Aalborg University is a young and dynamic university with more than 20,000 students and 3,000 academic staff. AAU is very experienced with European funding having been involved in 290 actions in Horizon Europe and H2020 to date. AAU emphasizes cooperation with businesses, organizations and institutions within teaching as well as research. According to the Times Higher Education Young University ranking, Aalborg University was 35th in the world in 2023.
The Center for Membrane Technology, at the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, provides a unique platform for research and knowledge sharing to support and advance research in membrane separation. Our knowledge is based on more than 15 year’s of fundamental and applied research within membrane separation. The key research areas are production of self-cleaning thermocatalytic membranes, flexible graphene oxide membranes, membrane crystallization, membrane bioreactors, nanofiltration for removal of pesticides, and large-scale systems for the treatment of process water from oil-and-gas industry.
AAU is coordinating the project and is lead for the Demonstration of technology-trains in industrial or simulated environment (digital twin) Work package. As Coordinator, AAU will ensure the overall legal, contractual, financial, and administrative management of the project. On the research side, AAU will contribute to demonstrate the technology trains for wastewater treatment.
The Technical University of Darmstadt (TUDa) was founded in 1877 and currently has around 24,500 students. The focus of research is on three fields: ‘Energy and Environment’, ‘Information and Intelligence’ and ‘Material and Matters’.
At TUDa the Cornerstone project is being operated within the Chair of Wastewater Technology by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Engelhart. Both, teaching and research are carried out by the chair. Research focuses on process technology and development for treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater and sludge with an emphasis on energy efficiency (anaerobic treatment) and resource (water) recovery. Due to the wide variety of possible technological solutions, teaching and research activities evaluate the interaction and mutual dependencies of process steps in different process combinations. For practice-oriented testing und scale-up of new and innovative technologies a laboratory and premises for lab and pilot-scale plants are provided.
Within Cornerstone, TUDa aims to recover energy from the organic load of wastewater from the chemical industry. Anaerobic treatment plants are used for the production of biogas, which can be used for energy (recovery). The aim of the (sub)project is to develop an innovative process design that is ideally adapted to industrial wastewater and residues, to minimize the influence of inhibiting substances and to maximize the methane yield.
AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) was founded in 1988 and is today one of the leading European institutes of applied research in renewable energy and resource efficiency. In the four target group areas "Buildings", "Cities and Networks", "Industrial Systems" and “Technology Development”, the latter comprising three working groups “Renewable Energies", "Thermal Energy Storages" and "Water and Process Technologies". AEE INTEC's R&D projects range from basic research to the implementation of demonstration plants.
AEE INTEC has significantly contributed to advancing sustainable technologies through participation in national, European, and international research and development projects in recent years.
AEE INTEC currently employs around 85 people from 15 different countries in Gleisdorf. With an average of four PhD students and around ten diploma students, interns and student assistants, the institute also contributes to the training of highly qualified specialists.
AEE INTEC, WPT (Water and Process Technology Group) leads WP 1, focusing on the design of technology-trains for best process integration at laboratory scale, such as membrane distillation and membrane crystallization for Demo Installations. AEE INTEC also contributes to WP 5, in generating data to support the development of a Decision Support Tool for water reuse and recovery.
CERTH was founded in 2000 and suggests one of the most important Research Centres in Greece. Its mission is to promote the triplet Research – Development – Innovation by conducting high quality research and developing innovative products and services while building partnerships with industry and strategic collaborations with academia and other research and technology organizations. The Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI) is a constituent institute of CERTH and participates in the CORNERSTONE project with the Natural Resources & Renewable Energies (NRRE) Laboratory. NRRE carries out applied and basic research, designed in the context of holistic approaches to key technology areas, including water desalination and purification for various uses, treatment/reuse of wastewater and effluents (of any type), while pursuing Zero-Liquid Discharge, valorization of natural resources and agro-industrial by-products/wastes, and other membrane-based processes for niche applications.
NRRE lab at CPERI/CERTH is responsible for the development of Module 3 “Nanofiltration for ion separation” and Module 5 “Bipolar electrodialysis for acid recovery” from wastewaters originated from the pulp & paper and steel industries. Lab scale and pilot scale tests will be performed in simulated and industrial environments, respectively, with the aim to optimize and verify treatment feasibility.
VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (BFI) is a non-profit research institute located in Düsseldorf, Germa-ny, specialised in applied research in the field of steel industry. The staff, 100 people - 70% scientists and engineers, organized in seven departments, drives in close interdisciplinary cooperation. Nearly all projects end with practically implemented solutions of research results. Currently BFI has app. 60 running European and 50 national funded research projects which are complemented by 90 privately funded projects in cooperation with the industry.
The employees of the department of “Resource Technology Liquid Media” have vast experiences in process water treatment and waste heat reuse, as well as modelling and operation of water circuits. Further competences are the development of sensors and monitoring techniques for process water quality.
BFI is responsible for Module 1: Heat exchanger/ waste heat reuse for process water treatment with membrane distillation. It addresses waste heat recovery from gas scrubbing circuit of direct reduction plants for iron ore. BFI also coordinates WP2:
Digitalization of processes and smart monitoring.
At HKM, we are an integrated steelworks specializing in the production of steel and semi-finished products for the manufacturing industry. With a clear focus on quality and customer satisfaction, we have established ourselves as a reliable partner in this field.Our product range is carefully tailored to the specific needs of our stakeholders and various industries. Our offerings include slabs and round steel in various sizes and specifications. These products are manufactured to stringent quality standards to ensure consistent performance and reliability.We are committed to delivering excellence at every stage of production, from sourcing high-quality raw materials to the final finishing of our products. Our extensive experience and technical expertise enable us to provide customized solutions that meet the unique requirements of our customers.
As one of the industrial partners in this groundbreaking research project, HKM plays a key role by actively contributing its expertise and resources in waste heat and water recovery. Our steel-making facilities serve as immediate testing grounds for the innovative heat exchanger and membrane distillation powered by the low temperature waste heat. The tests under operational conditions with real process waters with BFI support will enable industrial applicability and transferability of the project results. This close collaboration between research and industry is a crucial step in developing innovative solutions.
The Centre Technique du Papier (CTP) is an industrial R&D, expertise, consultancy and training organisation that provides scientific and technical support to its profession. A public utility and a company with a mission, its aim is to create value and promote the technological development of the pulp, paper and board production and converting industry and related industries (printing, converting, etc.). Independent, innovative and at the cutting edge of technology, the CTP prepares the products and processes of tomorrow through Technological Innovation and ensures their transfer to industrial sites through 5 centres of excellence: Biobased Materials, Eco-efficient Processes, Functional Products, Conformity Assessment and Technical & Design.
The CTP is a long-standing player in the recovery of recovered paper & board and the development of associated industrial technologies.
Thanks to its equipment and long-standing expertise in process water management for pulp & paper Industry, the CTP is involved in 1) WP1 to characterise the process waters and to define the water treatment needs, 2) WP2, to build the digital twins of two European ESSITY mills and 3) WP3, to assess the water management strategies and to test the technology train for P&P industry at pilot scale.
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2023, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 147bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com .
Essity will provide access to manufacturing sites using recycled fibers and support to model water circuits for simulations purposes. Furthermore, Essity will support sampling activities for water characterization and treatment to explore promising technologies for effluent value creation and recovery, and provide know how to evaluate the outcome and perform life cycle analysis of the identified solutions.
Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, cosmetics and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself. The company is committed to becoming fully circular and is striving to become climate neutral by 2035 (scope 1 and 2). Covestro generated sales of EUR 18 billion in fiscal 2022. At the end of 2022, the company had 50 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 18,000 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Covestro case study (from Chemical industry) focuses on the treatment of the class of liquid waste streams that are ubiquitous in the chemical production of synthetic materials. The discharge/disposal routes of major wastewater and liquid waste streams from the chemical industry often rely on energy-consuming processes, e. g. incineration or aerobic treatment of even highly loaded streams. Therefore, the use of anaerobic treatment technology, adapted with suitable pretreatment options, will be developed within the CORNERSTONE project for treating complex mixture of chemical waste streams. The lab scale and piloting studies will be done together with TU Darmstadt and Veolia Biothane, following a comprehensive wastewater and energy mapping and adaptation of pretreatment options.
