Descripción del proyecto
Our innovation, Modular METland®, represents a sustainable (technical, economic and environmental), mobile and efficient solution to clean-up and re-use urban wastewater at zero-energy cost by combining microorganisms capable of converting pollutants into electrical current with an own-production electroconductive material. Our solution includes the use of plants that convert a sewage treatment device into a gardening landscape while hosting innovative biotech. Moreover, our product reduces by 30-fold the footprint from alternative nature-based solutions like treatment wetlands. It fulfils GREEN DEAL policies related with CO2 footprint and energy consumption to help EU states reach climate neutrality in water sector. It was successfully tested as MVP (TRL6) by fulfilling legal discharge limits after treating wastewater from 200 and 1000 people communities for a whole year; furthermore, it is capable to adapt to any end-user, although our plan focuses on camping grounds, rural hotels and small communities (decentralized private market) in the short term, while reaching industrial sector on a longer term. Interestingly, its modular nature allows to follow a 3D lego-like engineering to replicate and satisfy customer needs from single housing to camping sites hosting thousands of people. METland® bridges the identified gap between innovative water solutions and market requirements in the private urban and rural sector. Although mobiMET is coordinated by METfilter (owner of the technology), the presence of EMASESA is key for validating the technology at real environment like a wastewater treatment plant. The real challenge is to adapt METland solution for removing organic pollutants but selecting the level of nutrients that will be present in the final effluent. Playing with the configuration we should be able to generate different water quality along the year so we can properly adapt to the crops requirements in terms of fertilizers when irrigation is performed. Another singularity of the project is the use of circular economy strategies through two independent issues: i) production of electroconductive pellets from vegetal waste (pyrolysis), and ii) recycling of reverse osmosis membranes for filtration of final effluent (tertiary treatment) before irrigation. Another innovation of the project is the use of bioelectrochemical sensors to messure the electrical urrent generated by bacteria which is indeed correlated with the clean-up process. End-users can digitally monitor on real time the efficacy of the treatment in removing contaminants by measuring the bioelectricity generated that, eventually, can be followed in a smartphone App. IoT Biosensing is optimal for remote field applications with difficult to access locations, all while providing real-time water quality information. The presence of two outstanding academic institutions like University of Alcalá (Bioe group) and IMDEA WATER assures an equilibrium between companies ambition and solid scientific background and vast international experience in H2020-funded research Furthermore, the consortium counts on expert in science communication to guarantee a proper dissemination of the results to different stakeholders.Our project specially addresses the Climate action, environment and resource efficiency challenge, moreover it is also contributing to the Sustainable agriculture challenge by generating re-use water for irrigation purposes in areas with water scarcity. Regarding European policies, we see our product as tool to satisfy the following objectives from EU environmental policy: I) protect, conserve and enhance the EUs natural capital; ii) turn the EU into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy, iii) safeguard EU citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing.