SCOPE
Hydrogen production
Maturity Level
TRL 4
Development Level
Prototype
Generation of hydrogen from wastewater
Entity:
Electrochemical technology for the simultaneous treatment of industrial wastewater with low biodegradability and high conductivity with hydrogen production and recovery. The bi-compartmental design of the electrochemical cell enables oxidative treatment of the industrial effluent in the anode compartment, while hydrogen is generated in the cathode compartment.
Currently, the technology is focused on the treatment of effluents from the textile industry, which generates wastewater of high alkalinity and conductivity with recalcitrant organic pollutants. The organic pollutants in this wastewater can be degraded in electrooxidation and photoelectrooxidation treatments that enable the effluent to be reused and generate hydrogen as a by-product. Taking into account that this industry also needs hot water for the production of fabrics, the proposed technology seeks to optimise the company’s energy consumption by boosting the electrolysis and/or photoelectrolysis of waste water from processes such as mercerising, dyeing or printing to take advantage of its hydrogen production (which is currently dumped outside) to use it either as fuel, blending it with natural gas, or storing the hydrogen for later uses.
The aim is to validate the technology in terms of efficiency of both the treatment of recalcitrant pollutants and the generation and recovery of hydrogen, both in effluents from the textile industry and in other types of industrial effluents containing organic compounds of low biodegradability and with significant conductivities.
Challenges met
- Circular economy: makes possible the circularity of finite resources such as water and hydrogen.
- Cost optimisation: reduction of costs associated with water supply and subsequent water treatment. Reduction in the use of fossil resources such as natural gas used in boilers, and the costs associated with its consumption.
- Competitiveness of the textile sector: reduction of production costs and optimisation of the use of natural resources (water, salts and hydrogen) and the positive impact on the environmental sustainability of these companies.
Scope of application
- Industries from various sectors that generate industrial waste effluents with organic pollutants of low biodegradability and high electrical conductivity.
- Decontamination of brackish aquifers contaminated by pesticides, pharmaceuticals or PFAS.
- SMEs and large companies dedicated to the design and construction of electrochemical systems, water treatment plants, and hydrogen storage and its applicability
Main publications
- Electrochemical wastewater treatment with simultaneous hydrogen production in textile industry. D. Cuesta-Mota, L. Canals Casals, V. López-Grimau. XXVII International Congress on Project Management and Engineering. San Sebastián, July 10-13 2023.
- http://dspace.aeipro.com/xmlui/handle/123456789/3419
- La economía circular tras generar hidrógeno verde en el tratamiento electroquímico de efluentes textiles. (The circular economy after generating green hydrogen in the electrochemical treatment of textile effluents.) D. Cuesta-Mota, L. Canals Casla, V. López-Grimau. X Iberoamerican Symposium on Waste Engineering. Castelló de la Plana, June 20-22 2023http://hdl.handle.net/10234/204239
Related projects
- WhATTer: Hydrogen from wastewater: circularity of energy and water in textile industry (TED2021-129361B-I00 Strategic projects oriented to the ecological and digital transition)
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