INCOVER

Who is the project aimed at

Agricultural stakeholders, municipalities and industries may be interested in INCOVER technologies and end products, as they can provide complementary solutions or alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment.

Project objective

To reduce the total operating and maintenance costs of wastewater treatment systems by at least 50% by using wastewater itself as a source of energy and for the production of value-added products.

• Develop strategies to facilitate rapid market access for INCOVER solutions.
• Carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the INCOVER system and conventional wastewater treatment plants.
• Develop appropriate requirements (standards) to ensure the quality and safety of INCOVER technologies and products, and to accelerate and secure their market acceptance.
• Improve social acceptance of nutrients and reclaimed water for use in urban green spaces and agriculture by providing local governments and other relevant institutions with effective communication tools.

Project description

Three wastewater treatment and recovery plants were implemented, evaluated and optimised through three demonstration-scale case studies (municipalities, farms and food industries) to achieve a technology readiness level that would enable the solutions to be scaled up to serve 100,000 inhabitants.

The INCOVER plants offer three recovery options:

1. recovery of chemicals (organic acids and bioplastics) from algae, bacteria and yeasts;
2. near-zero energy consumption through the upgrading of biomethane obtained from anaerobic co-digestion systems;
3. bioproducts and recycled water through adsorption, constructed wetlands and hydrothermal carbonisation.

To improve their effectiveness, INCOVER solutions include monitoring and control through optical sensors and soft sensors, aiming to reduce total operating and maintenance costs by at least 50% by using wastewater as a source of energy and high-value-added products, in line with the European circular economy strategy.

Project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.