LIFE ABATE

Who is the project aimed at

LIFE ABATE aims to be at the forefront of innovation in waste management, not only achieving stricter environmental objectives but also improving the sustainability of waste management in Europe. 

The project results are of interest to companies and public administrations wishing to implement an innovative air treatment system to reduce environmental and economic impacts. 

Project objective

The LIFE ABATE project aims to implement a revolutionary air treatment system at MBT plants. This system has the following objectives:

1. Reduce VOC emissions: a high-volume air stream with a low VOC concentration is passed through a filter and a rotoconcentrator to concentrate the VOCs and treat them effectively in a regenerative thermal oxidiser (RTO) and a two-phase biotrickling filter (2P-BTK).
2. Minimise energy consumption: by concentrating the VOCs, the volume of air to be treated is reduced by up to ten times, making it possible to reduce the RTO's thermal energy consumption by 90% and electricity consumption in biological systems by 45%, compared with conventional systems.
3. Optimise operating costs: the project also aims to reduce the operating costs of air treatment processes by 82% for the RTO and 94% for biological systems, making them more economically sustainable in the long term.
4. Reduce the carbon footprint: with an estimated 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions from the RTO and a 45% reduction in biological systems, the project will make a significant contribution to combating climate change.

Implementation and demonstration

The demonstration of the LIFE ABATE solution will begin at Ecoparc 3, in Sant Adrià de Besòs (Barcelona), an MBT plant that treats approximately 192,000 tonnes of municipal waste annually. The system will then be transferred to the Las Dehesas waste treatment centre in Madrid.

The Construction Research and Innovation Group (GRIC) at UPC participates in the experimental campaign involving greenhouse crops for the LIFE ABATE project, located at Ecoparc 3, contributing its expertise in plant growth analysis and environmental condition monitoring.

In this first phase, standard conditions (ambient air) are used to establish a baseline for comparison. This experimental “blank” makes it possible to validate the correct operation of the hydraulic infrastructure and dosing systems, ensuring optimal conditions for a highly sensitive biological system.

Species with different agronomic and functional interests —tomato, lettuce and begonia— are grown and randomly distributed throughout the greenhouse to avoid biases resulting from variations in radiation, temperature and humidity.

This stage is essential for subsequently comparing crop behaviour when CO₂-rich treated air is introduced and assessing its potential as a carbon valorisation system.

Project funded by the European Commission through the LIFE programme.

With a total budget of €3,246,062.21 and an estimated duration of four years, the LIFE ABATE project is coordinated by the University of Valladolid in collaboration with several national organisations, including the Barcelona Metropolitan Area; Aeris Tecnologías Ambientales, SL; Kalfrisa, SAU; Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and FCC Environment.