We are FCC - Nº6

El vehículo a biometano del proyecto All-gas atrae la atención durante la inauguración de la nueva fase del proyecto. water Frank Rogalla, Aqualia’s R+D manager shows the European commissioner the raceways where it grows microalgae. the ISO 50001 standard, which invol- ves the establishment of quantifia- ble objectives to optimise the use of energy resources in its activity. Real projects for a sustainable future Aqualia’s investments in R+D+iI, as part of the programs with EU aid, are making it possible to carry out research to promote a radical chan- ge in wastewater treatment. Many of these projects focus on removing pollutants from the wastewater gene- rated in our homes, transforming the- se into biogas for other uses. This research work will make it possible to change the wastewater treatment systems completely, evolving from energy consumption to net produc- tion. The Smart Green Gas project is one of these initiatives thanks to which, biogas for producing electrici- ty has been produced from wastewa- ter. This enables, on the one hand, energy cost savings at the treatment facilities and, on the other hand, the production of a concentrated and im- purity-free product that can be used as “green” fuel generated from was- te and a zero carbon footprint. Also worth mentioning is the FP7 All-gas project which has the largest area for the cultivation of micro-algae for the production of biofuels. Another important project is the one that is being developed in collabo- ration with IBM Research to redu- ce the energy consumption derived from the treatment of wastewater in the plants and, at the same time, to maximize the resources recovered in this process, through IBM’s cognitive technology. The first industrial prototype of the LIFE Memory project has been put into operation at the wastewater treatment plant in Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real). The results of the research will make it possible to reduce energy consumption by 70%, CO2 emissions by 80%, biosolids by 50% and the production of 25% less bio-solids, as well as to implement the principles of circular economy in the treatment of wastewater through the production of biogas and reclai- med water. These are just some of the many pro- jects carried out by Aqualia in colla- boration with large research centres, universities, organisations, speciali- sed companies, etc. Aqualia recog- nizes the economic, social and, abo- ve all, environmental value of water. Hence its commitment to ensure that the management of this resource is carried out in an efficient manner and based on respect for and protection of the environment. Efficiency and the rational use of energy is an essential aspect of Aqualia’s responsible environmental management B U S I N E S S 15 B U S I N E S S