Global Omnium leads the LIFE Elektra project focused on circular economy, nitrate elimination and green hydrogen generation

• Aguas de Valencia will coordinate the project as it is a pioneer in the elimination of nitrates in the purification process.

• The European Commission has awarded a LIFE Circular Economy project applied to the elimination of nitrates: hydrogen generation and recovery of waste in drinking water.

• LIFE ELEKTRA has a duration of 42 months, will begin in October of this year and will address three case studies, located in Spain (Gandía and Gran Canarias) and the Republic of Malta.

Valencia (04.09.23).- The European Commission, through CINEA -European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment, has assigned a LIFE Circular Economy project applied to the elimination of nitrates: generation of hydrogen and recovery of waste in drinking water. The LIFE ELEKTRA project will be coordinated by Aguas de Valencia S.A. It will involve, from Spain, Italy and Malta, a multidisciplinary consortium made up of the University of Alicante, the University of Valencia, the Energy Technology Institute (ITE), Apria Systems S.L, the Canary Islands Technological Institute, the Water Service Corporation (WSC) and REDINN.

The project addresses the problem of nitrate pollution of surface and groundwater bodies that affects many member states and whose excessive presence in water is detrimental to both human health and ecosystems.

The objective of the project is to reduce the concentration of nitrates in the integral water cycle, co-creating an integrated, innovative, simple, economical, sustainable and transferable system based on the use of electrochemical denitrification to eliminate nitrates towards their conversion into gaseous nitrogen, while promoting the decarbonization of the process through a renewable integration analysis focused on photovoltaics, hydrogen and other means of optimization. The treatment will be applied to water streams with high nitrate concentrations from wastewater treatment plants. This project involves recovering and purifying wastewater from the denitrification plants with zero liquid discharge for Aguas de Valencia.

LIFE ELEKTRA has a duration of 42 months, will begin in October of this year and will address three case studies, located in Spain (Gandía and Gran Canarias) and the Republic of Malta, each with different characteristics, but with the same challenge to be addressed. : nitrate pollution. During the execution of the project, a mobile pilot plant will be designed and built that will incorporate a hybridization system with renewable energies to cover the needs of the process.

The project has a budget of 2,329,944.26 €, 60% of which is financed by the European Union through the LIFE program. The LIFE program is the only financial instrument of the European Union dedicated exclusively to the environment. Its objective for 2021-2027 is to contribute to the transition to a clean, circular, energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, including through the transition to clean energy; to protect and improve the quality of the environment.

LIFE ELEKTRA is aligned with the Green Deal and contributes to the specific objectives of the “circular economy and quality of life” subprogram with the challenge of improving the “Quality and quantity of water” through the application of innovative technologies for the direct elimination of contaminants in water in compliance with the Water Framework Directive and the Nitrates Directive.