The challenge of EEW Energy from Waste Delfzijl

EEW processes large volumes of residual waste and sewage sludge each year, converting these streams into energy for the industrial cluster in Delfzijl. This process generates flue gases, which are currently treated using sodium bicarbonate, lime and activated carbon. While this approach ensures clean emissions, it remains fundamentally linear: the sorbents are used once and subsequently disposed of via underground storage.

EEW aims to fundamentally rethink this process. The ambition is to stop discarding valuable chemical compounds—such as sulphur-, fluorine- and metal-containing species—and instead recover them from the flue gas, preferably upstream of the existing flue gas cleaning stages. By doing so, sorbent consumption can be reduced and material loops can be closed. This requires technologies that are capable of operating at high flue gas volumes, under demanding industrial conditions, and within strict safety and permitting frameworks.

The challenge, therefore, is to develop a technically robust solution that enables the recovery of chemical components from EEW’s flue gas streams and contributes to a circular, future-proof waste-to-energy process.

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

Do you have the technology, knowledge or expertise that fits this circular ambition? Register for this innovation challenge and collaborate with EEW on a solution that can make waste processing structurally more sustainable.

The best proposal will be selected for a pilot at the EEW site in Delfzijl, with a clear perspective on further scale-up towards demonstration and full-scale implementation. If the technology proves itself in Delfzijl, this may also create longer-term opportunities for broader deployment across the international EEW group, which comprises 16 installations where successful innovations could potentially be applied.

Deadline

Proposals can be submitted until Friday, 27 February 2026, in accordance with the submission instructions provided in the downloads at the bottom of this page.

Please note that introductory meetings with selected parties are expected to take place in March 2026.