ICABUS at WWTP Asten

The Aa en Maas Water Authority has entered into a partnership with Purgatoria. This EFRO-subsidized project investigates the benefits of implementing Purgatoria’s ICABUS technology for wastewater treatment.

The aim of the research is to demonstrate that recovering cellulose from wastewater is not only beneficial for the environment (approx. 1,300 kg CO₂ per ton of dry pulp) but also generates financial savings. These savings come from reduced energy consumption of the aerators, lower sludge production, and fewer transport movements.

The dewatered pulp is transported to digesters at the Den Bosch wastewater treatment plant, where it is converted into biogas. The ultimate goal is to have buses in Den Bosch run on green gas made from recovered toilet paper. Due to current grid congestion issues, this is not yet possible, so the biogas is currently used at a nearby brewery instead. Still, quite a remarkable use of toilet paper, isn’t it?