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[...]Beside other elements, phosphorus is essentially required for cell building and is mainly mined outside Europe. Our phosphorus resources are limited. Their price will therefore rise significantly in the future. Phosphorus is a main component of fertilisers and ends up in our food chain either directly via plants or indirectly via animal products. In the human organism phosphorus, as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), has the role of the energy supplier for our cells. About 2 g phosphorus per capita are flushed down the toilet every day. The phosphorus compounds contained within wastewater are removed from the water by microorganisms (“biological phosphorus elimination”) and finally end up in the sewage sludge in the course of the continued treatment process. Depending on pH and phosphate concentration the phosphorus bound in the microorganisms (sewage sludge) can however be set free again. Frequently, undesired MAP crystallisation processes (MAP = magnesium ammonium phosphate) take place in the digester or later in the mechanical sludge dewatering system. MAP crystals settle in these systems and, in the course of time, form tenacious layers which later lead to severe operating troubles and uncalculable costs. In Berlin, they have made a virtue out of a necessity. They apply a patented method to control MAP crystallisation in a separate process and selectively remove the crystals from the sewage sludge [source: www.bwb.de ]. The desired size of the crystals can be achieved by changing the residence time. A suspension of digested sludge and crystals is discontinuously removed from the process and passed to a HUBER Grit Washer RoSF4 T with a fluidized bed system which separates the suspension simply but effectively into sludge and MAP crystals. The homogenous fluidized bed system with pressure measurement has clear advantages compared to fixed bed systems as MAP density is always the same, irrespective of grain size. As also the majority of the organic particles are washed out, the end product does actually not have much to do with a sewage treatment plant or with sewage sludge anymore. The HUBER Grit Washer RoSF4 T has operated to the full satisfaction of the customer in Berlin for more than a year meanwhile and produces about 3 tons of clean MAP a day. The produced MAP material, which contains also the nutrients nitrogen and magnesium in addition to phosphorus, is of excellent quality. The MAP undergoes routine analysis before it is sold to be used for agricultural purposes. Even if the sales revenues cannot cover the ongoing costs, the investment pays off nevertheless as a lot of operational problems in digesters, pipelines and centrifuges are avoided. As a side effect, this solution saves phosphorus – after all, a resource we need more urgently than mineral oil.[...]

[...]Utzenaich, Austria HUBER air filter plants are able to achieve separation efficiencies in excess of 99.95% In some water chambers condensation drops occur on the ceiling and walls. This should generally be prevented through sufficient insulation of the ceiling, sloping ceilings or through special coatings. Frequently, however, the problem cannot be solved with static methods. In 2011 already, we published a report about our experience with retrofitting forced ventilation systems in the elevated reservoir Utzenaich in Austria. When the reservoir with two rectangular chambers with 250 m³ capacity each was built in 2007 it had to meet high hygiene standards. The equipment components included stainless steel lining, sloping ceiling and air supply line with integrated air filter and underground loop with a slope to the air cooling and condensate discharge. HUBER air filter plants type L251 to L662 filter the air with a class H13 HEPA filter (HEPA = High Efficiency Particulate Filter or filter for suspended matter). According to DIN 1822:2011 filter class H13 means a separation degree (integrated measurand) of > 99.95 %. This is standard for operating rooms. The types L361 to L662 have a class M5 fine filter as pre-filter in addition to the H13 HEPA filter (according to EN 779:2012). Note: A water chamber with air supply via a HUBER air filter plant 'breathes' air as pure as in operating rooms of hospitals. But: There are people working in an operating room who breathe in and out producing used air. Therefore, routing of supply air and exhaust air flows is provided for in these rooms. We followed the example of such rooms and adapted this solution as far as necessary. Similar to the people working in operating rooms the water surface gives off humidity to the air. What is needed in the water chamber if it comes to condensation, in addition to the air filter plant, is forced ventilation (via ventilators) and exhaust air routing. The water reservoir at Utzenaich was the first successful test to eliminate condensation through forced ventilation. In the course of the following years a number of other reservoirs were equipped with forced ventilation in addition to the existing air filters. In all these reservoirs condensation could be minimised. Another advantage of this measure is that the whole system, starting from the ventilator, is in a status of slight overpressure so that the entry of unfiltered air into the water chamber is reliably prevented. What we do not know in detail is the behaviour of the relative air humidity in the area between the water surface and water chamber ceiling. Anyway, it does not make much sense to measure this profile because the frame conditions differ from case to case so that it is impossible to draw conclusions from one to the next case. Now as air filter plants have been used for 15 years, the installation of an air filter plant should meanwhile have become state-of-the-art, although binding regulations do not yet exist. If a new plant has been built of which all constructions are state-of-the-art or an old plant has been refurbished with taking all measures of condensate prevention that have been realisable with a justifiable budget but the condensate problem still exists, it is sufficient to know that condensation can most certainly be stopped completely by retrofitting forced ventilation (ventilator with approx. 150 – 250 Pa pressure increase in the operating range) and an air filter plant (unless there is one installed already) plus an outlet air line with an easy-to-open pipe plug (Δp approx. 80 – 120 Pa) or defined outlet air routing (which must not necessarily be a line).[...]

[...]Detmold, Germany The Detmold wastewater treatment plant has replaced its old step screen with a modern HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® J. The decision was made in favour of HUBER SE, who realised the entire project from start to finish – from preparing the drawings to installing and successfully commissioning the new screen system. The new HUBER RakeMax® J impresses with its high efficiency and reliability in coarse and fine screening of wastewater. Thanks to its robust design and innovative technology, it contributes significantly to improving screening efficiency and ensures the wastewater treatment plant operates optimally. Customer satisfaction across the board Those responsible for the Detmold sewage treatment plant are extremely satisfied with how the project was handled. The seamless integration of the new screen into the existing plant and the competent support provided by HUBER SE were particularly highlighted. By investing in the new multi-rake bar screen, the Detmold sewage treatment plant is ensuring that it will continue to provide efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment in the future. Additional HUBER machines for efficient sewage sludge treatment In addition to the new screen, two HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® 440.2 units are also in use at the Detmold sewage treatment plant. Successful dewatering tests were carried out prior to installation, which contributed significantly to the optimal planning of the plant. These modern screw presses now ensure efficient sewage sludge dewatering and support economical and sustainable operation. Another innovative element of the plant is the new type of injection and mixing unit, which is pneumatically controlled. This ensures optimised distribution of additives, improves the sludge dewatering process and increases operational reliability and discharge DR. ‘Professional, top quality, everything from a single source’ Operations Manager Tassilo Vollmer says: ‘The collaboration with HUBER SE was professional and smooth from the very beginning. From planning to commissioning, we received everything from a single source – efficiently, on time and in top quality.’[...]

[...]Schwabach, Koblenz, Frankfurt Niederrad For almost 20 years already, HUBER SE has provided successful solutions for the treatment of road sweepings, sewer grit and grit from sewage treatment plants. With more than 170 projects executed worldwide HUBER has gained extensive experience in the treatment of STP grit, sewer grit and road sweepings. Our solutions have continuously been further developed in the course of the past years. The major challenge has been and still is the different composition of the raw material which can have a massive impact on downstream grit treatment systems. The result of our further development efforts are grit treatment plants for a daily raw material throughput up to 60 tons. The raw material can be fed to the plants with a wheel loader or crane installation or directly from tanker vehicles. In operation since 2015 – grit treatment plants on STPs Schwabach, Koblenz and Frankfurt Niederrad Another three grit treatment plants went into service between 2014 and 2015. The grit treatment plant on STP Schwabach is designed for throughputs of up to 1.5 tons raw material per hour. Due to the low throughput requirements the plant could be designed quite small. On the Schwabach site the liquid phase, which can amount to up to 8 m³ with 10 m³ tanker vehicles, is discharged directly into the sewage treatment plant so that only small-volume acceptance tanks are required. This is contrary to the situation on the Frankfurt site where the overall plant consists of two lines which can accept and process raw material independently from each other. Two grit washers guarantee a maximum throughput of up to 3 tons per hour. To separate the liquid from the solid phase prior to emptying the material into the acceptance tank, the liquid phase can be discharged via an extra unit that is provided especially for this purpose. Floatable organic matter is separated from the liquid phase which is directly discharged into the grit washer. Upon request of the customer, level measurement systems in the grit containers and automatically closing covers in the grit acceptance tank have been installed. In contrast to the plants in Frankfurt and Schwabach the grit acceptance plant in Koblenz is a RoSF5 VW system. VW stands for feeding vertically into a wash drum. With the standard RoSF5 HW system feeding takes place horizontally into a wash drum. On this site material dewatering is achieved by means of a pneumatic rake screen system in the tank of the acceptance system. This plant is designed for a throughput of up to 1.5 tons per hour. As the grit washer on this site has not yet reached its capacity by now and organics separation is very effective, the plant operators think about feeding additionally sediments from their grit traps into the grit washer. Facts and figures Project | Schwabach | Koblenz | Niederrad Process type|RoSF5 HW|RoSF5 HW|RoSF5 VW Acceptance tank type|RoSF7, 6 m 3 |RoSF8V, 4 m 3 |2x RoSF7, 9 m 3 Wash Drum|RoSF9 size 1|RoSF9 size 1|2x RoSF9 size 1 Grit Washer|RoSF4 size 2|RoSF4 size 2|2x RoSF4 size 2 Coarse material conveyor ?|Yes|No|2x Yes Feeding from grit trap ?|Yes|Planned|No[...]

