EMPYRIO SIA

EMPYRIO is a Latvian environmental technology startup founded in 2018 and headquartered in Riga that has developed a compact, containerized mono-incineration system for on-site sewage sludge thermal treatment at small and medium wastewater treatment plants. The company's patented four-stage process combines thermal treatment with integrated pre-drying, recycling process heat back to the drying stage so that no external energy source is required. The system handles dewatered sludge at 20-25% dry solids content with throughput exceeding 500 tons of dry solids per year, targeting WWTPs serving 20,000 to 200,000 population equivalents. Housed in 20-foot and 40-foot sea containers, the modular design allows installation at existing plants and can be operated by existing staff without specialized personnel. A key circular-economy feature is phosphorus recovery from the ash output. EMPYRIO completed a successful pilot at the Slokas WWTP in Jurmala, Latvia, supported by Norway Grants, with tests confirming proper functioning in real-world conditions. The system is classified as a small incinerator under Germany's 4. BImSchV, simplifying the approval process. Backed by EIT InnoEnergy, the company targets commercial sales within 2-3 years, with treatment costs of approximately 150-220 EUR per ton of dry solids and an estimated payback period of 3 years.