CisWEFE-NEX

• Short 1' Video about How CisWEFE-NEX Works

• Project Description Summary (2 pages, EN)

• Projeto Descrição Sumária (2 páginas, PT)

Links & Downloads:

• CisWEFE-NEX on Cordis

• Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI)

• "Do No Significant Harm (DNSH)"-Principle

Decoupled saltwater shrimp - seaweed Aquaponics (AP), TRL 4-5 to 7: We will demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of Water to Fork & pharmaceutical biostream approach with proprietary technology for: a) hyper-intensive, indoor shrimp farming cultivation tanks using vertical substrates in Cornell-type dual-drain fish tanks, b) a biological pilot reactor to produce phosphorous-rich irrigation solution from aquaculture interfacing the shrimp rearing system, and c) the macroalgae production system where seaweed will grow in vertical airlift bioreactors, illuminated by strategically placed high-efficient LEDs, ensuring a highly productive, safe, predictable and continuous cultivation of seaweed. Saltwater taken in will be recirculated many times within the shrimp production itself. When nutrient levels become too high for the shrimp, the shrimp water will be sent to the seaweed production, which will purify the saltwater via nutrient uptake for growth before returning it to the river. The demonstration system and steps for upscaling of the seaweed production will follow a business plan supported by a pharmaceutical end-user. KPIs: Up to about 1.25 - 2.4 t/year of shrimps and about 0.5 - 1.5 t/year of wet seaweed for nutra-/pharma-/cosmeceutical applications from a 100 - 130 m2 IMTA. Partners: Landing Aquaculture, NL; Paul Rye Kledal IGFF, DK with contractor Pure Algae, DK Youtube Video: Seaweed cultivation (2')

Biophenol Extraction (BPE), TRL 3-4 to 6-7: Making the process viable to the olive oil sector, optimizing it for future use, while using renewable energy for water-based extraction (avoidance of organic solvents and related air emissions of volatile organic compounds) and simultaneously treating olive mill wastewater (OMWW) for reuse as irrigation water. KPIs: About 6 - 7.2 kg/day of bio-polyphenols for nutra-/pharma-/cosmeceutical uses from 1'250 t/year of 2-phase wet olive pomace (WOP) + 1'250 m3/year of 3-phase OMWW with up to about 2.8 - 3.5 m3/day purified OMWW as a co-product. Partners: MORE CoLab, PT Dropbox Video: Biophenols extraction (1.3')

Agri-Photovoltaics (RE-APV), TRL 6 to 7: APV systems allow us to overcome space constraints and increase land productivity by up to 70%. They provide additional shading and improved water productivity rendering APV to a strong tool to combat water loss through evaporation by intelligently combining operation of panel canopies with organic permaculture farming incl. the most advanced irrigation techniques resulting in considerably improved water use (which can surpass a 50% depending on the irradiation and temperatures on the land), particularly in water-stressed arid environments. Further, shading by the PV panels provides multiple additive and synergistic benefits, including reduced plant drought stress, greater food production and reduced PV panel heat stress (Barron-Gafford et al., Nature Sustainability, 2019). KPIs: Up to about 5.6 - 13 t/year of certified organic crops (vegetables & fruits) from 2 - 2.6 ha of land (of which 1 - 1.3 ha control w/o PV panels) with up to about 1.4 - 1.6 GWh/year renewable electricity from a 1 MWp AgriPV power station as a co-product. Partners: Coopérnico, PT; In Loco, PT with contractor such as e.g., Brite, GR; Powerfultree, ES; Agri-Light, IL; BayWa r.e., DE or Sun'Agri, FR. Dropbox Video: Agri-Voltaic Examples from India (7')

Desalination (DS), TRL 6 to 7: We will validate a novel technology, which is robust and environmentally compatible. The proprietary system of our DS partner is particularly suitable for RE use and does not require any pre-treatment, resulting in an outstanding water quality. As in opposite to SWRO, the brine is free of added chemicals and shall be exploited for the innovative recovery of not only table salt (halite, NaCl) but also Magnesium salts (Epsomite, MgSO4*7H2O, Shark et al., Nature npj Clean Water, 2022) instead of being rejected back to the marine body with damaging impacts on its biology. Minimal post-treatment of distillate water produced by simple blending with pasteurised brine for taste adjusted drinking water respectively with liquid fertiliser from the RE-BG and Epsom salt for irrigation water enriched with macro- and micronutrients. KPIs: Up to about 79 - 174 m3/d freshwater with up to about 93 - 948 t/y table salt and up to about 10 - 104 t/y Epsom salt as co-products from an average of about 2'054 - 25’348 m3/year of brine processed in solar saltworks (saltern) with a footprint of about 3 ha (or less if intake feed water salinity is <3.5%). Partners: WME, DE with contractor ResourSEAs, IT; University of Palermo, IT Dropbox Videos: Agri-Voltaic powered Desalination (3.5'); Desalination plant (2.5')

