The aim is to reduce the overall operation and maintenance cost of wastewater treatment by at least 50%, through the use of wastewater as a source for energy demand and added-value production.
Technical objectives:
- Develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for supporting the selection of sustainable and cost-efficient treatment technologies through Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) for a holistic water management approach.
- Develop innovative monitoring techniques based on optical sensing and soft sensors at demonstration scale to ensure efficient and sustainable operation and maintenance of the systems. The aim is to achieve at least a 50% reduction of primary energy demand.
- Validate innovative processes from the technologies at demonstration scale (TRL 7-8) to obtain biomethane, bio-plastics and organic acids from raw or pre-treated wastewater of municipalities, farms or food and beverage (F&B) companies.
- Demonstrate cost-effective nutrient recovery techniques and disinfection processes.
- Assess sustainability of innovative sludge stabilisation systems for bio-fertiliser and bio-coal production at a demonstration scale and based on wetlands technology and hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) process.
- Implement an efficient use of water and energy in irrigation systems.
Other objectives:
- Develop strategies to facilitate a rapid market access of INCOVER solutions.
- Validate economic feasibility of beneficial uses of wastewater for municipalities, farms and F&B industries up to approximately 100,000 PE, mainly at locations with arid climate and water scarcity.
- Undertake LCAs of INCOVER and conventional wastewater treatment plants.
- Develop suitable requirements (standards) to ensure the quality and safety of INCOVER technologies and products, and to speed up and ensure their market uptake. Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) will also be implemented.
- Enhance social acceptance of nutrients and reclaimed water for urban green spaces and agriculture by providing local governments and other relevant institutions with effective communication tools.