[...]Pachacútec , Peru HUBER supplies the technology for solar sewage sludge drying for the wastewater treatment plant in Pachacútec. The plant, located more than 10,000 kilometres from HUBER’s Berching site, is already the second project in Peru using the innovative drying technology with the HUBER Sludge Turner SOLSTICE® and solar energy. HUBER supplies innovative components for sustainable sewage sludge drying using solar energy HUBER supplies three HUBER Sludge Turner SOLSTICE® 11 units and the conveying system consisting of two HUBER Screw Conveyors Ro8 T 355 with a total length of about 70 metres. In addition, HUBER supplies the control elements and takes care of delivery and erection of the glasshouse with a total area of more than 5,200 square metres. The project in Pachacútec, approximately 30 kilometers north of the city center of the Peruvian capital Lima, is about three times larger than HUBER’s first installation in Peru, the existing solar drying plant in Arequipa in the south of the Andean country. According to the overall responsible water division Agua of the Spanish construction company Acciona, the Pachacútec wastewater treatment plant will treat the wastewater of about 200,000 people in the future. The contract value for HUBER amounts to about 1.6 million euros. “The successful implementation of such projects requires detailed project planning and the joint commitment of all parties involved,” says Marcin Stańczak, project manager at HUBER. “But this is worth it – especially in the execution phase on site, because the customer gets a reliable and efficient plant.” For agricultural use: over 15,000 tonnes of sewage sludge and 13.5 million cubic metres of water per year The Pachacútec treatment plant treats, among others, municipal sewage sludge, which is dried in the 145-metre-long and 12-metre-wide glass house by HUBER Sludge Turner SOLSTICE® units using solar energy. The plant has a daily water capacity of about 37,000 cubic metres, which corresponds to about 13.5 million cubic metres per year. More than 15,000 tonnes of wet sewage sludge will be dried from an initial 20 percent to up to 85 percent dry residue. Thus, almost 12,000 tonnes of water evaporate per year. The dried and granulated sewage sludge is then used, for example, in agriculture as a soil fertiliser and cultivating agent. Image Gallery of the Construction Site Construction site with the greenhouses for the solar sludge drying The construction work is in full swing Aerial view of the impressive construction site with the greenhouses Turnkey project for HUBER: the challenges in project management The project is a turnkey project for HUBER: the Berching-based company acts as the appointed general contractor for the entire solar sewage sludge drying process and coordinates the local resources from faraway Berching to present a turnkey solution. „Our team on the site consists of about 25 people. Besides the distance of more than 10,000 kilometres and the time difference, the Covid pandemic of course continues to present us with challenges,” says Marcin Stańczak. “We are installing state-of-the-art products and control elements and working with a new supplier to build the glasshouse. So far, thanks also to the excellent support of our Chilean subsidiary HUBER Latin America, we are mastering all challenges and the assembly work is progressing.” Annual global radiation of over 2,000 kilowatt hours per square metre: Pachacútec offers excellent conditions for the use of solar energy The Pachacútec site offers excellent conditions for HUBER’s innovative technology using solar energy: the annual global radiation here is over 2,000 kilowatt hours per square metre. According to the official definition of the German Weather Service, global radiation is the solar radiation received on the ground from a horizontal plane. For comparison: in Germany, the annual global radiation averages about 1,000 kWh/m² and is thus half as high as in Pachacútec. In sunny Spain, the radiation is a good 1,650 kWh/m² annually, and in Brazil and India, for example, the values are similar to those in Pachacútec. Project consists of two parts: start in 2019 and important progress in 2020/2021 The project, which started in 2019, consists of two parts: firstly, the construction of the Pachacútec wastewater treatment plant itself, and secondly, the construction of the outfall for the discharge of the treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, for which a land outlet and an underwater outlet will be used. In 2020, several advances were already made in the realisation of the project, for example the construction of the aeration basins, the sludge thickeners and the disinfection chamber. In 2021, work continued on the clarifiers and the sludge return pump chamber, as well as the earthworks for the solar drying technology, which is part of the sludge treatment system. Acciona Agua, the water division of the construction company Acciona, is responsible for overall project: wastewater treatment plant part of a multi-phase expansion plan The construction of the wastewater treatment plant is part of the third stage of the “Plan for the Expansion and Improvement of the Drinking Water and Sewer for the Pachacútec Macro Project” ( Plan de Ampliación y Mejoramiento del Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado para el Macroproyecto Pachacútec ). Responsible for the realization of the overall project is Acciona Agua, the water division of Acciona, a Spanish company active in building construction, civil engineering and infrastructure.[...]