Advanced Anaerobic Digestion (AD) / Biogas (RE-BG), TRL 4 to 6-7: Prior extraction of polyphenols by BPE facilitates anaerobic digestion of olive mill pomace, which elsewise is extremely difficult to digest anaerobically. The core of the advanced AD innovation lies in the integrated combination of BPE, ultrasonic cavitation, process monitoring and control with an optical VFA sensor, and co-digestion of agri-food waste for better management of pH and C:N ratio. KPIs: Up to about 25 - 40 kW_electrical and about 47 - 80 kW_thermal with up to about 320 - 487 t/y of liquid and up to about 60 - 97 t/y of solid fertiliser as co-products. Partners: AIMEN, ES; DARIACORDAR, PT with contractor such as e.g., SEaB Energy, UK; QUBE Renewables, UK or Bert-Energy, DE. Dropbox Video: Containerised biogas digesters (0.3')

Controlled Cavitation (CC), TRL 6 to 7: Using a novel ultrasound-based technology, a configuration will be selected based on systematic lab investigations and the design of a high-power ultrasound reactor as a plug-flow system. This reactor will reduce the necessary energy demand for sonication of liquids and biomass suspensions for advanced anaerobic digestion (CC4AD), biophenol extraction (CC4BPE), and mobile (waste)water treatment services (CC-MOB) for advanced oxidation processes (AOP) and disinfection. KPIs: 6 kW all-in one trailer mounted CC unit as CC-MOB, CC4AD and CC4BPE Partners: Ultrawaves, DE Dropbox Video: Ultrasonic cavitation for advanced anaerobic digestion - CC4AD (1')

Monitoring of traditional and emerging contaminants / (micro) pollutants: Regular routine testing of most common water/wastewater quality parameters that can be easily tested with analytical equipment (UV/VIS photo spectrometer, BOD5/COD reactor, TSS, pH/conductivity/temperature probes, etc.) by accredited 3rd party laboratory. Associated REQ lab(s) for more complex off-site chemical analyses requiring specialised analytical equipment (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Extractables and Leachables Analysis, etc.) and for microbiological analyses. The following matrices and parameters shall be monitored: a) All legally required chemical, physical and microbial parameters for all products leaving the project’s system boundary according to pertinent national and / or EU legislation, i.e. (i) Drinking water for human consumption from desalination of salt / brackish water (REQ), (ii) Irrigation water reclaimed from treated OMWW (REQ), (iii) Fertiliser (liquid / dry-solid) (APA – Portuguese EPA), (iv) Salt (REQ), (v) Shrimp & seaweed, vegetables & fruits (REQ). b) PCBs, microplastics (MP) and nanoparticles under the sole responsibility of REQ and sampled: (vi) in passive membrane filter at 1 control site outside project boundary, (vii) and in brine/salt, fruits, vegetables, shrimp, and seaweed produced by the DS, RE-APV and IMTA units. c) Other traditional and / or emerging contaminants / hazardous substances by REQ using the equipment sourced from EPC contractor(s) by WME and MOR (lab container; mobile metals analysers) for on-site metal monitoring and of REQ associated lab(s) for organic compound detection sampled:

1. in the DS unit’s feed, distillate and reject water (brine),
2. at the in-/output of the controlled cavitation assisted (CC4AD) RE-BG subsystem,
3. in the extracts from the BPE subsystem (polyphenols only) as well as
4. products produced (drinking/irrigation water, brine/salt, shrimp, seaweed, fruits, vegetables) for the following compounds being relevant for the Algarve region as per Bebianno et al. 2017, Bebianno et al 2019 and pertinent papers regarding degradation potential of the same by cavitation (if not already legally required respectively covered by above):

• POPs: PAHs, PCBs,
• Metals: Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu and TBT,
• Pesticides: DDE, Σdrins (Dieldrin, Aldrin) and ΣEndosulfan, Glyphosate,
• PhACs: Diclofenac (DFC),
• PCPs: UV filters EHMC, OC and OD-PABA, and musk galaxolide,
• EDCs: Octyl- and nonylphenol (OP/NP), and bisphenol A (BPA),
• Polyphenols: Hydroxytyrosol, Tyrosol, Total Phenolic Compounds (TPC), Total Major Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity Assays, h) Nitrate/-ite and ammonia/-ium in the IMTA.

Integrated System (iSYS) through Digital Twin Monitoring and Control Platfrom, TRL 3 to 6: This is our core innovation, i.e., the multidisciplinary system integration which will follow a five-step approach for integrating our subsystems (AgriPV / RE-APV, Desalination / DS, Biogas / RE-BG, Controlled Cavitation / CC, Biophenol Extraction / BPE, Aquaculture / IMTA, transports and contaminants monitoring / MO) and components into one single system that functions cohesively: 1) System requirements analysis & interface specifications, 2) System design: Development of digital twin & user-centred dashboard, 3) Component development: Interoperability and data exchange, 4) Integration and system testing, and validation, 5) System deployment. This system supports the integration of data collected by the IoT sensors & control equipment of the individual subsystems into a web-based digital twin monitoring & control platform as shown in below figure. It further enables the study of the processes and optimisation of the circularity of the iSYS. Data gathered from the circular systemic solution (CSS) and managed by the digital twin platform provides also opportunities for data-driven services, including novel artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) methodologies to address additional challenges and optimisation demands. KPIs: iSYS: One fully functional, balanced and optimised pilot demonstrator at the end of the project (M60) generating near zero waste that can be monitored & controlled through an AI-/ML-driven digital twin platform. Partners: InnoBoost, CH Video: