About us
Water access and its related energy, environmental and economic issues are one of the greatest challenges for society today.
According to the 2030 Water Resources Group of the World Bank global water demand by 2030 is expected to exceed sustainable water supply. The WATER-MINING project aims to face this challenge and help ensure access to clean water and sanitation by developing innovative solutions for the sustainable use of alternative water sources, including urban and industrial wastewater and seawater desalination.
Objectives
38
partners
12
countries
6
case studies
4
year project
19.1M€
(16.9M € EU
contribution)
Partners
Advisory Board
Proferssor Carles Solà, UAB (ES)
Former rector and professor of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) and former Minister for Universities, Research and Society of the Catalan Government, Carles is an expert oin Experimental Economics, Behaviour Economics, Organiszational Behaviour, Business Economics and Behavioural Finance.
Paul O’ Callaghan, BlueTech Research (IE)
Founder of BlueTech Research in 2011 with the aim to support technological advancements in water management and help find the solutions needed to provide clean water and safe sanitation. Now, Paul works developing water strategies of top global corporation and carrying out market analysis, competitive benchmarking and technology due diligence.
Linda Macpherson, New Water ReSources (USA)
Founder and managing member of New Water ReSources as a vehicle for changing people’s thinking and behavior about water—especially water use and reuse. Linda currently is assistsing governments, utilities, service districts, and professional associations around the world as they communicate to stakeholders about sustainable water planning, management, and reuse.
Dr. Dionysia Avgerinopoulou, Hellenic Parliament
Greek politician with influence regarding environmental matters, currently serves as a member of the Greek Parliament as the Chairperson for the Special Permanent Committee of Environmental Protection of the Greek Parliament. Previously she served the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership Organization (GWPO) and the Head of Water of the Energy and Environment Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, (France).
Professor Neelke Doorn, TU Delft (NL)
Distinguished Antoni van Leeuwenhoek professor of ‘Ethics of Water Engineering’ at the Department of Ethics and Philosophy of Technology and Director of Education of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. Neelke holds master’s degrees in Ccivil Eengineering (TU Delft 1997, cum laude), Pphilosophy (Leiden 2005, cum laude), and Law (Open University 2016, cum laude). In May 2011, she obtained her PhD degree from the TU Delft for her thesis on Moral Responsibility in R&D Networks.
Leland R. Widger, Cargill Salt (USA)
With a PhD in synthetic organic and bioinorganic chemist, Leland is a Senior researcher at Cargill Salt where is responsible for the development and commercialization of innovative products and?processes related to the food, water quality, road safety and industrial salt market and businesses worldwide.
Paul Eijsbouts, SABIC (NL/Saudi Arabia)
Process team leader at SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation). SABIC is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilisers, plastics and metals, silicones and glass-fibre reinforced polymer sheets. Paul served as the coordinator of the Brine Recovery project (LIFE06 ENV/NL/000178) where he managed to recover 73% of the salt and save 75% of indirect energy.
Professor Joyce Tait, Edinburgh University (UK)
Founding Director of the Innogen Centre/Institute, Joyce has an interdisciplinary background linking natural and social sciences with particular interests in supporting development of advanced innovative technologies capable of delivering both economic and societal benefits. She has worked on strategic planning for innovation; governance, risk management, regulation and standards; and stakeholder attitudes and influences.
Dr. Cristinel Deregatu, EUROPIREN (NL)
With a PhD in chemical engineering and experience in water treatment, Cristinel is responsible for the research activity of the EUROPIREN company in the Rotterdam laboratory that is actively looking for synthetic magnesium hydroxide with a higher purity than brucite, which can be used in applications where brucite (a natural mineral) cannot.
Corinne Van Voorden, Climate, Water, Circular Economy, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (NL)
Innovation Advisor for the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Corinne supports companies, knowledge institutes, governmental and non-governmental parties with the development of multidisciplinary European water, climate action and circular economy projects. She advises on strategic partnerships, innovation and European funding. She holds degrees in Engineering Management and Social Sciences and has previously worked for engineering and consulting companies on water business projects.
Koen de Kruif, DCMR Environmental Protection Agency (NL)
Environmental scientist in the field of water pollution and energy studies. For 20 years he has worked for the DCMR regional environmental protection agency as a senior advisor in sustainability and environmental quality in the field of international relations and since 2015, on circular economy where he aims to achieve increased sustainability within industry and small – medium sized enterprises, decreasing barriers and improving awareness and investment activities.
Frans Goorman, NEDMAG B.V.(NL)
Senior advisor and business development manager at NEDMAG B.V. a company that produces high-quality dead burned magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium hydroxide and sells in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.
Proferssor Carles Solà, UAB (ES)
Former rector and professor of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) and former Minister for Universities, Research and Society of the Catalan Government, Carles is an expert oin Experimental Economics, Behaviour Economics, Organiszational Behaviour, Business Economics and Behavioural Finance.
Paul O’ Callaghan, BlueTech Research (IE)
Founder of BlueTech Research in 2011 with the aim to support technological advancements in water management and help find the solutions needed to provide clean water and safe sanitation. Now, Paul works developing water strategies of top global corporation and carrying out market analysis, competitive benchmarking and technology due diligence.
Linda Macpherson, New Water ReSources (USA)
Founder and managing member of New Water ReSources as a vehicle for changing people’s thinking and behavior about water—especially water use and reuse. Linda currently is assistsing governments, utilities, service districts, and professional associations around the world as they communicate to stakeholders about sustainable water planning, management, and reuse.
