- The Final Conference of the MEDWAYCAP project, held in Barcelona on July 10th and 11th, focused on the efficiency of water use and reuse.
- This project, led by the Italian Research and Technology Center, lasted 24 months and operated in 7 countries with a total budget of 1.1 million euros.
Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, explained the details of the Life Ecodigestion 2.0 project to convert putrescible organic waste into biogas.
Brussels, July 11, 2023. The efficiency of water use and reuse has been the central theme of the Final Conference of the MEDWAYCAP project, held in Barcelona on July 10th and 11th. In this context, Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, presented the main advancements of the Life Ecodigestion 2.0 Project, which converts putrescible organic waste into biogas.
The CEO of Finnova explained the innovative technology behind LIFE Ecodigestion 2.0, a European project funded by the LIFE Program with a budget of over 970,000 euros and led by Global Omnium (Spain), in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal). The project allows the transformation of sewage sludge into green energy, promoting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the utilization of sludge generated in wastewater treatment processes, thus having a positive impact on the environment. “LIFE Ecodigestion 2.0 generates biogas by mixing putrescible organic waste (manure, poultry, organic fractions, MSW, horeca, etc.) through the anaerobic digestion process in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). This technology enables the transformation of sewage sludge into green energy,” explained Revuelta. The initiative “aspires to become the most versatile digestion control tool on the market by achieving environmental and economic benefits through optimal waste utilization,” he emphasized.
LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0 Startup Europe Awards
During his speech, the CEO of Finnova encouraged entrepreneurs to apply, before July 31, 2023, for the LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0 Startup Europe Awards. It is an open innovation methodology for public-private collaboration implemented by the Finnova Foundation, which promotes the identification of innovative solutions by entrepreneurs to address SDG and EU challenges. “In this edition, we have two challenges: Improving biogas generation in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and energy optimization of the same” and “Sustainable technology for the valorization of sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP),” explained Revuelta. The awards ceremony will take place on September 20th and 21st at the Palace of Fairs and Congresses of Malaga (FYCMA) within the framework of S-Moving and Greencities. The winning proposal can become a real demonstrative project as part of LIFE, subsidized by the EU with up to 5 million euros.
MEDWAYCAP
This conference marked the end of the MEDWAYCAP project, which resulted from collaboration between various organizations and individuals to integrate Unconventional Water Resources (UWR) into the water governance system and related business opportunities, within the framework of environmental protection and circular economy.
Led by the Research and Technology Center, Hellas (Italy), MEDWAYCAP had a duration of 24 months, operated in 7 countries (Greece, Italy, Egypt, Malta, Palestine, Tunisia, and Jordan), had a total budget of 1.1 million euros, and involved 9 partners: Desertification Research Center of the University of Sassari in Italy; Confederation of European Business Associations of Egypt; Energy and Water Agency of Malta; Palestinian Group of Wastewater Engineers; Water Research and Technologies Center of Tunisia; National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer of Jordan; and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari in Italy. The MEDWAYCAP project addressed weaknesses in governance and capacities, offering advanced knowledge on techniques and management of unconventional water resources and promoting their reuse in domestic and agricultural areas. It also fostered networking, knowledge transfer, and awareness among authorities and stakeholders involved in related challenges. The aim is to mitigate the local water crisis in the Mediterranean by facilitating the reuse of treated wastewater as an unconventional water resource. https://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/medwaycap
