Biosolid Belt Dryer in Belgium

Why a Single, Megawatt-Scale Dryer Was the Cornerstone Investment

For this Belgian public-private partnership, the project was about creating a new, permanent waste treatment pathway. Investing in a single, mega-capacity biosolid belt dryer was the only logical choice given the centralized nature of the facility, which was designed to receive biosolids from multiple treatment plants across the region.

This industrial biosolid dryer was selected as a single unit because its immense capacity was engineered to match the aggregated daily sludge inflow, ensuring a continuous feed to the downstream gasifier.

Building multiple smaller dryers would have complicated layout, increased energy integration points, and raised capital costs unnecessarily. The single, robust line embodied the project's philosophy of centralized, high-tech processing for maximum efficiency and control.

Material Specifics and the Gateway-to-Energy-Recovery Drying Intent

The raw material is anaerobically digested and dewatered municipal sewage sludge (Class B biosolids). It is a homogeneous, paste-like material with high moisture content (78-82%) and must be handled with strict bioaerosol and odor control. The drying intent is hygienic drying and mass reduction to create a stable, granulated feedstock.

The process must reduce moisture to below 10% to transform the sludge into a free-flowing, biologically inert granulate (often called "bio-coal") with a high calorific value, perfectly suited as a feed for the high-temperature gasifier to recover energy and concentrate nutrients in the ash.

Following an exhaustive EU public tender with stringent technical and environmental criteria, RICHI Machinery was selected as the preferred technology provider. We supplied a RICHI QHG-2000 Steam Heating Multi-Layer Belt Dryer with a full odor containment and thermal oxidation system.

The technical configuration for this biosolid belt dryer in Belgium represented the pinnacle of sanitary industrial drying:

• Model Installed: RICHI QHG-2000 Steam Heating Belt Dryer.
• Heating Form: Steam heating, utilizing steam generated from the waste heat of the downstream gasification process itself. This created a highly efficient, integrated energy loop where the drying process was fueled by the energy recovery system it fed.
• Key Specifications: 5-layer belt design, 1.6-meter belt width, providing 58㎡ of drying area.
• Fully Enclosed, Indirect Drying with Off-Gas Treatment: The entire drying process occurs in a negatively pressurized, sealed stainless steel enclosure. The sludge is dried indirectly via steam-heated plates and a closed air loop. All exhaust vapors are captured, passed through a condenser to recover water and heat, and then the remaining non-condensable gases (odors) are destroyed in a integrated thermal oxidizer (RTO), ensuring zero odor emissions.
• Hygienic and Automated Operation: Designed for automatic CIP (Clean-in-Place) cleaning. All product contact surfaces are polished stainless steel. The system is fully automated and monitored for critical parameters like temperature, pressure, and oxygen levels to ensure safe, hygienic operation 24/7.

This continuous belt drying system for biosolids is more than a dryer; it is a critical pre-processing and hygiene barrier. It transforms a wet, problematic waste into a dried biosolid fuel that is safe, stable, and ideal for advanced thermal conversion, embodying the concept of a sewage sludge dryer for the circular economy.

Pioneering a Sustainable, Post-Land-Application Future

The dried output from this belt dryer is the essential feedstock for the next stage:

1. Feedstock for Advanced Thermal Recovery (Gasification): The dried, granular biosolid is fed into a high-temperature gasifier. The syngas produced is used to generate renewable electricity and steam (part of which drives the dryer), while the nutrient-rich ash is collected for processing into a certified, pollutant-free fertilizer.
2. Achieving the Highest EU Environmental Standards: This process chain moves beyond land application to thermal treatment, effectively destroying organic micro-pollutants and capturing nutrients, aligning with the most stringent future EU directives on sludge management.
3. Public Service and Environmental Leadership: The project establishes the utility as a European leader in sustainable urban metabolism, turning a public sanitation liability into a source of renewable energy and recycled nutrients, with full public transparency and acceptance.

This case demonstrates how RICHI's technology is deployed in the most advanced, large-scale public infrastructure projects, where reliability, hygiene, environmental compliance, and energy integration are non-negotiable.

Why RICHI's Integrated QHG-2000 System Won the Tender

The Belgian consortium chose RICHI after a multi-year selection process where our solution excelled in key areas:

• Superior Energy Integration and Efficiency: Our design for using process-derived steam and incorporating exhaust condensation for heat recovery resulted in the lowest net energy consumption per ton of sludge, a decisive factor in the tender's scoring.
• Unmatched Environmental Controls (Odor, Emissions): The fully enclosed design with integrated RTO for odor destruction was a critical requirement for obtaining the operating permit in a populated region like Flanders. RICHI's system offered a guaranteed solution.
• Proven Track Record in Large-Scale Municipal Projects: Our references from similar large-scale municipal sludge drying projects provided the necessary confidence in our ability to deliver and commission such a complex system on time and within budget.
• Compliance with EU Machinery and Safety Directives: We provided complete documentation and certification packages demonstrating compliance with all relevant EU directives (ATEX, PED, etc.), which was essential for the public client and their insurers.

Logistics: Serving the Heart of Europe via Antwerp

The massive biosolid belt dryer and its ancillary systems were shipped in multiple heavy-lift sections from Qingdao Port. Given Belgium's central location and world-class port infrastructure, the shipment arrived at the Port of Antwerp, Europe's second-largest port, for direct delivery to the Flanders site.

Client Testimonial from Flanders, Belgium

"Our mission was to develop a sustainable, long-term solution for biosolids that goes beyond traditional methods. The RICHI biosolid belt dryer is the crucial first step in this advanced recycling chain. Its energy efficiency, using heat from our own process, and its completely sealed, odor-free operation were exactly what we needed for public acceptance and technical performance. It reliably produces a perfect feedstock for gasification.

RICHI managed this complex project with professionalism from design to commissioning. For any major utility or municipality considering advanced sludge treatment, this biosolid belt dryer is the robust and hygienic core technology you can build around." – Project Manager, Regional Water Utility & Thermal Recovery Partnership, Flanders, Belgium.

RICHI Machinery: Engineering the Future of Urban Waste Recovery

This project underscores RICHI's position as a provider of mission-critical technology for the modern circular economy, particularly in the demanding context of public infrastructure and environmental services, where performance, reliability, and sustainability converge.

Contact RICHI Machinery to discuss how our advanced, hygienic belt drying systems can form the core of your next-generation organic waste or biosolid recovery facility.