The advent of off-site manufacture by centrifuge supplier MSE Hiller has paid dividends on several water company projects by reducing the risk and cost profile on sludge thickening dewatering installations.

By manufacturing, installing and testing as many of the system components as possible off-site prior to delivery the following savings can often be achieved:

  • Complete units matched ancillaries all pre-wired and pre-piped, delivered direct to site
  • Reduced costs (as the build is done in a controlled and safe environment)
  • Reduced health and safety exposure
  • Shorter lead time for installation
  • Reduced on-site commissioning times

Examples of recently completed installations of this type include: Scottish Water Cupar, Dalderse Falkirk; United Utilities Huntington WTW, Localgeneration and Northumbrian Water’s Tudhoe Mill WWTW.

Savings of up to 50% have been noted from customers for the same high performance outputs.

A recent installation was built in 12 weeks and was commissioned in 5 days providing dewatering at 50m3/hr from a conventionally digested feed at 3% dry solids producing a dewatered cake at 26-28% ds and a centrate quality of < 1,500mg/l suspended solids.