All4Zero is an industry-focused technological innovation hub, unique in Spain, focused on developing technologies relate to decarbonization and the circular economy. This is an initiative run by 4 founders: ArcelorMittal, Holcim, Iberia and Repsol that are combining their technological power to share industrial resources, laboratories, and research centers to create pilots and proofs of concept.
There is a current open call (until 5 April) for startups, SMEs, research centers and universities in which All4Zero has launched 5 technological challenges.
In this context, let’s delve deeper into one of the 5 technology challenges!
“How can we guarantee water resources for industrial processes using either alternative sources or recycled water circulation?”
Context
Water is a valuable and vital resource for all human activity. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), global demand for water will increase 50% by 2030 and the growth forecast in industry between 2017 and 2050 will be 400%. To meet this upcoming demand, it is necessary to promote solutions related to managing and re-utilizing this resource to limit freshwater consumption and designate it exclusively to human consumption or agriculture.
Opportunity
In the circular economy framework, regenerating and re-utilizing water in industry is an essential tool for reducing consumption and preserving such a valuable resource.
It is necessary to implement technologies to achieve greater efficiency in water consumption in all processes, reduce, and even eliminate freshwater consumption, as well as re-utilize water with regeneration processes using non-fresh water (treated and desalinated water). All of these solutions will help reduce the impact associated with any industrial activity processes.
What All4Zero is looking for
They are looking for solutions that decrease freshwater harvesting, which contributes to achieving the 2050 freshwater harvesting objective. Likewise, they will consider positive measures to reduce consumption in industrial processes, recovery of water resources, harvesting and water management solutions with mature/pre-commercial technologies, zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) technologies to concentrate waste, which facilitate maximum regeneration and minimal costs for evaporation/crystallization, as well as measures to reduce costs of conventional desalination (3-5 kwh/m3).
All4Zero will select up to ten solutions to develop Proof of Concepts together with the hub’s experts and in their industrial facilities.
Do you have a technological solution related to decarbonization or the circular economy?
Participate in All4Zero technology challenges:
https://all4zero-hub.com/en/technology-challenges/
https://all4zero-hub.com/en/register/
- “How can we efficiently capture carbon and reduce both atmospheric emissions and origin emissions?“
- “How can we reduce costs and increase efficiency when obtaining renewable hydrogen?
- “How can we generate SAF and other renewable fuels and mineralize CO2? (challenge with two applications)“
- “How can we take advantage of materials resulting from waste to create solutions that drive circularity and sustainability?“
The Wheesbee team from Innovation Engineering Srl is specialized in supporting Open Innovation initiatives by facilitating the matching between problem owners and problem solvers in the framework of a large network of innovative companies.
Contact us to be part of our network with your Open Innovation Challenges.