MEMBER’S PRESS RELEASE: Revolutionary technology by Ductor® commissioned in Tuorla, Finland

The first biogas plant equipped with Ductor’s nitrogen and phosphorus recovery technology was put into use in Tuorla late November 2016. The size of the Ductor fermenter at the demonstration plant is 80 m3, and with Ductor’s process the plant is capable of treating 1,400 tons of poultry manure each year, producing 266,000 m3 of biogas, 115 tons of ammonium sulfate, and 640 tons of solid organic phosphorus fertilizer. Ductor’s proprietary nitrogen-control technology harnesses the power of underutilized bio-waste such as poultry manure into clean and renewable energy as well as organic fertilizers.

The Ductor process prevents ammonia inhibition in biogas production

The biological method developed and patented by Ductor eliminates the nitrogen dilemma by turning problem waste into profitable recyclable goods. Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been supporting the development of Ductor technology for removing ammonia since 2013.

Joachim Krassowski, Group Manager of Energy Supply Systems at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, says:

Here, the process principle and the results of the pilot plant in Helsinki were evaluated. From the results so far, it can be concluded that the technology will work. The process development of DUCTOR, in my opinion, is very professional and has covered all the necessary steps, from laboratory tests to the development of a semi-industrial test facility, up to the first plant on an industrial scale which was erected in Tuorla.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT will evaluate Ductor’s first industrial-scale plant in Germany

The first commercial Ductor® Add-On plant technology in Germany is currently under development. Fraunhofer UMSICHT will carry out precise evaluations of the performance and the gas yield of the treated substrates after commissioning the plant. Mr. Krassowski adds:

However, taking into account the biological processes and the methods used, I expect the gas yield of the treated substrate to be only slightly below that of the untreated substrate. The removal of nitrogen from very nitrogen-rich substrates, such as poultry manure and slaughterhouse waste, is an important step because through this, sensible use of these organic residues in biogas plants as energy can be made possible, if required, even as monosubstrate residues.

The Ductor® solution has a global market

Removing 60% of nitrogen – before biogas fermentation – is a ground-breaking innovation for the biogas industry. This is done by adding one fermentation step, prior to biogas fermentation, and a nitrogen stripping unit. This solution opens up a variety of new possibilities for improving the biogas economy and nutrient recycling. Ductor’s technology has a global market, since the demand for solutions to improve the profitability of biogas production is tremendous everywhere.

About Ductor Corporation: Ductor (www.ductor.com) is a company with a unique portfolio of proprietary and patented technology to improve waste management, energy, and food production. Ductor has developed a unique fermentation system that removes more than 60 per cent of nitrogen from organic waste before biogas fermentation. Last year, Ductor was awarded a GCCA TOP 10 prize in Taipei.