Facsa is working on an innovative technological solution capable of decarbonizing wastewater treatment plants.

To obtain an innovative technological solution capable of decarbonizing the current economy and, specifically, the integral water cycle These are the objectives of GAIA, an innovative project in which carbon capture and utilization systems will be implemented in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) for the production of sustainable fuels.

Specifically, over the next three years, Facsa - in collaboration with the Leitat Technology Centre (project coordinator) and the University of Girona (LEQUIA and gEMM research groups) - will work on the development of new technologies that allow the use of renewable raw materials, such as wastewater and CO2₂, to generate sustainable fuels through bioelectroconversion processes.

Bioelectroconversion is based on microbial cell technologies called Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs) and allows for the treatment of wastewater while simultaneously converting high-carbon dioxide streams into fuels such as methane and compounds like butanol. Furthermore, the technology can enable the storage of surplus renewable energy.

In this way, this project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonizing the current economy and minimizing the carbon footprint of the facilities that make up the integral water cycle, thus improving their sustainability.

This project accelerates the energy transition towards innovative mechanisms that have a high potential for application in the integrated water cycle, as they will allow energy to be recovered from the treatment of wastewater and other streams generated in conventional treatment plants.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that carbon dioxide capture is a first step towards the generation and implementation of biorefineries based on MET systems that allow the generation of value-added compounds such as butanol, as well as other building blocks.

The GAIA project has been funded within the framework of the call “R&D&I projects in strategic lines 2021” financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), State Innovation Agency (AEI) (file number: PLEC2021-007802/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/), and by the European funds Next Generation EU/PRTR.