Newly Formed Wastewater Treatment Technology Provider Acquires Worldwide Licenses for Innovative Struvite Removal Process

CNP-Technology Water and Biosolids Corporation (CNP, USA), a newly formed wastewater treatment technologies provider, today announced that it has acquired the exclusive worldwide patent licensing for AirPrex from P.C.S. GmbH, based in Hamburg, Germany. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

CNP North America will operate out of its headquarters in Kenosha, Wis., with additional facilities worldwide in Hamburg, Germany and Chengdu, China. The company will be led by wastewater industry veterans Rudi Bogner (CEO), Bernd Kalauch (Chief Technology Officer) and Gerhard Forstner (President), and supported by a knowledgeable team of engineers with decades of experience in the treatment of sludge and biosolids.

CNP’s flagship technology is AirPrex, a sludge optimisation process that recovers the high-phosphate mineral struvite after anaerobic digestion but before the dewatering process – thereby saving significant operating and maintenance costs while adding a revenue source for municipal utilities and treatment plants.

“The AirPrex technology represents a breakthrough for treatment plants struggling with struvite precipitation, poor dewatering and high polymer consumption,” said Forstner. “CNP is pleased to offer to our customers a proven system which will eliminate the maintenance problems associated with struvite precipitation. AirPrex will lower disposal costs and drastically cut down on polymer use – all while producing a slow-release fertiliser product to ensure that the recovered phosphorus can be beneficially used. The existing AirPrex installations have shown that removing struvite before the dewatering process will lead to substantial operations and maintenance savings for any plant struggling with struvite precipitation.”

Recovering struvite can drastically reduce sludge dewatering costs by achieving dryer cake solids and reducing polymer consumption. AirPrex creates a fertiliser that can be resold, and ultimately lowers maintenance requirements and reduces dewatering costs.

The negative effects and costs associated with struvite precipitation in pipes and process equipment can add up quickly for treatment plant operators. Using the AirPrex system, operators can prevent crystallisation in their biosolids train and reduce phosphate recycling by up to 90 percent.

“Wastewater treatment plants are important sources for phosphorus recovery. Given limited world reserves of phosphorus and rising commodity prices, the recovery of this finite element is increasingly important,” said Bogner. “Fortunately, CNP’s innovative AirPrex system ensures that a significant portion of a treatment plant’s phosphates are able to be recycled and reused, therefore creating a sustainable model for P-recovery and reuse. Our team is looking forward to working with our customers to provide customised solutions in order to solve their struvite and phosphorus-related issues.”