WATER-MINING | Presentation video

REVOLVE

24 Oct 202207:03

Summary

TLDRThe Water Mining project addresses the critical need for desalination to secure water resources, especially in water-stressed regions. It tackles high energy use and financial costs through innovative solutions like renewable energy and waste heat recovery. The project also promotes water reuse in urban areas and industrial sectors, recovering valuable minerals and salts. Demonstration sites in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Cyprus showcase efficient water use and energy production, moving towards a circular economy in water and salt consumption.

Takeaways

🌍 Desalination is crucial for securing water resources, especially in water-stressed regions.
💡 Current challenges in desalination include high energy use, financial costs, and environmental impacts.
🏭 Large-scale desalination projects are underway in Lampedusa, Italy, and Almeria, Spain.
🔄 These projects aim to eliminate brine influence and extract valuable minerals and salts for other sectors.
☀️ The Spanish site uses solar energy, and the Italian site uses waste heat recovery to reduce costs.
🚰 Urban water use has increased due to population growth, urban expansion, and higher living standards.
🔄 Innovative technologies can treat and reuse urban wastewater, creating a circular water use process.
🌿 Three demonstration sites in Portugal, Cyprus, and Spain promote water use efficiency and energy production.
🏢 Only 10% of EU water use is in urban areas; 90% is for industrial purposes, highlighting the need for industrial water reuse.
🔄 Water mining tests zero liquid discharge processes to link wastewater producers with industrial consumers.
🔄 The Water Mining project promotes a circular economy approach, cutting-edge technology, and social engagement.

Q & A

What is desalination and why is it important for water resources?
-Desalination is the process of producing drinking water from seawater. It is important for securing water resources, especially in water-stressed regions with a growing population.
What are the two main challenges faced by desalination?
-The two main challenges faced by desalination are high energy use and its resulting financial costs, as well as the environmental impacts due to pollutant gas emissions and brine influence.
How does the Water Mining project address the challenges of desalination?
-The Water Mining project addresses these challenges by eliminating brine influence and extracting valuable minerals and salts. It also uses renewable energy sources like solar power and recovered waste heat to reduce energy and financial costs.
Where are the two large-scale desalination sites mentioned in the script?
-The two large-scale desalination sites are located in Lampedusa, Italy, and Almeria, Spain.
How does the Water Mining project contribute to a circular economy?
-The project contributes to a circular economy by reusing treated urban wastewater, recovering valuable raw materials from treatment, and implementing zero liquid discharge processes in industrial water use.
What are the three larger-scale exhibition sites established within the Water Mining project?
-The three larger-scale exhibition sites are located in Portugal, Cyprus, and Spain. They promote water use efficiency, energy production, and recovery of raw materials.
What percentage of water used in the EU is consumed in urban areas?
-Only 10 percent of the total water used in the EU is consumed in urban areas.
How does the Water Mining project approach industrial water use?
-The project focuses on developing innovative technologies to reuse water from industrial sectors, taking advantage of the low water quality needed by some industrial processes.
What is the zero liquid discharge process mentioned in the script?
-The zero liquid discharge process aims to link wastewater producers with consumers and industrial areas to reduce water needs and wastewater discharge, creating pollution-free brine influent.
Can you provide an example of the zero liquid discharge process within the Water Mining project?
-An example is the Rotherland industrial cluster in the Netherlands, where wastewater from epoxy resin production is purified to create quality brine for use in chemical production, thus closing the loop of industrial wastewater management.
What is the role of communities of practice in the Water Mining project?
-Communities of practice gather relevant actors to enable rich interaction focused on case studies. They promote social engagement and allow citizens to experience newly created water technologies on living labs.

Outlines

00:00

💧 Desalination Innovations for Water Security

Desalination, the process of converting seawater into drinking water, is crucial for addressing water scarcity, especially in regions with limited freshwater resources. The script discusses two main challenges in desalination: high energy consumption and the financial and environmental costs associated with it. To tackle these issues, the Water Mining project has established large-scale desalination sites in Lampedusa, Italy, and Almeria, Spain. These sites not only produce high-quality water but also extract valuable minerals and salts, reducing treatment costs. The Spanish site uses solar energy, while the Italian site recovers waste heat, thus lowering energy and financial costs. The script also highlights the importance of urban water use efficiency and the potential of treating and reusing wastewater to create a circular water system. Three demonstration sites in Portugal, Cyprus, and Spain are working on promoting water use efficiency and energy production from solar power and biogas, as well as recovering raw materials like phosphates and salts.

05:01

🔄 Industrial Water Recycling and Circular Economy

The second paragraph focuses on the industrial use of water, which accounts for 90% of the total water usage in the EU. The Water Mining project is developing innovative technologies to reuse water from industrial processes, particularly in the epoxy resin industry. A zero liquid discharge process is being tested to link wastewater producers with consumers and industrial areas, aiming to reduce water needs and wastewater discharge. The project in the Roer Valley industrial cluster in the Netherlands is highlighted as an example, where wastewater from epoxy resin production is treated and the salt is recovered. Water Mining applies innovative technology to purify wastewater, creating quality brine for chemical production, thus closing the loop on industrial wastewater management and promoting circularity in water and salt consumption. The script concludes by emphasizing the Water Mining project's role in paving a new path towards sustainable water and resource management, following a circular economy approach, utilizing cutting-edge technology, and engaging communities of practice to foster social interaction and experience new water technologies.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Desalination

Desalination refers to the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater to produce fresh drinking water. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a crucial solution for securing water resources, especially in water-stressed regions. The video discusses the challenges of desalination, such as high energy use and financial costs, and how the Water Mining project addresses these issues through innovative approaches.

