From Sewage Sludge to Hydrogen and Animal Feed
(Photo: NTU)
March 12, 2025 – Scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed an innovative, solar-powered method to convert sewage sludge – a byproduct of wastewater treatment – into hydrogen for clean energy, valuable raw materials, and animal feed.
The three-step process begins with the mechanical breakdown of sewage sludge. A chemical treatment then separates harmful heavy metals from organic materials, such as proteins and carbohydrates. These organic materials are subsequently transformed into valuable products, including acetic acid (a key raw material for the food and pharmaceutical industries) and hydrogen gas (a clean energy source), through an electrochemical process powered by solar energy.
Finally, bacteria convert the remaining nutrients into proteins suitable for use in animal feed.
The research was published in Nature Water under the title ‘Solar-Driven Sewage Sludge Electroreforming Coupled with Biological Funneling to Cogenerate Green Food and Hydrogen.’
