HR4RS stamp
Raul Garcia Hemonnet
The inauguration on October 2 is the result of the joint work that the URJC and FCC Aqualia have been carrying out in the field of wastewater treatment.
The plant has been operational since March 2022 and holds the title of being the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world that makes use of the innovative purple phototrophic bacteria technology. This technology, which has been patented and carries the commercial name ANPHORA™, is the result of a fruitful seven-year collaboration between the URJC and Aqualia in its design, construction and operation.
According to Daniel Puyol, researcher at the URJC, “our Chemical and Environmental Engineering Group (GIQA) was the first Spanish group to start working with this technology. At the university we work on a smaller scale. We have been scaling technology. Thanks to a contact with Aqualia, we managed to take the technology to a larger scale.”
Waste management bacteria
The essence of this technology lies in the use of a group of microorganisms known as purple phototrophic bacteria, or PPB, characterized by their anaerobic, anoxygenic and photosynthetic capacity. These properties allow substantial reduction of operating costs compared to conventional biological treatment methods, which require expensive aeration systems to supply oxygen to aerobic bacteria. PPBs, being photosynthetic, use light as an energy source, including the near infrared range, which is achieved thanks to a radiation filter that prevents the penetration of visible solar radiation and, therefore, the proliferation of other organisms. photosynthetics such as microalgae or cyanobacteria.
The main advantage of this system is the capacity of PPB to assimilate large quantities of organic matter and nutrients present in wastewater, transforming them into solid biomass with a high nutritional content, including elements such as phosphorus and potassium. This opens the door to the production of raw materials with high added value, such as organic fertilizers. In fact, the Deep Purple Project has successfully achieved the demonstration scale production of this material, in collaboration with one of the consortium partners, and it has been used in crop fields in Italy, France and Spain, thus contributing to the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.
The URJC, pioneer
“We present a completely new technology in Spain and Europe. Aqualia is the only company that is commercializing this technology. The plants can be offered for water purification in rural areas. This is low-cost technology for areas that are difficult to access and entails lower maintenance costs,” says Puyol.
The URJC, through GIQA, is a pioneer in Spain in the application of PPB bacteria for the recovery of organic matter from waste sources and its conversion into high-value products, such as organic fertilizers, microbial protein for use in animal and human food, biohydrogen, carotenoids and enzymes used in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, the URJC coordinates a COST Action called PurpleGain (https://purplegain.eu/), which brings together more than 200 experts in the field of purple phototrophic bacteria and the development of photobiorefineries, with Dr. Puyol serving as president of this outstanding initiative.
A technology for many uses
“We continue working in waters. Right now we are focused on the treatment of organic waste and industrial water. We have worked with urban organic waste. We are also applying the technology to treat pig manure, oil refinery sludge, and we plan to work with waste from the brewing and wine industries,” says the URJC professor.
The opening event was attended by distinguished personalities, including the mayor of Linares, Mª Auxiliadora Del Olmo; the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán; the territorial delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Jaén, Soledad Aranda; the Project Officer of the European Commission's Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking project, Luisa Mascia; and Santiago Lafuente, director for Spain of Aqualia. The ceremony was led by the Project coordinator, Dr. Víctor Monsalvo, representing Aqualia, and the URJC was represented by Dr. Daniel Puyol, scientific-technical coordinator of the consortium.
The Deep Purple Project and ANPHORA™ technology stand as concrete examples of the innovation and commitment of the URJC and its collaborators in the search for sustainable and advanced solutions in the field of wastewater treatment and the recovery of organic waste.