In the daily operation of a wastewater treatment plant, sludge dewatering is often the stage that most quickly verifies whether equipment performs reliably over the long term. Stable operation, no downtime and predictable maintenance costs are critical factors.
At the wastewater treatment plant in Szécsény, Hungary, the ESMIL-Tsurumi MDQ dewatering press has been operating continuously for over 10 years. Throughout this period, the unit has maintained stable process parameters and the total service costs have not exceeded EUR 2,000 (!).
Low Service Costs Over Long-Term Operation
More than 11 years of operation translates into an average annual service cost of approximately EUR 190. In practice, this means that maintaining the unit represents only a small portion of the plant’s total operating expenses.
By comparison, for many other sludge dewatering technologies – such as centrifuges, belt presses, or screw presses – service costs over a similar period often reach up to EUR 50,000.
Stable Performance for Over a Decade
For the MDQ multi-disc screw press operating at the Szécsény WWTP, long-term use has not led to the typical time-related performance issues. No decline in efficiency has been recorded and the dewatering process parameters have remained stable throughout the entire period.
In many dewatering solutions, gradual performance deterioration is observed over time. In this case, such a scenario did not occur.
Preventive Service After Over 21,000 Operating Hours
Only after approximately 21,000 operating hours did the operator decide to carry out a preventive replacement of key components to maintain performance for the years ahead. The service scope included replacement of the dewatering drums and was performed on site. The entire operation took two days and did not require extended downtime.
Fast Maintenance Thanks to the MDQ’s Modular Design
The short service time was not coincidental. The MDQ dewatering unit features a modular design that allows for quick replacement of key components in a plug-and-play format – without dismantling the entire machine or interrupting plant operations.
In practice, this means reduced risk of prolonged downtime and better control over maintenance planning. For the treatment plant, this translates into more predictable and stable operation.
Summary
The long-term operation of the MDQ multi-disc screw press at the Szécsény WWTP confirms that the unit can operate for many years without downtime and with low, predictable service costs. Throughout its service life, process parameters remained stable, and maintenance activities were preventive in nature and did not disrupt plant operation.
The Szécsény case is a clear example of how ESMIL solutions perform in the day-to-day reality of wastewater treatment plants – over many years, not just at the commissioning stage.
