GAIKER participates in REGENIOUS to advance towards cleaner activated carbon regeneration
The European project will develop an innovative electrochemical regeneration technology to replace conventional fossil fuel-based processes, promoting more sustainable and circular water treatment
Last July, the kick-off meeting of the European REGENIOUS project (REthinking the REGENeration of spent granular activated carbon) was held in Madrid. The project was launched the previous month. GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is participating in the project, which 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 fossil fuel-based thermal regeneration.
Over the next 48 months, REGENIOUS will develop the first portable and modular electrochemical regeneration plant of its kind, designed to operate directly at end users’ facilities and enable the on-site regeneration of spent activated carbon. 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 operating conditions. In addition, replication activities will be carried out in Germany and Portugal to facilitate its deployment on a larger scale across Europe.
Coordinated by ENVIROHEMP, the project 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 comprises Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia, Eparchiakos Organismos Aftodioikisis Larnakas, Aigües de Barcelona, Canal de Isabel II, Extraco Construccions e Proxectos, ASCA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Fundación GAIKER, Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, CETAQUA, Asociación Española de Normalización (UNE), Contactica, C4G, Waterloop Solutions and Water Europe.
Beyond technological innovation, REGENIOUS aims to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the European water sector by promoting the circular management of resources and reducing the carbon footprint associated with activated carbon regeneration. The project will also explore new second-life applications for spent activated carbon and develop new business models and sustainability assessment tools to facilitate its future market uptake.
By contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of more resource-efficient industrial processes, REGENIOUS supports the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Processes4Planet partnership, helping to advance towards a more competitive and climate-neutral European industry.
GAIKER’s role
GAIKER is an expert in developing innovative solutions for water treatment from a circular economy perspective, designing the most appropriate strategy for each specific need.
Within the framework of the REGENIOUS project, GAIKER plays a key role in the characterisation, assessment and validation of the electrochemical regeneration of spent activated carbons (GAC/EAC), while also leading one of the work packages. Its main responsibilities include defining regeneration requirements and strategies; developing performance indicators for the REGENIOUS system; characterising and benchmarking spent activated carbons; assessing the risks associated with the implementation of the technology; and participating in the validation of both the solution developed and the tools supporting its operation in real water treatment plants.
