Projects

SMART-PLANT

Scale-up of low-carbon footprint material recovery techniques in existing wastewater treatment plants

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Factsheet of SMARTech Downstream B: dynamic composting and biodrying of specifically produced sludges for the production of added value products.

  • Grant agreement ID: 690323

  • Total project budget: 9.768.806,09 €

  • Start Date: 01/06/2016

    End Date: 01/04/2020

  • Project website: http://www.smart-plant.eu/

Project Summary: 

SMART-Plant scales-up in real environment eco-innovative and energy-efficient solutions to renovate existing wastewater treatment plants and close the circular value chain by applying low-carbon techniques to recover materials that are otherwise lost. 

Seven plus two (7+2) pilot systems were optimized for more than two years in real environment in five municipal water treatment plants. A comprehensive SMART portfolio comprising biopolymers, cellulose, fertilizers and intermediates were recovered and processed up to the final commercializable end-products. Moreover, the project proved the feasibility of circular management of urban wastewater and environmental sustainability of the systems, through Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing approaches as well as the global benefit of the scaled-up water solutions. 

BETA Technological Center was involved in SMART Plant project as participant partner together with total of 26 partners (19 SME and 7 R&D Organizations) from 9 EU countries. 

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Our role in the project: 

BETA Tech Center was involved in SMART Plant mainly by developing dynamic composting and biodrying technologies for the postprocessing of sludges produced within other SMART technologies. Thus, phosphorus rich dewatered sludge (from SCENA technology) was valorised into nutrient rich biobased fertiliser through advanced dynamic composting, while cellulose rich sludge was valorised as an attractive biomass fuel through biodrying. The quality of the products was demonstrated in terms of fertilising value and calorific value, respectively. Environmental and economic sustainability of the technologies and products was also demonstrated in close collaboration with other partners of the project.