Aqualia, as one of the core Partners of Horizon Europe CHEERS project, strives to develop sustainable solutions for biogenic CO2 and brine valorization into bioproducts,i.e., biomethane for multiples purposes (fuel, energy production or gas grid injection) and hyphoclorite solution as disinfectant agent.

Within CHEERS, the key technologies developed by the Innovation and Technology Department of Aqualia encompasses both up- and downstream processes of under used waste streams in a circular approach:

  • Residual brine coming out of the ectoine-producing pilot plant operated by Universidad of Valladolid, will be converted into hypochlorite solution by novel electrochemical systems. The hypochlorite solution can be used as disinfectant for water treatment and cleaning application in bio-based industries.
  • Sewage sludge will be bioelectrochemically transformed into methane and CO2 and further upgraded to biomethane. This latter can be used as energy vector for enhancing bio-based industries energy self-sufficiency, vehicle fuel and as substitute to natural gas.

The wastewater treatment plant of Lleida (Spain), operated by Aqualia, has been selected as demo site for the implementation of such technologies at TRL 7. Additionally, the project partners UVa, GENIA and AINIA will operate the ectoine-producing bioreactor, the ectoine downstream process and the single cell protein biofermenter, respectively at the demo site.

In-depth work performed at lab- and pilot-scale has proven these technologies to be both scalable and cost-wise towards market uptake in the short to medium term. Upscaling and validation at demo scale will then pave the way for pre-commercial stage. The experience at the wastewater treatment plant Lleida will become the first one of its kind reference of implementation of such technologies in operational environment and under relevant conditions.

The commissioning of CHEERS demo units at the demo site is foreseen by February-March 2025 and the start of operation by April 2025. Approval of municipal permit by Lleida City Council is expected by middle December 2024.

Aqualia coordinates the set up and integration of the demo units at the wastewater treatment plant Lleida. The R&D expertise of Aqualia makes the entity essential in developing the innovative solutions presented in CHEERS. Its extensive experience at large-scale demonstration of advanced and novel water technologies, together with their know-how on processes and bio-products validation, will enable the transition of biowaste facilities from waste generators to real ecofactories.