A mature project for direct market uptake

The iMETland project is among the projects chosen as a model of innovation in the water sector. The compendium Innovative technological solutions for ensuring Europe’s present and future water security published last November points out the proposal coordinated by IMDEA Water as one of the ten innovative technologies to guarantee the water security of Europe.

The EU publication specifies that iMETland project has shown that urban wastewater can be cleaned in a sustainable manner and be suitable for irrigation, with zero energy cost, by using bacteria that produce electricity from the pollutants. The process eliminates these from the wastewater; after the electro-oxidative treatment, the obtained water is free of pathogens and suitable for irrigation.

iMETland is one of the innovations in the water sector that are "mature for the market", as described by Carmen Mena Abela, head of the eco-innovation sector of the Horizon 2020 program at the EASME Agency (Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises ). In an article available in the latest issue of the magazine RETEMA, Mena emphasizes that the circular economy is "rooted" in the political guidelines of the European Commission (EC).

European water legislation (which includes the Water Framework Directive and other related directives, the Flood Risk Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive) is subject to an evaluation process that will be completed at the end of 2019.

The iMETland units have already been tested and can be integrated into small communities to irrigate gardens or green areas, with the plant-based solution that increases the visual appeal of the facilities. In this sense, Metland is already a registered trademark and the concept is ready to reach the market through a start-up SME called METfilter, founded for this purpose by IMDEA Water and CENTA Foundation.

• Download: CORDIS results pack on water innovation. A thematic collection of EU-funded research innovation results. November 2018

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iMETland has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement N.642190. The information reflects only the author’s view and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained.