Towards a next generation of water systems and services for the circular economy
Updated on 13.04.2023
The NextGen initiative evaluates and champions innovative and transformational circular economy solutions and systems that challenge embedded thinking and practices around resource use in the water sector. Through 10 demonstration cases around Europe, it shows innovative solutions and develops approaches, tools and partnerships to transfer and scale up.
More information
NextGen produces new knowledge to underpin the exploitation of techniques and technologies that enhance our ability to recover, refine, reuse, repurpose, capture value from, and extend the use-life of an ever-increasing range of resources and products. In doing so, it presents the European water and allied sectors as global circular economy pioneers.
NextGen demonstrates innovative technological, business and governance solutions for water in the circular economy in 10 high-profile, large-scale, demonstration cases across Europe. It also develops the necessary approaches, tools and partnerships, to transfer and upscale.
The initiative involves the following territories, which include a mixture of cities, provinces/counties, regions, and rural areas:
- Cities: Athens (Greece); Braunschweig (Germany); Redditch (the United Kingdom); Timisoara (Romania);
- Provinces/counties: Altenrhein (Switzerland); Gloucestershire (the United Kingdom); Gotland (Sweden);
- Regions: Costa Brava (Spain); Westland (the Netherlands);
- Rural areas: Berkel-Enschot (the Netherlands).
It also covers a combination of coastal areas, districts (e.g. commercial, residential, service, industrial), industrial zones and islands, as follows:
- Coastal areas: Westland region (the Netherlands);
- Districts: The Athens Urban Tree Nursery, Athens (Greece); Filton Airfield, Gloucestershire (the United Kingdom);
- Industrial zones: Altenrhein WTP (Switzerland); Braunschweig WWTP (Germany); Tossa de Mar WRP (Spain); LA TRAPPE BREWERY, Berkel-Enschot (the Netherlands); Spernal WWTP (the United Kingdom); Timisoara WWTP (Romania);
- Islands: Gotland (Sweden).
Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions
The circular economy transition to be driven by NextGen encompasses a wide range of water-embedded resources:
- water itself, including reuse at multiple scales supported by nature-based storage, optimal management strategies, advanced treatment technologies, engineered ecosystems, and compact/mobile/scalable systems;
- energy, including combined water-energy management, treatment plants as energy factories, water-enabled heat transfer, storage, and recovery for allied industries and commercial sectors; and
- materials, including mining and reusing nutrients, manufacturing new products from waste streams, regenerating and repurposing membranes to reduce water-reuse costs, and producing activated carbon from sludge to minimise costs of micro-pollutant removal.
The project mobilises a strong partnership of water companies, industry, specialised small and medium-sized enterprises, applied research institutes, technology platforms, and city and regional authorities. It builds on an impressive portfolio of past research and innovation projects, leveraging multiple European and global networks and guaranteeing real impact.
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
€ 11 344 256.56 (EU contribution: € 9 965 230.51)
Responsible organisation and contact details
KWR Water B.V.
Contact the project: https://nextgenwater.eu/contact/
Project consortium partners
- KWB Kompententzzentrum Wasser Berlin gemeinnützige GmbH
- Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz
- Cranfield University
- Strane Innovation
- Fundació Eurecat
- IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB
- Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion
- University of Exeter
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems
- European Science Communication Institute (ESCI) gGmbH
- University of Bath
- IPStar B.V.
- Biopolus Intezet Nonprofit Zrt.
- Water Europe
- Abwasserverband Braunschweig
- YTL PROPERTY HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED
- Severn Trent Water Limited
- AquaMinerals B.V.
- Provincie Zuid-Holland
- Waterschap De Dommel
- Adasa Sistemas
- S.A.U.
- Agència Catalana de L'Aigua
- Etaireia Ydreyseos kai Apochetefseos Proteyoysis Anonimi Etaireia
- Dimos Athinaion
- Chemital Technology P. Dimopoulou -P. Tazes & Co OE
- Gotlands Kommun
- Abwasserverband Altenrhein
- CTU Clean Technology Universe AG
- Aquatim SA
- Business Development Group SRL.
Key deliverables
CCRI-relevant material
- Optimal storage sizing for indoor arena rainwater harvesting: Hydraulic simulation and economic assessment
- An Urban Water Simulation Model for the Design, Testing and Economic Viability Assessment of Distributed Water Management Systems for a Circular Economy
- Sewer Mining as A Basis for Technological, Business and Governance Solutions for Water in the Circular Economy: The NextGen Athens Demo
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
<5 000
