Driving Innovation in Wastewater Treatment.
A De-centralised Patented Energy-from-Waste Solution for Multi-Stream Waste Management within the UK Water Authority Sector
White Paper | April 2025 (Updated)
Can The AGS Energy Technology Save British Rivers From Pollution?
Executive Summary
The UK water sector faces increasing regulatory, environmental, and financial pressures surrounding the management of challenging waste streams. Expanding beyond waste primary screenings, additional problematic Water Authority wastes can include sludges, spent activated carbons, spent ion exchange resins, and regeneration sludges/solutions. AGS Energy Ltd offers a patented small to medium-scale gasification-based solution capable of processing Waste Primary screenings and Waste Activated Carbons directly at or near source, turning waste into valuable energy and usable by-products while ensuring compliance with UK/EU environmental regulations. The potential to add, by mixing or blending, the remaining sludges and resins for inclusion in the process, further enhances the benefits and versatility of AGS Energy’s Technology.
The Challenge: High-Cost, High-Impact Disposal of Multi-Stream Waste
Water companies across the UK incur high operational costs and carbon emissions from transporting and landfilling various waste streams generated by water treatment. These include primary screenings, clarification sludges, decarbonation sludges, spent activated carbons, spent ion exchange resins, and regeneration waste sludges and solutions.
The AGS Energy Solution: Turning Problematic Wastes into Energy and Value
AGS Energy’s patented gasification treatment technology enables on-site processing of these waste streams in a high percentage of cases without the requirement for pre-drying, including high-moisture content and complex feedstock blends. The AGS patented process generates heat, saturated steam, power, or chilling while producing either biochar or flinty ash as valuable by-products.
Our video has been compiled to act as a visual explanation of how the AGS Energy solution would perform on a site
AGS Energy Emissions Control and Regulatory Compliance
AGS Energy systems exceed the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) requirements, utilising equipment such as Glosfume* filtration for advanced particulate and acid gas control. Full syngas utilisation minimises unburned residues. Periodic emissions sampling can be included when and where required, meeting any additional bespoke conditions enforced under SWIP (Small Waste Incineration Plant) regulations.
AGS Energy Technology
AGS Energy Commercial Deployment Model: Fully Funded SPV Approach
AGS Energy offers deployment via a privately funded Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), ensuring no CAPEX requirement for the water authority. The model includes long-term supply, ownership, and operation, with charges aligned to waste treatment volumes, performance outcomes and the chargeable supply of energy at a pre-agreed cost and fixed over a suitable term for client and supplier, this creates a stable budgetary platform during that term.
Illustrative Deployment Case Study (Example Only based on available data)
Example wastewater treatment site processing: 800 tons screenings, 400 tons clarification sludges, 250 tons spent carbon/resins, 150 tons regeneration sludges annually. Energy output: 500–750 kW thermal, 100–150 kWe optional electrical or chilling. Biochar output: approximately 80–100 tons/year. Savings: £250,000–£400,000 per year on landfill and transport costs. Net carbon emissions reduction: 600–1,200 tCO₂e annually.
This example does not include the consideration of valuable Carbon Credit income, current trading value is approximately £57 per credit, nor the sale of any biochar created from the process, currently worth approximately £170 per ton in the UK.
Conclusion: Waste Challenges as Opportunities for Innovation
AGS Energy’s technology as a sustainable solution provides the UK water sector with a robust, compliant, and economically viable method to handle multiple waste streams. This approach delivers regulatory compliance, cost savings, energy recovery, and environmental leadership in alignment with Ofwat’s innovation strategy and the UK’s requirement for both Corporate, Social, Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG).
Contact:
AGS Energy Ltd
www.agsenergy.eu
Email: tim@agsenergy.uk
Tel: 0330 043 4248
