Modernization of the waste incineration plant reaches important milestone
At the modernized waste incineration plant in Darmstadt, residual waste was incinerated for the first time on the new incineration line 4 on May 13, 2026. With this so-called "first waste fire," the major project reached an important milestone on the way to the eventual regular operation of the modernized plant.
Important step for regional waste disposal
The Zweckverband Abfallverwertung Südhessen (ZAS), the waste management association for southern Hesse, is securing the long-term disposal of residual waste from the city of Darmstadt, the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, and the Odenwald district with this expansion. More than one million people in the region will benefit from the facility.
District Administrator Klaus Peter Schellhaas emphasizes the importance of the project: "Reliable disposal of residual waste is not a given, but part of modern public services."
Darmstadt's city treasurer, André Schellenberg, also sees the project as an important building block for climate protection and the energy transition in Darmstadt. The chairman of the Odenwald waste management association, Tassilo Schindler, speaks of an "efficient, regional and future-oriented solution" for the Odenwald district.
Modernization will continue until 2028
The waste incineration plant can thermally treat around 225,000 tons of waste annually and simultaneously generate energy. The plant has been undergoing extensive modernization since March 2024. The work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.
In the first construction phase, the existing combustion line 2 was dismantled and replaced by the new, more powerful line 4. At the same time, technical systems such as cooling water, compressed air, and feedwater systems were adapted.
Sewage sludge treatment and phosphorus recycling planned
The second construction phase will also include the construction of a new sewage sludge mono-treatment plant. The aim is to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge in the future. This is due to legal requirements that require wastewater treatment plants to recycle phosphorus from 2029 onwards.
The managing directors of ZAS, Julia Klinger and Andreas Niedermaier, see this as an important step towards a circular economy.
Waste disposal remains guaranteed during the renovation
During the construction work, the existing incineration line 3 will remain in operation. Once all measures are completed, the waste incineration plant will operate with two modern incineration lines and the new sewage sludge treatment system.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PM/ENTEGA)
Featured image: From left to right: Andreas Koch (Mayor of Brombachtal), Tassilo Schindler (ZAS Deputy Chairman, MZVO, and Mayor of Lützelbach), Dr. Lietz (Chairwoman of the ZAS Sewage Sludge Committee), Iris Behr (ZAS Board Member and City Councillor of Darmstadt), District Administrator Klaus Peter Schellhaas (ZAS Association Chairman), First County Councillor Lutz Köhler (ZAS Board Member), Oliver Grobeis (First County Councillor of the Odenwald District and ZAS Board Member), Markus Sattler (ZAS Project Manager), Dr. Julia Klinger (ZAS Managing Director, Division Manager at Entega AG), Ben Lüttges (Advisor at Entega AG), Florian Keil (Operations Manager, Waste Management Plant), Cornelius Ohland (Project Manager at Entega AG). Photo: ENTEGA
