ULTIMATE

Creation of synergies between industry and water services to promote the efficient management of resources and value products, through the concept of circular economy.

The ULTIMATE project promotes synergies and symbiosis between the industry and public water services with the aim of improving water management, creating economic value and increasing sustainability through the valorisation of resources within the water cycle.

Wastewater has a key role as a reusable resource and also as a carrier for energy and components that can be extracted, treated, stored and reused. With the innovative concept “Water Smart Industrial Symbiosis” (WSIS), the consortium promotes recycling in various industrial settings, minimises the costs of these processes and exploits the management of these resources as a legal obligation and as a new business opportunity.

Within the framework of the project, 9 large-scale business cases demonstrators from the international agri-food, petrochemical and biotechnology sector have been selected. These pilots’ tests will demonstrate the solutions promoted by ULTIMATE, recovering and reusing wastewater, as well as extracting and exploiting energy and materials from industrial wastewater. Furthermore, to ensure the replicability of these demonstrators, different tools will be designed to optimise and control, evaluate costs and benefits, minimise risks and help interested parties to identify and analyse potential synergies related to new business opportunities.

The Smart Management Systems Unit of Eurecat participates in the project leading the development of digital and smart solutions to promote the industrial symbiosis. On the other hand, the Water, Air and Soil (WAS) Unit coordinates the technical demonstration of the case studies related to water treatment and reusing in the Cross-Cutting Technology Group of the project, and specifically manages and executes the demonstration of reusing technologies in the pilot plant of Tarragona. Finally, the Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact (WEEI) Unit analyses the cycle of life of each case study previously selected.

The ULTIMATE project, is coordinated by the Water Research Institute – KWR (The Netherlands), and counts with a consortium formed by 25 entities from European and south-Mediterranean countries.