Dr. Dionysia Avgerinopoulou, Hellenic Parliament
Greek politician with influence regarding environmental matters, currently serves as a member of the Greek Parliament as the Chairperson for the Special Permanent Committee of Environmental Protection of the Greek Parliament. Previously she served the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership Organization (GWPO) and the Head of Water of the Energy and Environment Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, (France).
Professor Neelke Doorn, TU Delft (NL)
Distinguished Antoni van Leeuwenhoek professor of ‘Ethics of Water Engineering’ at the Department of Ethics and Philosophy of Technology and Director of Education of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. Neelke holds master’s degrees in Ccivil Eengineering (TU Delft 1997, cum laude), Pphilosophy (Leiden 2005, cum laude), and Law (Open University 2016, cum laude). In May 2011, she obtained her PhD degree from the TU Delft for her thesis on Moral Responsibility in R&D Networks.
Leland R. Widger, Cargill Salt (USA)
With a PhD in synthetic organic and bioinorganic chemist, Leland is a Senior researcher at Cargill Salt where is responsible for the development and commercialization of innovative products and?processes related to the food, water quality, road safety and industrial salt market and businesses worldwide.
Paul Eijsbouts, SABIC (NL/Saudi Arabia)
Process team leader at SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation). SABIC is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilisers, plastics and metals, silicones and glass-fibre reinforced polymer sheets. Paul served as the coordinator of the Brine Recovery project (LIFE06 ENV/NL/000178) where he managed to recover 73% of the salt and save 75% of indirect energy.
Professor Joyce Tait, Edinburgh University (UK)
Founding Director of the Innogen Centre/Institute, Joyce has an interdisciplinary background linking natural and social sciences with particular interests in supporting development of advanced innovative technologies capable of delivering both economic and societal benefits. She has worked on strategic planning for innovation; governance, risk management, regulation and standards; and stakeholder attitudes and influences.
Dr. Cristinel Deregatu, EUROPIREN (NL)
With a PhD in chemical engineering and experience in water treatment, Cristinel is responsible for the research activity of the EUROPIREN company in the Rotterdam laboratory that is actively looking for synthetic magnesium hydroxide with a higher purity than brucite, which can be used in applications where brucite (a natural mineral) cannot.
Corinne Van Voorden, Climate, Water, Circular Economy, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (NL)
Innovation Advisor for the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Corinne supports companies, knowledge institutes, governmental and non-governmental parties with the development of multidisciplinary European water, climate action and circular economy projects. She advises on strategic partnerships, innovation and European funding. She holds degrees in Engineering Management and Social Sciences and has previously worked for engineering and consulting companies on water business projects.
Koen de Kruif, DCMR Environmental Protection Agency (NL)
Environmental scientist in the field of water pollution and energy studies. For 20 years he has worked for the DCMR regional environmental protection agency as a senior advisor in sustainability and environmental quality in the field of international relations and since 2015, on circular economy where he aims to achieve increased sustainability within industry and small – medium sized enterprises, decreasing barriers and improving awareness and investment activities.
Frans Goorman, NEDMAG B.V.(NL)
Senior advisor and business development manager at NEDMAG B.V. a company that produces high-quality dead burned magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium hydroxide and sells in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.
FAQs
The WATER-MINING project is a research and innovation project that has the final purpose to develop more energy efficient technologies for treating wastewater from urban and industrial areas and from desalinization and promote the extraction of valuable products from the residues generated during the process.
The project is called WATER-MING due to the fact that in addition to innovate with more sustainable methods to treat the wastewater and obtain alternatives sources of usable WATER, the project has also the objective to do it while recovering (MINING) some important products from the residues generated during the process.
The project started the 1st September 2020 and lasts for 4 years until the 31st August 2024. With a total budget of 19.1 million euros the project is partly funded (16.9 million euros) by the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation program.
The project is coordinated by the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands and puts together 38 public and private partners and 4 linked third parties from 12 different countries across Europe.
Many expectations of the project are put into the development of innovative technologies for: 1) a more energy-efficient and less polluting desalination process; 2) a more sustainable techniques for extracting important products from urban wastewater residues such as phosphates and other bio-based valuables products and 3) producing pollution-free industrial wastewater by using a Zero-Liquid-Discharge loop systems.
In addition to these innovative methodologies the project has also the expectations to: 1) increase public attention in water management services and promote new circular economy business models within the wastewater cycle; 2) attract public and private funding for the scaling up of the methodologies developed and 3) ddevelop adequate policy and regulatory documents in accordance with the implementation of the methodologies developed.
The project follows the ultimate purpose to ensure access to clean water clean water and sanitation and in this sense every citizen will benefit of new methods for the obtention of usable water. In addition, administration bodies could also be interested in the outcomes of the project as they might be interested in improving their wastewater management chains. Finally, there is a business opportunity for SMEs and other companies with interests in the scale-up of the methodologies and the market generated by these new sources of bio-based valuable products.
One of the main objectives of the project is to create new circular economy business models within the wastewater cycle. In this sense the project aims to improve the energy-efficiency of the processes but also enhance the recovery of valuable products from the residues and its reuse through the creation of a market place where potential producers and buyers of these valuable products can meet and interact.
If you are interested in following the updates of the project you can visit our website or follow us on the social media channels (Twitter: @watermining and LinkedIn: Water-Mining H2020). If you want to announce and event or news related to the topics of the project you can fill the form available on the website (link). Finally, if you want to be in contact with the coordination or the communication team of the project please send us an email at info@watermining.eu.