”PXVNEO upends the current treatment-disposal model and creates a sustainable zero-waste system for future generations of Phoenixville residents.
PXVNEO is the revolutionary wastewater treatment plant in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
Phoenixville is the first municipality in all of North America to use the hydrothermal carbonization process to treat the community’s wastewater. More than a wastewater treatment plant, PXVNEO is a resource recovery system.
PXVNEO’s first phase will see the Borough’s wastewater treatment transformed from anaerobic digestion to hydrothermal carbonization or HTC. HTC is superior to anaerobic digestion in several keys ways and the move to improve the Borough’s largest energy user into an eventual energy producer is revolutionary.
Anaerobic Digestion is old technology but, until now, it was the only solution available to municipalities.
Wastewater is kept in large pools where it takes days, weeks, and months to break down, releasing methane into the atmosphere as it does. The only other product is a semi-nutritional fertilizer that may also contain trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, microplastics and other pollutants.
What is HTC?
PXVNEO uses heat and pressure to mimic the way that nature produces coal and other fossil fuels, but we are using chemistry to speed up the process from 250 million years to a couple of hours.
Waste enters the system and goes through a reactor that pressurizes and heats it until it can be separated into process water and one of several very useful bioproducts. The solid bioproduct that is created, known as BioCoal, can be used as carbon neutral, clean biofuel. Other uses of BioCoal include industrial uses as an advanced carbon replacement and a medium for carbon sequestration. PXVNEO transform organic wastes to clean and valuable bioproducts.
|
Legacy Anaerobic Digester |
HTC |
TIME |
14 - 40 days |
Several Hours |
EFFICIENCY |
50% Carbon Eff. |
90%+ Carbon Eff. |
COST |
Negative ROI |
Positive ROI |
CAPACITY |
Finite |
Modular and Upgradable |
POLLUTION |
Carbon Positive |
Carbon Negative |
ENERGY |
Energy User |
Energy Producer |
PHASE 2
Bioproduct production and additional source input.
PXVNEO phase 2 can include, with modular additions to the system, the production and potential sale of a number of valuable bioproducts that are natural consequences of the hydrothermal carbonization process. Bioproducts include: BioCoal, Fertilizers, Concrete Additive and Carbon Black.
With the evaluation of capacities, future phases can also include the addition of feedstock sources to the system; including community food waste and the importing of feedstock from partnering communities.
”PXVNEO is the result of a commitment from the Borough of Phoenixville to transition to 100% clean energy use by 2035.
THE FUTURE
PXVNEO IS THE FUTURE.
The Borough of Phoenixville branded the system and the plant because it is a revolutionary solution that can be replicated by other municipalities. School children can learn about PXVNEO and the HTC process through collaborative STEM learning opportunities. With designed excess capacity PXVNEO can accept the waste of other communities to fund the system. PXVNEO can sell the valuable BioProducts to government or industry, rather than pay for biosolids disposal. There is virtually no limit to the potential benefits PXVNEO offers the Borough of Phoenixville.
