--- title: Torwash advances towards a First-of-a-Kind solution for sustainable sludge processing with new investment date: 2026-05-04T09:59:00+02:00 author: Bram van den Hoogen canonical_url: "https://www.bom.nl/en/articles/torwash-werkt-met-investering-toe-naar-een-first-of-a-kind-voor-duurzame-slibverwerking" section: News --- # Torwash advances towards a First-of-a-Kind solution for sustainable sludge processing with new investment May 4, 2026 Innovative sludge processor Torwash has secured an investment from Oost NL and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM). Combined with a grant from the European LIFE Programme, this investment enables the TNO spin-off to further develop its technology into a First-of-a-Kind installation – the first commercial version of the Torwash system. ![20231006 TW pilot op RWZI Land van Cuijk in ochtendgloren](https://d3d5gk1jdgmand.cloudfront.net/resized/_900x600_crop_center-center_none_ns/140434/20231006-TW-pilot-op-RWZI-Land-van-Cuijk-in-ochtendgloren.webp) During wastewater treatment, sludge is produced as a residual stream consisting of contaminants, bacteria and, for the most part, water. Torwash offers a promising new approach to processing sewage sludge by recovering valuable raw materials from this waste stream. Currently, the incineration of sewage sludge is costly and yields limited value, largely because sludge contains a high proportion of water. Torwash treats sludge without additives, using high temperature and pressure. This process drastically reduces the moisture content of the end product, making it dry enough to be used as a fuel. As a result, processing costs are reduced, transport volumes decrease, and CO₂ emissions are significantly lowered. Through a pilot project at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Land van Cuijk in Brabant, the Torwash team successfully demonstrated the performance and value of its technology. Building on these results, Torwash is now further developing the system in collaboration with, among others, the Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland at the WWTP Vlaardingen. This will lead to the realization of a first commercial *First-of-a-Kind* system, to be installed at Industriewater Eerbeek in the province of Gelderland. “Torwash previously participated in BOM’s venture development programme, where it identified its first market: the processing of sewage sludge. Torwash clearly demonstrates how smart technology can transform a polluting residual stream into valuable, sustainable resources. The company perfectly aligns with our focus on circularity and with our recent position paper on *Circular Startups*,” Stijn Vestjens, Senior Investment Manager at the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) > Torwash clearly demonstrates how smart technology can transform a polluting residual stream into valuable, sustainable resources. ###### Stijn Vestjens Senior Investment Manager at the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) ## Learn more ![Stijn Vestjens 25](https://d3d5gk1jdgmand.cloudfront.net/resized/employees/_500x500_crop_center-center_none_ns/130406/Stijn-Vestjens-25.webp) ### Stijn Vestjens Senior Investment Manager - [ Phone ](tel:+31627151048) - [ Email ](mailto:svestjens@bom.nl) - [ Chat via Teams ](https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=svestjens@bom.nl) “Thanks to the collaboration with and investment from BOM and Oost NL, Torwash can make a major step forward in the development of this unique technology and bridge the notorious ‘valley of death’. We have proven that our technology works – now it is time to move from pilot to practice and demonstrate that sewage sludge is not a waste problem, but a valuable source of raw materials and energy that is still underutilised. This is exactly the shift the water and industrial value chains need,” Levien de Legé, Co-founder and Managing Director of Torwash. “With this investment, we contribute to a solution in which sludge is no longer a costly waste stream, but a valuable raw material and energy source. The realization of a First-of-a-Kind installation in Eerbeek marks an important step from pilot to practice for Torwash. In doing so, we accelerate the transition towards a circular water and industrial ecosystem in Gelderland,” Ian de Graaff, Investment Manager at Oost NL. Oost NL invests via the Gelders Climate Fund. ## Related [ ![Two worlds can be as one groepsfoto](https://d3d5gk1jdgmand.cloudfront.net/resized/_400x300_crop_center-center_none_ns/128120/two-worlds-can-be-as-one-groepsfoto.webp) ## Smarter, more secure, more valuable: this is how the digital and circular manufacturing industry comes together News - November 28, 2025 Read more ](https://www.bom.nl/en/articles/slimmer-zekerder-waardevoller-zo-komt-de-digitale-en-circulaire-maakindustrie-samen) [ ![25384](https://d3d5gk1jdgmand.cloudfront.net/resized/_400x300_crop_center-center_none_ns/126974/25384.webp) ## Brabant invests over 4 million together with the business community in sustainable chip production News - November 12, 2025 Read more ](https://www.bom.nl/en/articles/brabant-investeert-samen-met-het-bedrijfsleven-ruim-4-miljoen-in-duurzame-chipproductie)