Brussels, November 1st, 2023. Today, Wednesday, November 1st, from the European project LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0, we join the global community in commemorating World Ecology Day. This significant occasion aims to raise awareness and sensitize people to the necessity of preserving the environment and promoting ecological actions that contribute to the health of our planet. Through the celebration of this day, we pay tribute to ecology as a scientific discipline and acknowledge the work of ecological professionals.
What is ecology?
Ecology studies the relationships between living beings and the environment that surrounds them, although its focus is not exclusively limited to the study of green areas. It carries out activities and actions that contribute to the sustainability of the environment and the planet, with the goal of improving the quality of life for both humans and their surroundings.
Through ecology, the importance of carrying out actions in harmony with the environment to favor the planet’s biodiversity is promoted. Some examples of these actions include optimizing production, consumption, and services based on ecological criteria, managing generated waste, and conserving water, among other practices.
The role of LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 in promoting ecological practices for waste management, as well as their transformation into renewable energy and biofertilizers
The main activity of our LIFE project focuses on promoting ecological management of resources through the reuse of waste and the generation of renewable energy (biogas) from organic waste.
Biogas is a form of renewable energy produced through the anaerobic decomposition of organic matters, such as agricultural waste, food waste (occasionally from the HORECA sector), and sludge from water purification plants. The resulting gas, primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, can be used for generating self-sustaining clean electricity, heating, and as fuel for vehicles.
Biogas and other sources of renewable energy play a fundamental role in the energy economy by diversifying the energy matrix, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing the dependence on non-renewable energy sources, in line with the most recent guidelines of the European Union, reflected in legislations such as the REPowerEU plan and The European Green Deal.
Additionally, as an added value in the perspective of the circular economy, the resulting sludge from this process can be used in the production of biofertilizers, ultimately promoting sustainable agriculture and food security.
On World Ecology Day, we invite you to get in touch with us to explore synergies and transfer our technology to your sector, project, or company. Together, we can drive a sustainable environment and adopt practices that address the challenges of climate change stemming from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).
About LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0
LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 is a pilot demonstration project, funded by LIFE Programme and with a budget of more than 970,000 EUR, which generates biogas in sewage treatment plant digesters by mixing putrescible organic waste (slurry, poultry, organic fractions, MSW, horeca, etc.), thus transforming sewage sludge into green energy through technology. The initiative led by Global Omnium, (Spain), in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal) aims to become the most versatile digestion control tool on the market, achieving environmental and economic benefits through the production of biogas by making optimal use of waste. Thanks to this technology, it favours the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment processes, thus achieving a positive impact on the environment. This programme is easily scalable with other funds such as FEDER, NextGenerationEU or RePowerEU.
