Sludge to Profit: How SENTAI ’s Rotary Dryers Cut Disposal Costs by 74% at Singapore’s Largest WWTP
Apr 15,2025

  The stench hit Li Wei’s nostrils before he even entered the sludge storage area.  As plant manager at Singapore’s Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, he faced a Sisyphean task: processing 350 tons/day of 82% moisture sludge while environmental fines loomed.     “We’re drowning in our own waste,” he told his team, eyeing the cracked lining of their 1990s-era rotary dryer.


The Drying Dilemma-Municipal sludge management battles three demons:


​Fuel Gluttony: Old dryers consume 14-18L diesel/ton

​Clogging Calamity: Manual drum cleaning every 6 hours

​Moisture Rollercoaster: Output swings between 9-15%

A Game-Changing Demo

At IFAT Munich, Wei witnessed SENTAI’s counterflow dryer transforming black sludge into bone-dry granules in 22 minutes.         “Black magic?        ” he joked, until lab tests confirmed 3.3% moisture.


 Sentai’s Triple-Axis Innovation

​ Airflow-3D-optimized gas paths increase thermal transfer by 39%

Achieves 0.5% moisture uniformity (±0.2%)

​Self-Cleaning Delta Flights

316L stainless steel with 50° helical design

“It scrapes sludge off the drum like a snowplow.”

​ Heat Loop-Recycles 41% exhaust heat to preheat incoming sludge

Quantified Success

Post-retrofit metrics at Tuas WWTP:

​Diesel Use: 5.7L/ton (from 15.4L)

​Downtime: 4 hours/week (from 28 hours)

​Revenue: Sold 12,000 tons/year as Class A biosolids

Wei’s Perspective: “What was a 1.2M/yearliabilitybecamea420k profit stream.The dryer paid for itself in 14 months.”


  The Bigger Picture

  SENTAI’s dryers don’t just remove water—they vaporize financial and environmental liabilities.   With 80% lower NOx emissions and compatibility with biogas/waste heat, We’re rewriting the rules of industrial drying.

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