Frequently asked questions

It is the continuous thermal hydrolysis technology patented by teCH₄⁺ and developed from Fernando Fernández-Polanco's research at the University of Valladolid since 1979. It operates in steady-state regime and includes in-line steam injection and a double flash or steam explosion mechanism to optimise anaerobic digestion.

Fernando Fernández-Polanco, professor and emeritus professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Valladolid, whose research into anaerobic digestion and thermal hydrolysis since 1979 forms the technological basis of teCH₄⁺, a company founded in 2014 to develop and market the technology. +95% in operation. Confirmed service time at the Copero WWTP in Seville since 2020.

The four main technical differentiators of the Polanco Process are continuous and steady-state operation, not batch operation; the double flash, or steam explosion, mechanism; in-line steam injection; and the evacuation of non-condensables under pressure. These four combined elements result in greater operational robustness and lower specific energy consumption.

An increase of up to 35% in biogas production, a reduction of up to 50% in biosolids volume, guaranteed biosolids hygienisation, and the ability to double the organic load to existing digesters without requiring new investment in digestion.

Commercial references include the Copero WWTP in Seville, the first commercial plant since 2020; the Ranilla WWTP in Seville; the Pinedo WWTP in Valencia; and the FBS WWTP in Morocco, as well as pilot plants in Valdemingómez (OFMSW) and Guijuelo (slaughterhouse waste).

teCH₄⁺ carries out technical and economic feasibility studies that include mass balances, performance estimation, and calculation of return on investment (ROI) based on the operating data provided by the client. The report is delivered in less than 2 weeks since data receipt.

It is a thermal pretreatment that subjects sludge to high pressures and temperatures to solubilise particulate organic matter and improve its biodegradability in anaerobic digestion, increasing biogas production, reducing the biosolids volume and hygienising them.

It is the proprietary technology that enables live steam to be condensed, preheating the sludge, in equipment that is directly installed in the pipeline, reducing maintenance costs and improving the process energy efficiency.

Because thermal hydrolysis solubilises particulate organic matter before it feds the digester, overcoming its limiting stage and generating a sludge that is easier to biodegrade.

They are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases generated during the thermal process that, because they cannot condense, must be evacuated from the system. By extracting them from a degasifier that operates under pressure, they are evacuated directly, without the need for additional mechanical transfer equipment.

Yes. It can be implemented in different configurations to optimise its integration into the WWTP and increase treatment capacity without replacing the existing anaerobic digestion infrastructure.

The Polanco Process has four stages that operate continuously: feeding and homogenisation, non-condensables degassing, thermal hydrolysis in the reactor, and flash or steam explosion. These stages make use of the process vapours generated to maximise energy recovery.

The sludge must be pre-dewatered to a concentration of between 14 and 16% DS and at room temperature. Before entering the mixing tank, it is preheated with low-pressure steam recovered from the process, optimising the overall energy balance.

The degasifier, which operates at 0.5-1.5 barg, is designed to evacuate the non-condensable gases generated during the thermal process. If they are not removed from the process, these gases accumulate and reduce hydrolysis efficiency.

It is the sudden depressurization of superheated sludge, which generates a two-phase stream that separates into steam, which is recovered for preheating, and hydrolysed liquid. The Polanco Process applies a double flash mechanism: the first, before the reactor, generates medium-pressure steam; the second, before the atmospheric flash tank (0.1-0.4 barg), recovers low-pressure steam.

The hydrolysed sludge leaves the Polanco Process at 102-106 ºC and with a concentration of 12-14% DS. After a subsequent cooling and dilution stage, it is fed to anaerobic digestion at 35-40 °C and a concentration of 8-10% DS.

Through a cascade steam recovery system: the low-pressure steam generated in the second flash preheats the incoming sludge; the medium-pressure steam produced in the first flash preheats the sludge before the degasifier. This reduces the specific energy consumption of the process to less than 0.15 kg steam/kg sludge.

The Polanco Process operates continuously and in steady state, using a single hydrolysis reactor compared with the multiple reactors required by batch technologies. This translates into lower investment in equipment, lower space requirements and more stable operation.

Because it allows 100% of the process steam generated by the double flash to be condensed, reducing specific energy consumption. In addition, because it is carried out in external and accessible injectors, maintenance costs are reduced.

It enables direct evacuation of non-condensables by operating the degasifier under pressure and without the need for additional mechanical equipment, simplifying the design and reducing both the initial investment and operating costs.

Because it allows operation under optimised conditions, avoiding excessive temperatures that favour secondary Maillard reactions. This improves conversion to biogas and reduces inhibition risks in anaerobic digestion and in dewatering filtrates.