Circular economy and sustainability / High value-added solution for strategic markets
UNIQUE AND SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING GARMENTS WITHOUT WATER DISCHARGES
LIFE ANHIDRA
Motivation
Water scarcity is one of the common negative effects of climate change. Many water bodies are at risk of failing to meet the aim of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) to achieve good status. In addition, wastewater discharges continue to be prominent pressures with respect to ecological and chemical status. The continuing presence of a range of pollutants in some of Europe’s freshwaters threatens aquatic ecosystems and raises concerns for public health. Over exploitation of resources gives rise to imbalances in water demand and availability and leads to ecosystem disruption.
Objectives
LIFE ANHIDRA proposes the development and validation of an innovative, efficient, and effective solution to water regeneration and reuse of water in situ in textile finishing process. The new concept will allow water reuse in industrial washing machines during 60 operation days, saving up to 21,000 m3 during this period, and 123,408 m3/year in one industrial facility.
- The design and construction of the ANHIDRA technology will be carried out, by an upscaling process, as the technology has been previously developed under several R&D actions and tested at smaller scale
- Savings in terms of fresh water used, wastewater generated, energy consumptions and other flow wastes generated during the project will continuously be monitored, and a Life Cycle Analysis will be performed prior the end of the project
- Valorisation of fiber fragments and fiber-like wastes will be explored, based on a circular economy approach. The textile wastes generated by the system will be collected, conditioned, and characterized, prior to investigate their potential processability for textile-based end applications
- The project will contribute to achieve some 2030 Sustainable Development Goals related with Circular Economy
Expected results
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Water reuse and savings of 21,000 m3 during 60 operation days, in industrial washing machines. In one industrial facility is expected to reach savings of 123,408 m3/year.
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This new alternative concept of water reuse at close loop is expected to reduce the water consumption in 92%, and wastewater generation at 98% from the conventional textile finishing processes, simultaneously avoiding discharges of emerging pollutants, microfibres and pathogens to the environment
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Electric energy consumption is expected to be reduced in 15%.
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It’s expected the implementation of 36 facilities 3 years after the project and at least 100 systems in the following 5 years after the project at international locations.
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This fact will derive to potential savings of up to 12.34 million m3/year of water (worldwide).
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In addition, ANHIDRA technology will recover textile fibres that normally arrive to WWTPs with wastewater. New routes for valorisation of these fibres will be defined during the project based on a circular economy approach, in order to be used in new added-value applications.
Grant number: 101074372
Programme: LIFE-2021-SAP-ENV (LIFE2027)
Period of execution: September 2022 – February 2025
Status: In progress
Amount: 134.884,00€
Entity: European Comision
This project has received funding from LIFE (LIFE2027) Programme under the Grant Agreement 101074372.
These contents are the sole responsibility of LIFE ANHIDRA coordinator and partners, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the Programme management structures.
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R&D AREAS
New high-performance functionalised materials
Circular economy and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing, smart textiles and digitalisation
High value-added solutions for strategic markets
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