Sludge accumulation in lagoons reduces their treatment efficiency over time
and, ultimately, may cause the decommissioning of the lagoon. Gasification is an ideal
technology for sludge disposal since the valuable nutrients are recovered in usable form and the mass of material is greatly reduced making hauling to sites of need
economically feasible. Furthermore, gasification is a clean technology lacking the
emission concerns of incineration. Energy content was 21.5% lower for lagoon sludge
sampled from sow farms as compared to sludge samples from nursery and finisher
lagoons. Gasification offers many advantages for processing undesirable waste
materials. Tests on gasifier emissions reveal very low levels of NOx, SOx and volatile
organic carbons in the flue gas, well within emission guidelines. The only products,
typically, are a combustible gas and a sterile mineral ash.