KSP: Cost-effective algae technology to promote circular economy development of Norwegian wastewater treatment plants

Waste management and global warming are rapidly growing concerns for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). With these concerns, an opportunity to leverage algae technology and introduce a sustainable concept in wastewater treatment arises. ALGECO aims to develop innovative and cost-effective algae technologies to transform tertiary urban wastewater from waste into viable algae-based products. Specifically, nutrients remaining in municipal tertiary wastewater are being converted into valorized algae-based products for horticultural usage. This project will thoroughly launch a new concept for Norwegian WWTPs. From 2021 to 2025, ALGECO is focusing on targeting an algae technology-based zero-waste value chain centralized in the 3Rs principle (reducing, reusing, and regenerating). This project integrates five state-of-the-art components and pushes the development beyond that state: 1. Green solutions for municipal wastewater treatment 2. Inherent advantages of the use of microalgae technology integrated into municipal WWTPs 3. Cost-effective polyculture cultivation strategies 4. Integrated treatment and cultivation systems 5. Valorization of microalgae biomass into agriculture-related applications A PhD, a Postdoc, and several Master project opportunities are integrated with the work being developed to foster research excellence in higher education. ALGECO counts on the collaboration of NIVA, SINTEF Energy, NMBU, UiA, UiO, NIBIO, and UF (Australia) with Bioskiva AS and Vestfjorden Wastewater Company (VEAS) as industrial partners. The project team comprises highly experienced national and international research groups with complementary expertise in algae bioremediation, biotechnology, bioengineering, molecular systematics, soil chemistry, plant science, and environmental economics. The success of ALGECO will deliver a strategy for Norwegian WWTPs and promote its acceptance through awareness raising and capacity building in the framework of the Circular Economy.

For Norwegian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), both global warning due to carbon emission and waste management are of rapidly growing importance. This increased awareness provides a great opportunity to exploit algae technology to induce the “green concept” in wastewater treatment. ALGECO is built on a real technological breakthrough conceived to achieve a positive balance in terms of Reducing waste, Reusing waste and Regenerating value (3R concept), targeting the better water-energy-environment nexus for the treatment of municipal treated wastewater. ALGECO provides a scientific blueprint by using safe, reliable, and cost-effective algae technologies to enhance the value chain from the wastewater treatment and convert the wastes into viable algae-based products. As the first pilot research of algae-wastewater to treat municipal treated wastewater in Norway, ALGECO will develop a simplified two-stage and cost-effective High Rate Algae Pond system to exploit main waste streams from WTTPs, with a great potential to achieve a circular loop process and to be extrapolated to industrial scale. The roadmap is that nutrients and CO2 recovered from wastewater are turned into new algae-based organic fertilizers and soil ameliorator for horticultural applications. Moreover, the technology process in ALGECO will be developed and optimized to reach the levels both socially acceptable and economically viable. ALGECO proposes a viable, cross-sectoral and integrated pilot-scale demonstration process, aiming to bring a novel paradigm of synergized bioeconomy and circular economy for Norwegian WWTPs. This project will be implemented with interdisciplinary collaborations between seven academic research institutes and two business partners. The overarching goal of ALGECO is not only to develop a new win-win strategy for Norwegian WWTPs on a basis of zero-discharge and self-sustainability, but also to improve their acceptance through capacity building and awareness raising.