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For more than 40 years Biothane is a leading brand in the field of Anaerobic Industrial wastewater and Biogas treatment solutions. We serve the Food & Beverage, Pulp & Paper, Biobased & Chemical and Municipal markets. Our mission: " Resourcing the World", by production of green energy (biogas, biomethane) and clean water. Providing and developing advanced technologies & solutions to enable the preservation of resources and contribute to a sustainable future for humankind.
Biothane is the anaerobic treatment brand of Veolia Water Technologies. With its presence in more than 50 countries, Veolia Water Technologies is a world leader in water and wastewater treatment for industry and municipalities. The portfolio embraces over 250 proprietary technologies.
The role of Biothane in the CORNERSTONE project lies in the expertise of full-scale implementation of anaerobic industrial wastewater treatment using varying reactor technologies. Focusing on the chemical industry wastewater, the main contributions will be regarding the stream mapping and toxicity / inhibition assessment in cooperation with Covestro and TU Darmstadt. Then, in a second phase, the demonstration of AnMBR as suitable technology for treatment of treatment of highly concentrated process streams.
MANN+HUMMEL is a leading global company in filtration technology. Under its two business units Transportation and Life Sciences & Environment, the Ludwigsburg-based Group (Germany) develops intelligent filtration and separation solutions that enable cleaner mobility, cleaner air, cleaner water, and cleaner industry. Thus, the company makes an important contribution to a clean earth and the sustainable use of limited resources.
i2M is the global incubation and acceleration platform for new products and business models of the MANN+HUMMEL Group. The digital products and services we create help to solve demanding challenges in the areas of clean air, clean water, and clean mobility.
MHDE and MNDE are developing membrane-based pretreatment technologies in order to protect the modules developed by our partners in Work Packages one and three.
MANN+HUMMEL Digital Water Solution provides smart monitoring devices for wastewater treatment pilot sites by integrating sensor data into their cloud-based platform for analysis, enabling predictive maintenance and process optimization using AI.
The BETA Technological was born in June 2014, to give a boost to the research activity in the field of the environmental technologies at the Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC). The main mission of the BETA Technological Centre is to be a relevant actor for the technological development, the improvement of the competitiveness and the quality of life of rural societies. The impulse for fulfilling this mission comes from both the execution of R&D&I projects and the transfer of knowledge to the private and public sector. The vision from which the BETA TC works is to become a national and international scientific reference for the solution of environmental problems that involve the integration of the treatment of gaseous effluents, wastewater and municipal and industrial organic solid waste, with a special focus on the agri-food sector.
BETA is performing the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of CORENESTONE solutions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Techno-economic analysis and Social-LCA will be performed to ensure economic feasible, Climate Neutral and social inclusive solutions from early stages of the innovations and synergistically with digital twins development.
DECHEMA e.V. is an interdisciplinary scientific society with more than 5,800 individual and institutional members (including about 500 SMEs), whose activities cover wide areas relevant to the process industries. DECHEMA is dedicated to the support of R&D progress, implementation and innovation realisation in various fields of chemical engineering, environmental protection (esp. water management) and biotechnology. DECHEMA organizes more than 50 events per year, is co-organizer of ACHEMA fair and manages national and European research clusters and projects.
DECHEMA is responsible for the Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation activities in the project. It coordinates stakeholder engagement and the outreach to decision-makers, the scientific society, and the general public to support the uptake of the project results. Furthermore, DECHEMA is included in the development of decision support tools for digital industrial water and resource management.
20FIFTY Partners is a leading organisation in the global water stewardship movement, facilitating the highly successful Water Stewardship Ireland community of practice and related research. Delivery partner for the award-winning Certified Water Stewardship Programme, in 2021, 20FIFTY Partners was awarded the Water Governance Award from WaterEurope as recognition of Ireland’s role as a global leader in water stewardship.
20FIFTY Partners designs and delivers world class sustainability programmes helping governments, agencies and individual organisations build competencies to achieve long term sustainability excellence. We work collaboratively, designing and delivering innovative, flexible programmes which can encompass training, research, toolkits, communications collateral, certification schemes and communities of practice.
20FIFTY Partners are WP 5 lead, tasked with the development of an integrated toolbox for digitally enabled stewardship for deployment of circular process technologies. This crucial work package will support the project’s ambition to ensure replicability, scalability and impact of its proposed solutions.