Demonstration of water loops with innovative regenerative business models for the Mediterranean region
Updated on 12.04.2023
HYDROUSA will provide innovative, regenerative and circular solutions for nature-based water management of Mediterranean coastal areas. The solutions will close water loops, provide nutrient management, and boost their agricultural and energy profiles and local economies, which are based on circular value chains. This produces positive economy, environment, and community results for all involved.
More information
HYDROUSA water loops will include water from non-conventional sources, all resulting in recovered and marketable products. HYDROUSA will demonstrate at a large scale the feasibility and sustainability of innovative, low-cost water treatment technologies to recover freshwater, nutrients and energy from these sources. Water conservation solutions including aquifer storage and sustainable agricultural practices including fertigation will be applied.
The solutions will be demonstrated on three major touristic islands in Greece: Lesvos, Mykonos, and Tinos. Detailed technical and financial deployment plans will be established for replication in additional 25 locations worldwide. Through the on-site water loops of HYDROUSA, complex supply chains for resource recovery are not required, as producers are directly involved as consumers of derived products. HYDROUSA will combine traditional skilled workmanship with modern ICT integration in elegant, smart automation systems. HYDROUSA will revolutionise water value chains in Mediterranean areas and beyond, from water abstraction to sewage treatment and reuse. The proposed HYDROUSA solutions show massive potential to change the way humans interact with water, food and energy.
Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions
The HYDROUSA project looks at the entire water supply chain in Mediterranean regions and demonstrates innovative solutions for water/wastewater treatment and management, which will close the water loops and boost the agricultural and energy profile of Mediterranean regions. The project looks at different types of water categories (rain water, groundwater, wastewater, water vapour, seawater) and analyses the potential to produce from them different types of recovered products (water for domestic use, irrigation water, fertigation liquid, biogas, water for reuse, drinking water, salt) and potential marketed products (service water, drinking water, Mediterranean crops, plant-based products, methane gas, tropical fruits, edible salt).
The transferability of HYDROUSA solutions will be demonstrated in other Mediterranean and water stressed places. These 25 early adopter cases in MED coastal areas and islands will be in Italy, Spain, Cyprus, France, Egypt, Croatia, Israel, Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Additionally, these will be demonstrated in at least six water-stressed rural or peri-urban areas from Bulgaria, China, UAE, Australia, Mexico, Chile, Malaysia, Argentina, who have been signed letters of support.
In order for the market deployment of the project technologies and services to occur, and in order to use the resources that have been recovered, institutional pathways, policy drivers, barriers and opportunities will be detected, analysed and elaborated on by HYDROUSA. HYDROUSA will address factors affecting resource recovery from water loops and energy efficient technology development and deployment, value chains, water services, governance and regulations, and social perception. Financing schemes will be analysed for possible subsidies and public/private investments for all replication sites.
Horizon programme(s) and/or topic(s)
Programme(s):
- H2020-EU.3.5.: SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (Main programme)
- H2020-EU.3.5.2.3.: Provide knowledge and tools for effective decision making and public engagement
- H2020-EU.3.5.4.: Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation
- H2020-EU.3.5.2.2.: Developing integrated approaches to address water-related challenges and the transition to sustainable management and use of water resources and services
Topic(s):
- CIRC-02-2016-2017: Water in the context of the circular economy
Budget
€ 12 015 448.75 (EU contribution: € 9 958 706.88)
Responsible organisation and contact details
Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion
Contact the project: https://www.hydrousa.org/contact/
Project consortium partners
- Alchemia-Nova GmbH
- Brunel University London
- Dimos Mykonoy
- Universita Politecnica Delle Marche
- Unite Technique Du Semide Geie
- Heliopolis University Association
- iSiS For Food Industries Ltd
- Iridra SRL
- Planet Di Villa Alessandro & C SAS
- Water Europe
- Fundacio Institut Catala De Recerca De L'aigua
- A.S.A. - Azienda Servizi Ambientalispa
- Agricultural & Environmental Solutions
- Radtke Manfred
- Eco Lodge Tinos Parochi Ypiresion Oikologikon Toyristikon Epiplomenon Katoikion Tinos EU
- Impact Hub Labs
- Ntelaros OE
- Plenum - Gesellschaft Fur Ganzheitlich Nachhaltige Entwicklung Gmbh
- Minavra Techniki Kataskeyastiki Kaiergoliptiki Anonimi Etairia
- Dimos Tinos
- Aeris Tecnologias Ambientales SL
- Satistica Limited
- Memira Genesis Ltd
- Dimotiki Epicheirisi Ydrefsis Apochetefsis Lesvou
- Panepistimio Aigaiou
- Dimos Dytikis Lesvou
Key deliverables
CEAP2 key product value chain
large 500 000-200 000, medium 200 000-50 000, and small cities 50 000-5 000
predominantly urban regions, intermediate and predominantly rural regions, refer to TERCET typology NUTS 3 region
