WACOSYS Monitoring and Control System for Wastewater irrigated Energy plantations

1. WACOSYSMonitoring and Control System for Wastewater irrigated Energy plantations COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT Contract N°: COOP-CT-2004-512877

2. WACOSYS - Summary Why a Cooperative Research Project? Background Aims & Objectives Structure of the Consortium Workplan WACOSYS‘ main results

3. Why a CRAFT Project? Cooperative Research (CRAFT): a EC instrument aimed: “... to benefit SMEs in need of specific scientific and technological research” Suitable to develop solutions affecting SMEs from different sectors in Europe Kyoto protocol and oil prices force to look for new energy sources  biomass is renewable, CO2 neutral and can be produced locally The project will benefit different SMEs: SRP operators, small communities, pellet producers, irrigation technology manufacturers and env. solutions companies

4. Background (I) Europe is the largest importer and 2nd largest energy consumer Based on Kyoto objectives, the EU envisages to raise the amount of renewable energies from current 6% to 12% until 2010 Biomass will play a key role, as it is storable and always available: estimated growth from 3.8% to 8.5% The market for biomass combustibles is rapidly expanding in Europe, faster demand than production growth  Strong price increase

5. Background (II) Therefore  strong economic potential (biomass producers, distributors, technology, etc) Wood biomass  Short rotation plantations (poplars, willows, etc) On the other hand, cheap and easy-to-handle wastewater treatment systems are still necessary for small communities Opportunity to irrigate (water + nutrients) with wastewater from small communities WACOSYS integrates SRP’s and wastewater treatment  double benefit

6. Aims and objectives Industrial objectives To develop, test and optimise a monitoring and control system for irrigation and fertilisation of SRP plantations with wastewater To guarantee efficient, low cost and sustainable production of combustible biomass products (pellets) To reduce wastewater treatment costs for small communities Environmental and social objectives To generate a local, renewable CO2 neutral energy source To avoid surface and groundwaters pollution To save water resources by reusing wastewater and to close the nutrient loop at local level To strengthen rural areas economy To open new markets for renewable energy consumption

7. Structure of the Consortium (I) PARKANON MAK EAU WAU HYDRO-AIR TTZ BIOAZUL RAMOS STAB

8. Structure of the Consortium (II) Aim: to achieve maximum complementarity Two types of partners: SMEs: small or medium enterprises, including a SRP operator (RAMOS), a wastewater management company (MAK), a irrigation technology manufacturer (HYDRO-AIR), a wood pellets producer (PARKANON) and environmental services companies (STAB and BIOAZUL) RTDs: research organisations, including agricultural universities (EAU and WAU), and an environmental and process engineering centre (TTZ)

9. Structure of the Consortium (III) WACOSYS - development MANAGEMENT MANUFACTURER Hydro-Air Hydro-Air Bioazul DEVELOPERS Bioazul TTZ EAU WAU European Commission STAB END-USERS MAK Ramos Parkanon

10. WP5 Evaluation Product analysis Biomass processing Biomass harvesting WP2 Design of prototypes Building the prototypes System check Transport & installation WP1 Determination of systems requirements: legal requirements end-users requirements character of wastewater WP4 Overall Evaluation Optimisation On site testing Initial test WP6 Dissemination & Exploitation of Project Results WP3 Preparation of plantations Workplan WP7Project management and coordination

11. WACOSYS’ main results Optimised WACOSYS prototypes Overall assessment of the system (biomass production, wastewater treatment) Assessment of the WACOSYS biomass Dissemination (publications, presentations, etc) Exploitation and dissemination plans