HVC and the power of sustainable cooperation

Unlike commercial utility companies, HVC is wholly owned by 52 municipalities and 8 water boards. Their mission goes beyond simply collecting waste and generating energy: HVC wants to accelerate the transition to a circular and carbon-neutral society. They do this by making maximum use of waste streams – from residual waste to wood, from sludge to heat that would otherwise be lost. ​

​With branches in Alkmaar and Dordrecht, among other places, HVC has been working on innovative solutions for years. For example, waste streams are converted into electricity and heat, biomass is used in bioenergy plants, and even CO₂ from flue gases is captured and reused in greenhouse horticulture. All these initiatives have one thing in common: a smart link between residual flows and new applications.
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The sludge drying project in Alkmaar: smart use of residual heat

One of HVC's most high-profile projects is the construction of a new sludge drying plant next to the waste-to-energy plant in Alkmaar. Whereas sewage sludge was traditionally dried using natural gas – an energy-intensive and polluting process – HVC has opted for an innovative approach. The plant uses the residual heat released in the waste-to-energy plant. This makes it possible to dry sludge completely without using natural gas.

The impact of this is significant. The new plant can process around 230 kilotonnes of sludge per year, sourced from several water boards. After drying, approximately 55 kilotonnes of sludge granulate remain. This granulate is a valuable biofuel: part of it is used in HVC's own bioenergy plant in Alkmaar, while the rest finds its way to other power stations or the cement industry. In this way, not only is a waste stream converted into a usable raw material, but the plant also saves more than 26,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and more than 15,000,000 m³ of natural gas annually.

Aratis is involved in advising and supporting HVC in the field of contract management during the realisation and commissioning/start-up phases. The various sub-projects use both the Dutch contract forms UAV and UAV-GC and the international contract form Fidic Yellow Book.