Climate change and environmental degradation, as well as the European Union’s (EU) dependence on energy imports from third countries, represent a major challenge for the EU, and it is therefore necessary to look for more sustainable alternative energy sources. of community origin. To this end, the MERLIN LIFE Project (Maximizing Biogas Production with Cutting-edge Technologies for Greater Resource Availability and Digital Tools for Increased Efficiency), which will develop an innovative and efficient solution to boost biogas production from water treatment plants worn.
The project, which is part of the LIFE program and co-financed by the European Commission, will combine the pretreatment of urban wastewater sludge with an anaerobic co-digestion process – that is, a process of digesting two or more materials raw – waste from food enterprises. The pilots, located in the wastewater treatment plants of Monte Orgegia (Alicante) and Murcia Este (Murcia)will maximize the production of biogas which can then be used as an energy source for the operation of the facilities themselves.
In this way, LIFE MERLIN technology will promote the circular economy and, in addition, minimize the use of fossil energy sources and consequently reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of waste. This technology will also help reduce energy imports from third countries.
LIFE MERLIN, led by Cetaqua – Water Technology Center, also has the participation of Createch 360º, Aquambiente Circular Economy Solutions -ACES-, Aguas de Alicante and EMUASA-Aguas de Murcia, and plans to a duration of four years.
As part of the initial project meeting held in Barcelona last week, Marcel Vilaplana, project manager at Cetaqua and coordinator of the LIFE MERLIN project, said that “LIFE MERLIN will significantly contribute to achieving the objectives of the European directive on renewable energies. (2018/2001/EU), which establishes that 42.5% of the energy produced in Europe will be renewable in 2030.
In this sense, he stressed that in addition to contributing to the biomethane production in the wastewater treatment plants of Monte Orgegia and Murcia Este, the solution that will be developed within the framework of LIFE MERLIN will be replicated, over a period of 5 years, in six other wastewater treatment plants in Palencia, León and Sant Feliu de Llobregat , to study its subsequent large-scale replication.