[...]Kreßberg, Germany With the new EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD, German: KARL), phosphorus removal at sewage treatment works is increasingly coming into focus. At the same time, however, phosphorus loads from sewage treatment works are also one of the reasons why Germany still fails to meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000). Not least for this reason, further measures will be necessary at many sewage works in the future. Flocculation filtration in Kreßberg At the Kreßberg (GK3) sewage treatment works in Baden-Württemberg, this issue is now viewed with confidence. The new flocculation filtration system was commissioned there in spring 2025. A HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® 2700 with four filter discs is used as the flocculation filter. Together with an optimally adjusted precipitant dosing system, it ensures that the annual average total phosphorus concentration in the treatment plant effluent never exceeds 0.2 mg/l at any time. At the same time, the cloth filtration enables an effluent that is virtually free of solids to be achieved: ‘Last year, the turbidity in the treatment plant effluent was almost always < 1.0 FNU,’ said plant manager Karl Prosy with satisfaction. HUBER’s products and solutions for phosphorus removal are already being used in other projects as well. This enables the increasing requirements for wastewater treatment to be met and the plants to be equipped for the future.[...]

[...]North America It's the next chapter in the success story of the HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax ® , which has been on the market for many years. As the name CenterFlow already suggests, the incoming wastewater is channelled through the open end face into the "interior" of the screen and the U-shaped bar rack installed parallel to the flow direction. The incoming wastewater flow is broken up and flows through the one-dimensional bar rack arranged to the right and left of the end plate at right angles to the inflow direction before the treated wastewater is deflected a second time by 90° back into the original flow direction. The solids are retained inside the screen before the screen bars are cleaned by rotating rakes, identical to the familiar and proven RakeMax ® concept. The screenings are lifted from the difficult-to-access lower channel area to the maintenance- and operator-friendly working level. Here, the screen rake is cleaned by a rotating scraper. The screenings are reliably discharged into the downstream transport or disposal device. A success story also in the North American market The success story of the all-rounder in the North American market also began with the sale of the first HUBER RakeMax ® CF screen in 2020. In the first two years, over 18 machines have already been sold in a wide range of industrial and municipal applications. Projects and locations in the USA can be found, for example, in Escanaba, Michigan Thanks to its vertical installation and the associated minimal footprint, the RakeMax ® is ideal for the limited space available on site. In addition, the required throughput rates made the HUBER CentreFlow screen the ideal fit. Size: RakeMax ® CF 9300x400x750/6 Throughput: 7.25 MGD Commissioning date: July 2021 Bartow, Florida Due to the design with 4 mm bar spacing, the high separation performance requested by the customer could be met without any problems. The overall design of the HUBER RakeMax ® CF enables separation efficiencies that are usually in the range of those of two-dimensional perforated plate screens. Due to the one-dimensional design, the screen can handle significantly higher hydraulic flow rates compared to perforated plate screens. Size: RakeMax ® CF 3000x500x625/4 Throughput: 16.8 MGD Commissioning date: September 2022 Blue Bunny, Iowa Existing industrial pumping station that was operated in the past with a HUBER Pumping Stations Screen ROTAMAT ® RoK4. Due to the local conditions and the increasing throughput capacity, the HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax ® CF fulfils all the necessary criteria for use in pumping stations. Furthermore, identical to the RoK4, there is the option of a lifting device to pull the machine vertically out of the pumping station if maintenance is to be carried out in a dismantled state. Size: RakeMax ® CF 4524x400x375/4 Throughput: 1 MGD Commissioning date: May 2023[...]

