The consortium has already tested INCOVER technologies individually at lab scale. The innovation of INCOVER project comes from the combination of all INCOVER technologies, for a bio-production and resource recovery-based wastewater treatment. The description of each technology is as follows:

Integral biogas upgrading

Technology description

Photosynthetic biogas upgrading is based on the combined action of alkaliphic microalgae and bacteria prior transfer of the main contaminants of biogas into the cultivation broth (CO₂ and H₂S). Solar energy drives the photosynthetic assimilation of the CO₂ present in biogas into algal biomass, with the concomitant production of an O₂ that supports the in-situ oxidation of H₂S to SO₄^2-.

This technology was first evaluated with real biogas (270-460 L/h, 60-70 % CH₄) in a 32 m² HRAP at Chiclana de la Frontera site using domestic wastewater (at 3.5 and 8 days of retention time) and centrate (73 days of retention time) with H₂S removal efficiencies of 86-100 % and CO₂ removal efficiencies of 55-90% (Figure 1).

In addition, a 10 m³ enclosed photobioreactor located at Agropolis of Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya site treating 100 L/h of real biogas (70 % CH₄) and 2.3 m³/d of agricultural wastewater supported CO₂ removal > 90% and a complete H₂S removal (Figure 2).

A control system will be also developed and validated for the rest of the project.


Figure 1	Figure 2

Bioproduct obtained : Biomethane

Key benefits of the technology

Simultaneous removal of CO₂ and H₂S in a single step process
Treatment of domestic wastewater and centrate can be combined with the purification of biogas

Objectives by the end of the project

Validation of photosynthetic biogas upgrading in open high rate algal ponds and enclosed photobioreactors using different wastewaters: domestic wastewater, centrate, agricultural wastewater

Target application / end-users

Wastewater Treatment Plant
Organic waste treatment facilities

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)