The Project

Looking for sustainable agriculture

1

RichWater project aims to bring together 4 European SMEs and two research centres to enable the first application and market introduction of combined wastewater treatment and reuse technology for agricultural purposes.
2

RichWater technology, composed of a wastewater treatment and reuse system,is an efficient solution for water scarcity problems in agriculture, a growing concern nowadays in the EU, which has significant impacts in Spain, where the agriculture consumes around 75% of the water resources.
3

RichWater is built on the outcomes of three successful European projects (PURATREAT, WACOSYS and TREAT&USE) on wastewater treatment and reuse technologies. RichWater addresses a fast growing market by developing a commercial prototype for market demonstration.
4

The RichWater project is an initiative funded by the European Union in the framework of the Fast Track To Innovation Programme (Horizon 2020). The main goal of this programme is to help technology companies to commercialize their innovation solutions and have a successful market entry.

 

OBJETIVES

 

Modular ready to market

Up-scaling and long term demonstration of a modular ready to market wastewater reuse system producing a pathogen-free and nutrient-rich effluent (presence of N,P,K according to crop needs).

Economic competitiveness

Strengthen the economic competitiveness of the participating SMEs and the targeted wastewater treatment plant operators and farmers (increased turnover by 15-25 % and cost savings of 20 %).

Market introduction

Rich Water’s market introduction in the wastewater treatment sector in combination with the farming sector in Spain, Italy and Greece and later worldwide.

Wastewater resources

Recovery and recycling of pathogen-free water from wastewater resource in agricultural production (Nearly 100% recovery rate).

Recovery and recycling

Recovery and recycling of pathogen-free water from wastewater resources in agricultural production (Nearly 100% recovery rate).

Irrigation Management software

Reaching compatibility of the system’s modules with the RichWater Irrigation Management software.

Reducing the environmental impacts

Reducing the environmental impacts of untreated wastewater.

Low energy costs

Reducing the costs of operation and maintenance with a special focus on reaching low energy costs for water treatment (max. 1 kwh/m3).

Reduction consumption

Reduction of freshwater and fertilizer consumption in water scarce areas of the Mediterranean.

Potential benefits

Assessment of benefits and risks of the near-market prototype for the environment and human health.

Green economy

Supporting SMEs to develop green economyproducts and boost economic growth and job creation in EU.

Competitive strategies

Tackle pre-commercialization challenges by developing competitive marketing and finance strategies.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS

 

Fast development

Fast development

Fast development, commercial take-up and/or wide deployment of sustainable innovative solutions.

Time to initial market take-up

Time to initial market take-up

Time to initial market take-up no later than 3 years after the beginning of the FTI project.

Industry participation

Industry participation

 Increased industry participation, including SMEs.

Global market

Global market

Transnational value-chains and/or EU-wide or global markets.

Significant reduction

Significant reduction

Significant reduction in water use and reduction of energy demand in water supply, treatment and transportation.

 

Support

Support

Support to the implementation and evaluation of technology verification schemes.

 

FUNDING PROGRAMME

 

The Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) pilot is a fully-bottom-up measure in Horizon 2020 to promote close-to-the-market innovation activities, and open to all types of participants. The Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) pilot provides funding for bottom-up proposals for close-to-market innovation

activities in any area of technology or application. This thematic openness – combined with the possibility for all kinds of innovation actors to work together and deliver innovation onto the market and/or into society – should nurture trans-disciplinary and cross-sectoral cooperation.

 

The aim is to:

richwater-favicon  Reduce time from idea to market,
richwater-favicon  Stimulate the participation of first-time applicants to EU research funding,
richwater-favicon  Increase private sector investment in research and innovation.

 

 

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