Thermal hydrolysate is the liquid fraction (supernatant) of thermally treated wastewater sludge. The objective of the present study was to investigate the quality of thermal hydrolysate as a carbon source for denitrification. Steady state denitrification experiments in moving bed biofilm reactors were carried out. It was demonstrated that 2/3 of the COD in the thermal hydrolysate was utilised as a carbon source in the post denitrification step, with a retention time of 52 minutes. This degree of utilisation is about the same as reported for biological hydrolysate, which generally has been considered to be of better quality as a carbon source than thermal hydrolysate. The yield of soluble COD in the thermal hydrolysis process (180°C in 30 minutes) was found to be 28%. Typical COD-yields for biological hydrolysis are around 11%.