to pumping the sludge were considerable.This paper will illustrate how a new and innovative technique for the transport of sludge and bio solids can provide an optimum technical and economical solution which is environmental friendly and suitable for retrofit installations in existing plants.The Sicon system received the “WEFTEC Innovative Technology 2000 Award” in the Solids Handling/Disposal category at the conference in October 2000.