An essential event for all biosolids and bioresources professionals, providing an overview of the latest innovations, best practice, cutting-edge technologies and research in the field.

This year's conference programme features over 70 expert speakers who will share their operational experiences and practical solutions for the challenges facing the bioresources industry.  Join over 300 attendees for 11 technical sessions, 3 panel discussions, 2 keynote speakers, a site visit and plenty of networking opportunities!

 

2025 Programme

Site Visit - Manchester Bioresources Centre

Manchester Bioresource Centre (MBC), is United Utilities' (UU) lower tier COMAH Bioresource Production facility, treating circa 100k tds per annum, equating to around 60% of all UU sludges. 

Timings:

   *   12:50 Gather at The Point Building - Emirates Old Trafford

   *   13:00 Depart. 

   *   17:00 Arrive back at Emirates Old Trafford

Further details ...

Meet & Greet

Join us from 7pm - 8pm in The Point foyer for an informal meet and greet. 

This is a great opportunity to network with other attendees before the event, catch up with colleagues and meet the Aqua Enviro team.  

Keynote Speaker
Can we un-bake the sludge cake?David Tompkins

There's a common perception that the UK will move to thermal treatment of sludges within the next decade - not necessarily as a result of evidence of harm, but in the absence of evidence of safety, particularly for the very many pollutants that partition to sludges during wastewater treatment. Preventing those pollutants from entering the system would provide the ultimate solution to this challenge and revert sludge back to its fundamentally useful ingredients of carbon and nutrients. But what would such a transformational change require? Spanning effluent consents, green chemistry, environmental health, ecosystem collapse and producer responsibility, this presentation will explore the range of current levers and blockers - and suggest that it's a case of when, rather than if we un-bake the sludge cake.

Advanced Thermal Conversion & Biochar
Advancing sustainable biosludge utilization with hydrothermal carbonization (HTC): EVAC's journey from sea to shoreMats Riska, Evac Oy
A multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to assess ATC technologies for bioresources managementFarhad Beik, Thames Water
Biosolids pyrolysis - a technology for eliminating organic pollutants in both sewage sludge and municipal wastewaterChristian Wieth, AquaGreen ApS
Energy and mass balance for autothermal pyrolysis of sewage sludgePhilip Pedros, Mott MacDonald
FIREFLY – sewage sludge to sustainable aviation fuel. A step forward towards commercialisationJason Askey-Wood, Green Fuels Research Ltd/ Firefly Green Fuels
From sludge to solution: biosolids disposal and PFAS destruction North America's largest fluidized bed gasification plantJoel Thornton, Aries Clean Technologies
Integration of hydrothermal oxidation into wastewater treatment plants - a holistic solution for sludge to land challengesDaniel Gapes, Cetogenix (NZ) Ltd
Lessons learned from the fate of PFAS in full-scale solids gasification facilityMohamad Abu-Orf, Hazen and Sawyer
Linking sewage sludge macromolecular contents to pyrolysis output characteristics for novel insightsSiqi Xu, Cranfield University
Pilot study on the effect of pyrolysis temperature on heavy metal removal, degradation of organic micropollutants and particle size distribution of sludge biochars with different sewage sludge originsDavid Gustavsson, VA SYD
Pyrocarbonisation of WWTP biosolids: effect of the thermal treatment on the contaminants of emerging concern behavior & agronomic properties of the biocharSid-Ahmed Kessas, SUEZ
Use of biochar from recovered cellulose in constructed wetlands to eliminate micropollutants in rural areasInka Hobus, WiW mbH
Biogas Valorisation
Biogas upgrading: CO2 – capture and storageJemma Eaton, Stantec
Results from the sustainable biogas, graphene & hydrogen LOOP demonstrationSuzy Hill, United Utilities
The role of green gas in net zeroStefano Giacalone, BMA
Drying
Advances in low energy biosolids drying with the new dune processTodd Williams, Jacobs
Energy-optimised processes for sewage sludge drying with subsequent heat extraction – here are the limits of feasibility?Dale Foster, Huber Technology
Health & Safety
Enhancing process safety in bioresources operations: an innovative python-based explosion and dispersion consequence modelling of biogas storage units in the wastewater industryPhinn Masango, Anglian Water
Experience of integration and process safety considerations for implementing pyrolysis technologyAndre Le Roux, Stantec
Landbank Challenges & Opportunities
CIP4 sludge investigation - mid project progressAndrew McLeod, AtkinsRéalis
Stephen Riches, AtkinsRéalis
Conclusions of a 45-year old pilot study of application of Swedish sewage sludge on farmlandDavid Gustavsson, VA SYD
National collaborative PFAS studyIan Pepper, University of Arizona
Panel Discussions
Beyond Biosolids: Unlocking Markets for Sewage Sludge-Derived Products  
Industrial Emissions DirectiveClive Humphreys, Environment Agency
Yadira Bajón Fernández, Cranfield University
Steve Bungay, AD Ingenuity LLP
Paul Fountain, Thames Water
Phosphorus Recovery
Phosphorus recovery from wastewater with biosolids biochar: performance at pilot-scale, biochar quality and P availabilitySzabolcs Pap, Environmental Research Institute - UHI
Phosphorus recovery – juggling on a tightropePaul Roeleveld, Haskoning
The bio-mineral P removal (BMPR) process for P removal and recovery from centratesAna Soares, Cranfield University
The Bigger Picture
Achieving cleaner bioresources: learning from recent environmental and policy research in the UKJoanna Cloy, Fidra
A regulators review of PR24 and considerations for the futureEugenia Vela, Ofwat
The bigger picture – how to make a choice from a Dutch perspectiveEllen van Voorthuizen, Haskoning
The Future of Bioresources: Insights from a Global PerspectiveAndrew McLeod, AtkinsRéalis
Thirty years of conference papers at Aqua Enviro – what have we learnt?Keith Martin Panter, NA
Transitioning from reactive to proactive maintenanceAlan Butcher, Severn Trent
Conference Dinner
7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

