The European project will develop innovative electrochemical regeneration technology that will make it possible to replace conventional fossil-fuel-based processes and promote a more sustainable, circular approach to water treatment.
A kick-off meeting was held in Madrid in July for the European REGENIOUS project (REthinking the REGENeration of spent granular activated carbon), which was launched the month before. The project, in which the GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is involved, aims to revolutionise the regeneration of spent granular activated carbon, a key material in industrial and municipal water treatment, by developing an innovative electrochemical regeneration technology to replace conventional thermal regeneration based on fossil fuels.
Over the next 48 months, REGENIOUS will develop the first portable, modular electrochemical regeneration plant of its kind, designed to operate directly on the end-user’s premises and make it possible to regenerate spent activated carbon on site. The technology will be demonstrated at drinking water treatment plants in Spain and wastewater treatment plants in Cyprus, with the aim of validating its performance under real-world operating conditions. Replication activities will also be carried out in Germany and Portugal to encourage their wider implementation across Europe.
The project is being coordinated by ENVIROHEMP and brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 16 European organisations, including companies from the water sector, research centres, universities, technology providers, standardisation bodies and innovation organisations. The consortium is made up of Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia, Eparchiakos Organismos Aftodioikisis Larnakas, Aigües de Barcelona, Canal de Isabel II, Extraco Construccions e Proxectos, ASCA, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the GAIKER Foundation, the Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, CETAQUA, the Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE), Contactica, C4G, Waterloop Solutions and Water Europe.
Beyond technological innovation, REGENIOUS is looking to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the European water sector by promoting circular resource management and reducing the carbon footprint associated with regenerating activated carbon. The project will also explore new second life applications for spent activated carbon and develop new business models and tools for assessing sustainability to facilitate their future implementation in the market.
REGENIOUS is supporting the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Processes4Planet Partnership by helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop more resource-efficient industrial processes, and drive progress towards making European industry more competitive and climate neutral.
GAIKER’s work
GAIKER specialises in developing innovative water treatment solutions from a circular economy perspective, designing the most appropriate strategy for every need.
As part of the REGENIOUS project, GAIKER is playing a key role in characterising, evaluating and validating the electrochemical regeneration of spent activated carbon (GAC/EAC), while also leading one of the work packages. Its main responsibilities include defining the requirements and strategies for regeneration, developing performance indicators for the REGENIOUS system, characterising and benchmarking spent activated carbon, assessing the risks associated with implementing the technology, and helping to validate both the solution developed and the operational support tools in real-world water treatment plants.
This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101286562. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Executive Agency for Health and Digital Technology (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.