This revolutionary H2020 project is redesigning the traditional system of wastewater treatment. The project is based on the foundation that potential energy stored in the organic matter of wastewater can and should be used to produce energy. Treating all of Europe’s wastewater, for a year using traditional technologies, consumes all of the energy produced by two large power plants within the same year. The process proposed by POWERSTEP would result in twelve power plants worth of energy being produced by wastewater treatment over the course of one year.
This means that environmental friendly, renewable energy would be produced without European’s changing any of their lifestyle habits. Project partners will integrate existing technologies to demonstrate their design for a power positive treatment plant.