WWTPs are high consumers of energy. In general, wastewater treatment plants are the largest single users of energy by municipalities. MicroSludge has the ability to decrease a WTTP's net electrical load and heating requirements, by transforming residual biosolids into a renewable energy source.

Realizing the full value of Biosolids
MicroSludge enables WWTPs to recover the greatest economic value from biosolids by converting them to biogas. Biosolids have an economic worth based upon their energy content and their fertilizer value. The maximum value for stabilized biosolids when used as fertilizer is approximately US$10/dry tonne.

However WWTPs are generally charged tipping fees at landfills, and often haul biosolids to farmers for free. By converting biosolids to biogas, their value increases to approximately US$103 to US$269/dry tonne (depending on local electricity costs).

Net Energy Gain
The MicroSludge process consumes energy to liquefy WAS. However, MicroSludge enables an anaerobic digester to efficiently convert it to tremendous volumes of methane. Consequently, MicroSludge is a significant net energy generator. MicroSludge requires 560 kWh of energy to process one tonne of WAS, but makes available 4,580 kWh of energy.

Renewable Fuel
Using MicroSludge, one tonne of WAS can generate 442 m³ of methane, which in turn can generate 4,580 kWh. A WWTP in the US serving one million people generates approximately 19,000 dry tonnes of WAS each year.

High Biogas Yield
The addition of MicroSludge to a plant serving one million people would produce 8.4 million m³ of methane, compared to approximately 2 million m³ with CMAD.

Improved WWTP Infrastructure Security
Increased on-site energy generation reduces the risk of critical operation disruption in the event of power grid failures. This is particularly useful as many WWTPs seek to implement US Department of Homeland Security guidelines to reduce interdependencies between the water sector and other critical infrastructures.