With the support of WP1 technology partners, initial optimization concepts have been developed, marking a key achievement. Deployment of Streametric RTUs is underway, bringing real-time data visualization closer to reality.
Can nanofiltration be the key to efficient wastewater treatment in the steel industry? At CERTH, the testing of commercial hollow fiber nanofiltration (HF-NF) membranes on wastewater from HKM steelworks is already yielding promising results. With a focus on high calcium and magnesium retention and minimal fouling, the system achieved a 72.5% water recovery, with good ion rejection performance. Equipped with AI-driven optimization through the STREAMETRIC platform, the next steps could set the stage for smarter, more efficient industrial water management. Want to know more about these breakthroughs?
Can we unlock more efficient ways to recover clean water from industrial waste streams? At AEE INTEC, a newly developed membrane distillation (MD) lab unit is exploring flow behaviors to enhance efficiency and reduce maintenance challenges. As part of CORNERSTONE, this innovative setup integrates smart monitoring and real-time optimization to push the boundaries of conventional water treatment. With real wastewater trials set for 2025, the results could redefine sustainable water recovery for industries. Curious how?
Could membrane distillation (MD) be the key to unlocking higher water recovery and sustainability? Under the CORNERSTONE project, researchers tested MD on steel industry wastewater—and the results were remarkable: 93% water recovery, minimal membrane fouling, and near-total solute rejection. With further studies set to expand its application across industries, MD could be the breakthrough needed for large-scale water reuse. Want to know how?
01/2025
Under CORNERSTONE, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is playing a key role in evaluating the environmental impact of groundbreaking treatment technologies for the steel, pulp & paper, and chemical industries. By integrating thermal, electrochemical, biological, and membrane-based processes, these innovative solutions aim for maximum water recovery and resource circularity. But how sustainable are they? The LCA framework provides the answers—shaping the future of wastewater management.
01/2025
The development of the modules is progressing steadily, with initial testing and optimizations planned to enhance functionality. The membrane distillation (MD) system from EvCon has been successfully installed at BFI, tested, and demonstrated, with further laboratory trials planned to assess fouling and scaling behavior. In parallel, heat exchanger tests are being prepared to evaluate scaling, fouling, and the potential benefits of ultrasound technology in improving performance and efficiency.
01/2025
In CORNERSTONE’s chemical industry case study, lab experiments are unlocking the methane potential of organically rich waste streams. Using advanced anaerobic treatment technologies like AnMBR and EGSB, researchers are testing how different biomasses adapt to wastewater conditions, paving the way for efficient biogas recovery. With continuous lab-scale tests set for 2025, these findings could revolutionize industrial wastewater treatment. Curious about the results?
01/2025
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DECHEMA drives innovation at the intersection of science and industry, focusing on sustainable water and resource management. Through projects like CORNERSTONE, it supports the transition to a circular economy and climate-neutral industries by developing cutting-edge technologies and decision-support tools. Its mission is to ensure these solutions are widely adopted, creating lasting impact for industry, policymakers, and society.
01/2025
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.
01/2025
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.
01/2025
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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.
Learn more about 20FIFTY Partners
12/2024
In CORNERSTONE, BFI focuses on the development of a non-clogging heat exchanger for waste heat recovery from process waters. This heat can be reused for blowdown water recovery using membrane distillation. BFI is specialized in applied research. That means it works very close with the industry to develop reliable solutions that withstand variations of water quality and external impacts.
12/2024
Our latest CORNERSTONE video highlights why reusing industrial water is key to achieving the EU’s climate neutrality goal by 2050.
The video explores how water reuse, energy recovery, and the reclamation of valuable solutes can significantly reduce resource consumption and emissions in industrial processes. These steps are essential for sustainable water management and reaching climate goals.
11/2024
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.
11/2024
TUDa is part of the case study aimed at recovering energy from the organic content in wastewater from the chemical industry. As a technical university, it brings practical expertise to the project. Anaerobic treatment plants will be used for the production of biogas as a sustainable energy source.
10/2024
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As part of the CORNERSTONE project, the Water and Process Technology (WPT) group at AEE is responsible for leading Work Package 1 (WP1). Their key tasks include Mapping industrial water streams to identify potential areas for efficiency and reuse and Designing and optimizing integrated water treatment technologies at the laboratory scale.
09/2024
CORNERSTONE was present at the International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress and Exhibition in Toronto - a global event for water professionals covering the full water cycle.
Cejna Anna Quist-Jensen, the coordinator of the CORNERSTONE project, took the stage during the session on "Membrane Applications in Wastewater Management" to show insights from the CORNERSTONE avtivities and in addition presented a poster titled "Minerals Recovery and Freshwater Production from Acid Mine Drainage by Membrane Crystallization."
Cejna highlighted the critical importance of circularity in industrial processes, emphasizing that while recycling and reusing water is essential, it’s equally crucial to reclaim energy and solutes from industrial process streams. This is where the CORNERSTONE systems come into play.
08/2024
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Which sensors are necessary for each CORNERSTONE module and what are the key monitoring parameters essential for the predictive maintenance and optimization? Additionally, how is the process water characterization over the year?
The WP2 partners - under the lead of BFI - convene regularly to develop monitoring concepts applicable to both lab scale and pilot installation for each CORNERSTONE module. Their goal is to incorporate smart monitoring and sensors to optimize treatment processes into CORNERSTONE systems, with a primary objective of reducing downtime, minimizing cleaning requirements, enhancing overall process performance, and predicting maintenance risks.
This effort is pivotal in incorporating digital twins into our developed technologies and technology trains. Our objective is to validate these technologies with real data collected from two demonstration sites.
08/2024
In the CORNERSTONE work package 1, despite the summer break, there’s a lot of work to be done. WP1 partners meet regularly to discuss the current status of technology modules, analyze the composition of water streams from various industrial sites, explore the testing schedule, and organize site visits. In the meeting yesterday, HKM introduced Virtual Sensing to the partners, which aims to support module optimization.
The overall aim of work package 1 is to design technology trains for the best process integration at lab-scale.
07/2024
The 2nd Cornerstone Consortium meeting took place from 19th to 20th June 2024, in the town of Gleisdorf, near Graz, Austria. This event brought together Work Package Leaders, Case Study Leaders, and technology providers to discuss the progress and future steps of the project. A heartfelt thank you goes out to partner AEE INTEC for hosting this productive meeting.
06/2024
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In May 2024, a very productive CORNERSTONE workpackage meeting took place in Frankfurt a.M./Germany with WP leaders from WP5 (focus on integrated decision support tools for water circularity) and WP6 (focus on exploitation potential of new wastewater treatment technologies) – 20FIFTY Partners and DECHEMA.
05/2024
In a recent radio interview on the SWR2 program “Wissen aktuell - SWR2 Impuls”, which was broadcast on April 5, 2024 at 4:05 pm, Cejna Anna Quist-Jensen from Aalborg University and Christina Jungfer from DECHEMA in Frankfurt talked about the opportunities that the CORNERSTONE project offers for the future use of industrial water.
Listen to the full interview and find out how CORNERSTONE is paving the way to a sustainable future for industrial water!
04/2024
The CORNERSTONE project was officially launched in Aalborg, Denmark, from January 30 to February 1 with all 16 partners from 8 EU countries. During these 3 days, the representatives of the entire consortium introduced their planned work, outlined the next steps and got to know each other.
Many thanks to our coordinator and host of the kick-off meeting, Aalborg University, for their excellent work during these 3 days. We look forward to collaborating with a great consortium in the coming years.
02/2024