💡Water Mining

Water Mining is a project mentioned in the video that focuses on advancing desalination techniques and water reuse technologies. It operates on a large scale with sites in Lampedusa, Italy, and Almeria, Spain, aiming to produce high-quality water while reducing environmental impacts. The project also extracts valuable minerals and salts from the desalination process, which can be used in other sectors, thus offsetting some of the treatment costs.

💡Environmental Impacts

Environmental impacts refer to the effects that human activities have on the environment, such as pollution and climate change. The video discusses how traditional desalination processes contribute to these impacts through pollutant gas emissions. The Water Mining project attempts to mitigate these by using renewable energy sources like solar power and recovering waste heat, thus reducing the carbon footprint associated with desalination.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources, such as solar power, are highlighted in the video as a means to reduce the energy and financial costs of desalination. The site in Almeria, Spain, runs its facilities on solar energy, which is a sustainable and clean alternative to fossil fuels, contributing to the overall goal of reducing environmental impacts and promoting a circular economy.

💡Circular Economy

A circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. It is mentioned in the video as the guiding principle behind the Water Mining project. The project promotes the reuse of water and recovery of valuable raw materials, such as phosphates, salts, and bio-based polymers, which aligns with the circular economy approach by reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

💡Urban Water Use

Urban water use refers to the consumption of water in urban areas for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. The video discusses how urban water use has increased due to population growth, urban expansion, and higher living standards. It also emphasizes the importance of innovative technologies in treating and reusing urban wastewater to create a circular water use process, which is a key aspect of the Water Mining project.

💡Innovative Technologies

Innovative technologies in the context of the video refer to advanced methods and systems that improve water treatment and reuse. These technologies are crucial for the Water Mining project's success, as they enable the efficient treatment of wastewater, recovery of raw materials, and the reduction of water and energy consumption in both urban and industrial settings.

💡Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment is the process of purifying used water to a level that it can be safely returned to the environment or reused. The video mentions that through innovative technologies, urban wastewater can be treated and reused, which is an essential part of creating a circular water use process and reducing the overall demand for fresh water resources.

💡Zero Liquid Discharge

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a process where wastewater is treated to the extent that no liquid waste is discharged. It is mentioned in the video as a goal of the Water Mining project, particularly in industrial applications. The project aims to link wastewater producers with consumers and industrial areas to reduce water needs and wastewater discharge, thereby minimizing environmental pollution.

💡Industrial Water Use

Industrial water use refers to the consumption of water in industrial processes. The video points out that 90 percent of the total water used in the EU is for industrial purposes, making the development of innovative technologies to reuse water from these sectors critical. The Water Mining project tests the ZLD process in industrial clusters, aiming to reduce water needs and wastewater discharge, and promote circularity in water and salt consumption.

💡Living Labs

Living labs are real-world environments where new technologies and services are tested and demonstrated. The video mentions that the Water Mining project establishes living labs where citizens can experience newly created water technologies. These labs serve as interactive platforms that promote social engagement and allow relevant actors to gather and focus on case studies, fostering innovation and practical application of the project's goals.

Highlights

Desalination is essential for securing water resources in water-stressed regions, especially with growing populations.

Current challenges in desalination include high energy use and environmental impacts from pollutant emissions and brine discharge.

Water mining works with exhibition sites in Lampedusa, Italy, and Almeria, Spain, to create high-quality water and extract valuable minerals and salts from brine.

In Spain, the desalination site uses solar renewable energy, while in Italy, waste heat is recovered to reduce energy and financial costs.

Urban water use has increased due to population growth, urban expansion, and higher living standards, but local climate and consumption habits also influence water usage.

Innovative technologies can treat and reuse urban wastewater, creating a circular water use process and recovering valuable raw materials from treatment.

Water mining established large-scale exhibition sites in Portugal, Cyprus, and Spain to promote water efficiency and energy production from solar power and biogas.

Recovery of raw materials like phosphates, salts, and bio-based polymers from wastewater treatment is a focus of the water mining project.

90% of water in the EU is used for industrial purposes, emphasizing the importance of innovative technologies for industrial water reuse.

The zero liquid discharge process in water mining links wastewater producers with consumers in industrial areas to reduce water needs and eliminate wastewater discharge.

A case study in the Netherlands demonstrates industrial wastewater management by purifying wastewater from epoxy resin production and recycling brine for chlorine and caustic production.

Water mining aims to create circularity in water and salt consumption in industrial processes, ensuring efficient resource use.

The project emphasizes the importance of scaling innovative technologies to market readiness and enabling the use of secondary raw materials.

Water mining supports the sustainable development goals by following a circular economy approach and using cutting-edge technology.

Social engagement is promoted through 'communities of practice,' where relevant actors and citizens participate in the development and experience of new water technologies.