FACSA will develop an innovative system to purify wastewater from the petrochemical industry

• The TRAP project, in addition to reducing the energy costs of the treatment process, will allow the use of petrochemical wastewater to produce biogas.
• The project has a planned duration of three years and has the collaboration of the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (UJI) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)

FACSA, as part of its commitment to innovation and the promotion of the circular economy applied to the comprehensive management of the integrated water cycle, will launch a pioneering initiative that will facilitate the purification of wastewater generated in the petrochemical industry, as well as the use of this process to generate value-added products.

This is the TRAP project. An initiative that, thanks to the use of anaerobic technology, will allow the implementation of a new treatment system specifically designed for the wastewater generated in these types of industries, which are known for their complexity.

To achieve this, it will employ a new anaerobic treatment system, which will help to minimize the reactor volume and, at the same time, ensure the stability of the biological purification system.

Furthermore, among other advantages, the application of this new system will allow for a reduction in energy consumption derived from the treatment process itself, as well as the production of biogas from the treated wastewater.

As explained by Rubén García, principal investigator of TRAP and R&D technician at FACSA, “wastewater effluents from the petrochemical industry are usually characterized by a high organic load and temperature, which makes them especially attractive for applying anaerobic purification technologies that allow the degradation, and even valorization, of the compounds present in these waters, and also with a lower energy cost and minimal sludge generation.”

The project will last three years and will involve the participation of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló (UJI) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). With project reference IDI-20191344, it has a total budget of €572.974,00, co-financed by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).