[...]Whether in the development of new machines, the production of a plant or in customer support by service staff: The areas of application of digital twins affect more and more areas in the company itself, but also in its environment. In general, a digital twin is understood to be the virtual representation of a physical object that reflects its properties and behaviour at all times. Even if this provides an initial indication of what a digital twin is, the lack of a uniform definition makes it difficult to imagine what a digital twin looks like, what benefits are associated with it – and why HUBER is concerned with it. Abstract representation of a digital twin To understand the abstract representation of the dimensions of a digital twin (see diagram), it is helpful to look at the path of a machine from development to operation outlined above: In each of the stages, data is created that belongs to a product and can be assigned to its digital twin. For example, during the development of a machine, 3D models, drawings, simulation data and parts lists are created first and foremost, while in the production phase the focus is on data such as NC programmes, work and time planning or the tools used. All this data is not a recent development, but has been created since the use of software programmes in the industrial environment. In addition to the data presented, which is mainly generated and used within the company itself, there is also data that is provided to the customer. This includes information about spare parts or instructions on how to operate the machine. From the time the machine is installed at the customer's site, no new data is added to the digital twin, with the exception of service reports. This is now changing due to the advancing digital transformation. With the help of IoT technology (Internet of Things), it is possible to collect and use data from the machine in real time during operation. Advantages of digital twins for the customer and why HUBER is dealing with this The collected data enables HUBER and the operator to predict in the future when the ideal time for maintenance is, in order to avoid unplanned downtimes. Furthermore, the performance of the machine can be optimised by adapting the parameters precisely to the prevailing conditions, thus supporting the operators in operating the plant efficiently. This is not only done on the basis of the implicit knowledge of the HUBER experts, but will also be calculated in the form of simulations in the future. HUBER machines tuned to the point In addition to these direct added values, customers also benefit from the efficient further development of HUBER machines, as more and more data is available for this process. By using the insights gained from analysing the data during development, HUBER machines can be precisely matched to the existing challenges already during this phase, so that the cycle of data, information and knowledge is closed. HUBER Cloud Solution HCS: maximising customer benefits from HUBER machines A digital twin has not only one dimension, but several. The example presented shows the typical case for HUBER of a machine and its digital twin, around which an ecosystem with digital services is developed. The digital twin provides the basic framework for this. The more data it contains, the more efficiently a machine can be used. And this is exactly where HUBER Cloud Solution HCS comes in: collecting and analysing data to maximise the performance of HUBER machines during the operating phase – and as a basis for their permanent further development. INFOBOX ”In general, a digital twin is understood to be the virtual representation of a physical object that reflects its properties and behaviour at all times.” (Source: Researchgate )[...]

[...]Ortenburg, Germany In their meeting of 21 October 2010 the market town council of Ortenburg decided in favour of the concept submitted by the engineering office Richter from Passau. In September 2013, after almost three years of planning and construction, the market town council Ortenburg put the new sewage treatment plant in Blindham into operation within an official ceremony. The new sewage treatment works is designed for 11,000 PE and provides state-of-the-art wastewater treatment. The treated effluent is discharged to the river Wolfach. The HUBER ROTAMAT® Complete Plant, type Ro5 HD with an innovative grit trap system, manages the complete mechanical wastewater on site. Several submerged pumps deliver up to 100 l/s wastewater from the underground pump sump to the above-ground installed Complete Plant so that the wastewater can flow by gravity from the Complete Plant to the secondary clarifier without the need for any additional energy. In the Ro5-HD Complete Plant not only the complete mechanical treatment of the wastewater takes place (screening in a Ro2 screen, grit separation, grease separation), but moreover, the retained pollutants (screenings, grit rap material, grease) are also treated to a large extent. With the use of this multifunctional Complete Plant the building volume for the required mechanical equipment and thus the building costs could significantly be reduced. In the medium term, also the options integrated in the Complete Plant – screenings washing and grit trap material washing – will pay off because they considerably reduce the volume of waste which requires disposal. With the HUBER ROTAMAT® Complete Plant Ro5-HD the municipality of Ortenburg not only possesses an optimal mechanical wastewater treatment solution but they also have the perfect answer to rising disposal costs now. Responsibility for a clean environment combined with cost-effective solutions plays an important role for them.[...]