4,000 visitors make the pilgrimage to Dresden's gigantic eggs

Inauguration of the new sludge treatment plant in the Dresden-Kaditz wastewater treatment park

On 8 June 2012, the Stadtentwässerung Dresden, along with around 4,000 visitors, celebrated an open house and the grand opening of the new sludge treatment plant in the Dresden-Kaditz wastewater treatment park. The facility was inaugurated by the handing over of a ceremonial manhole cover and symbolically started with the release of balloons. While the adults were interested in the technology, kids could tinker with solar boats or participate in "Dresden's most beautiful egg" painting competition, with depictions of how the two digester eggs along the A4 autobahn should be decorated.

Since the commissioning of the mixing and surplus sludge thickening unit in March 2011, GICON has been directing the commissioning of the newly-constructed sludge treatment plant sludge. At present, the digestion plant is undergoing trial operation. In the two tanks, methane is produced from sewage sludge and converted to electricity and heat in two cogeneration plants, each with 1.2 megawatts of capacity. Thus, Stadtentwässerung Dresden can now produce 50 percent of its energy needs from sewage sludge.