This year's celebratory Conference Dinner is being held in the Member's Suite at Emirates Old Trafford  

Further details ...

Keynote Speaker
Competition or Collaboration? What does the future hold for the Bioresources Market?Leah Fry

As we face a growing number of challenges, the call for collaboration gets louder but what does that mean for the place of competition in the market?

Advancing Anaerobic Digestion
Optimising micro-aerated anaerobic digestion through pathway network analysisKin Tung Michael Ho, Imperial College London
Challenges and opportunities on AAD for biowaste handling - A Norwegian case studyTore Fløan, Ecopro
Impact of thermal hydrolysis on WWTW effluent COD levels – quantification, implications and remediationJoseph Merry, Stantec
Davy Ringoot, Cambi Group AS
Full-scale enhancement of anaerobic digestion with the microbial hydrolysis processMaddy Fairley-Wax, Jacobs
Upgrade of the THP advanced digestion plant at Ringsend WWTW using Ephyra® plug-flow technologyValerie Sels, Haskoning
Targeting THP hydrolysis blindspots with enzymes - trial on pilot-scale continuous ADNasreen Nasar, Cranfield University
Forecasting volatile solids reduction of municipal sludge using 32 years of dataMathieu Haddad, SUEZ
World heritage, modern innovation: Quebec City's sustainable leap in waste-to-RNG technologyScott McKay, www.fournierdewatering.com
Integrating operational and biological factors to assess anaerobic digestion performance: a seven factor frameworkAchame Shana, Thames Water
Unlocking high-rate anaerobic digestion: overcoming free ammonia inhibition through osmoprotectant supplementationNnenna Chukwuekezie, Cranfield University
Lystemize livestock waste characterization study: expanding on-farm anaerobic digestion applicationsKelly Ward, Lystek
Anaerobic co-digestion of fat, oil and grease (FOG) and saponified FOG deposits with sewage sludgeZiting Zhou, Imperial College London
Implementing The Industrial Emissions Directive
Tackling odour emissions from sewage sludge storage sitesRuta Zarina, Riga Technical University
A UK first – lessons learned from implementing secondary containment at Howdon STCAnita Manns, Mott MacDonald
Delivering compliance amid regulatory flux: southern water's IED journeyGrace Stumbles, KPMG UK
Methane Emissions
Digestate conditioning: lost gas, dormancy, resuscitation, and residual biogasSteve Bungay, AD Ingenuity LLP
Tracer tests for sludge digestion tanks to determine methane emissionsEva Augustijn, Hoogheemraadschap Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard
The residual biogas potential of sewage sludgeSteve Bungay, AD Ingenuity LLP
Degassing and deactivating methane production to reduce TVOCs from digested sludgeTom Taylor, Yorkshire Water
Tackling process emissions from anaerobic digestion: insights from a risk-based approachGarry Strange, AtkinsRéalis
Quantifying methane emissions from digestate storage: treatment-specific emission factors for sludge processing technologiesEllie Singh, Severn Trent
Methane measurement and mitigation methodologies for climate action todayAmanda Lake, Jacobs
Unlocking net zero value: capturing the carbon value of ELOVAC®Kevin Sheeran, ELIQUO HYDROK
Suppressing methane emissions from sewage sludge digestateMuna Ibrahim Hassan, Cranfield University
So... your OCUS are a source of TVOCs and CH4 ...what next?Sofia Georgaki, Jacobs
Continuous methane emissions monitoring to advance emissions factor assumptions: insights from Severn Trent Water's multi-site deployment campaign of QLM's LIDAR system, and progress to validating methane emission factors for company-wide reporting.Alex Harrison, Severn Trent Water
Panel Discussions
OFWAT-funded ATC projects: Developing the business cases for PR29David Inman, Anglian Water
Dr Aderlanio Cardoso, Severn Trent Water
Richard Kershaw, Yorkshire Water
Peter Winter, Thames Water
The Circular Economy & Innovation
Is biomethane the real value? Exploring anaerobic chain elongation for generating high value feedstock molecules from food waste.Tom Arnot, University of Bath
Cellulose recovery by ICABUS, a guaranteed positive business caseFrans Durieux, Purgatoria
Dark fermentation as enabling technology for carbon recycling and biorefineries in sludge treatment centresJames Manu, Cranfield University
Waterwhelm – an innovative pathway to a water neutral bioresource sectorAlireza Abbassi Monjezi, Waterwhelm
Electrifying opportunities – rapid advancements in electrolysis of wastewater sludgesChris French, Relier Project & Strategy Limited