GE’s Water & Process Technologies has joined hands with the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada on a project that intends to eliminate energy costs for waste water treatment.
The research initiative is backed by the federal government. It is the first large project to receive funding under the Southern Ontario Water Consortium’s (SOWC) Advancing Water Technologies (AWT) program.
U of G will work with GE Water and Process Technologies, along with McMaster University, to test new ways to reduce energy consumption while generating energy from the waste water treatment process and using beneficial resources from waste water.
GE’s Water & Process Technologies will be investing about CA$900,000 ($685166) in infrastructure and support.
Apart from this, the AWT program will invest about CA$600,000 ($456777). Funding for SOWC comes from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
The research initiative aims to maximize renewable energy generation and produce a pathogen-free biosolids fertilizer.
GE said biological hydrolysis technology maximizes the efficiency of existing anaerobic digestion infrastructure by increasing its throughput capacity by up to three times.
The technology is claimed to treat more sludge and other organic materials, while increasing biogas production and at the same time produce pathogen-free fertilisers.
SOWC executive director Brenda Lucas said “This first large AWT project epitomizes what SOWC is all about.
“We are connecting the needs of industry with Ontario’s academic expertise and enabling real-world testing in unique facilities to help bring innovative technologies to market.”
GE’s Water & Process Technologies product management executive Glenn Vicevic said: “We are very pleased to support this demonstration of our biological hydrolysis technology.
“This pilot project further validates the viability of energy neutral wastewater treatment that can produce valuable resources in the form of clean water, renewable energy and fertilizer.”
Image: GE’s Water & Projects Technologies and the University of Guelph to demonstrate wastewater pilot project. Photo: Courtesy of General Electric.