Ground-breaking rotating biological contactor concept for small WWTP - DISKIFAS

Programme(s)
H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic(s) EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1

Funding Scheme SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Grant agreement ID: 889836

Project description
Removing harmful nitrogen from wastewater on a budget
Water is integral to sustainable development. Access to adequate supplies of quality water is vital for health, economic well-being and political stability. Wastewater treatment plants are critical for clean water supply, but excessive nitrogen is a growing global concern. Enrichment of natural nutrients such as nitrogen-rich compounds can upset ecosystems, causing dense growth of plant life like algal blooms. Nitrates can also pose risks to human health. Currently, nitrogen removal is particularly difficult to achieve in small towns due to the high cost associated with the process. The Spanish SME ACAI DEPURACION SL has developed DISKIFAS, an enhanced nitrogen removal technology based on integration of well-known biodisc biological wastewater treatment and an anoxic reactor. EU funding of the DISKIFAS project is helping the team prepare for commercialisation.

Objective
Wastewater treatment plants current main need is to remove nitrogen from waste water with an effective procedure and a reduced energy cost. This is of particular relevance for small size populations (accounting for up to 70 % of the market), now that the compliance with the regulation is going to be more strictly required. However, the process involved – which covers nitrification and denitrification- is highly energy demanding, implying high economic costs. Most current technologies consume large amounts of energy and the few technologies solving energetic issues (based on biodiscs) are not able to satisfactory handle denitrification phase, remaining treatment process uncompleted. In this context, ACAI DEPURACION S.L. has developed DISKIFAS, the unique solution in the global market to efficiently remove nitrogen with low energy consumption, by means of the incorporation of an anoxic reactor to the biodisc technology. This technical achievement requires an optimal adhesion of nitrifying bacteria to the biodisc, as well as the adjustment of the wastage and influent flow.