Selected Information - Completed Research

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires surface waters to achieve "Good Status" with programmes of measures to achieve this in place by 2009. Discharges from some treatment works could have a significant impact on "Good Status" including numerous small works (<10,000 PE) requiring treatment to remove nitrogen / phosphorus.

In parallel to the WFD, the UK Government is committed under the Kyoto protocol, to reduce CO2 emissions with Renewable Obligations requiring 10% generation of UK electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 20% by 2020.

Using a crop management scheme with willow / poplar / eucalyptus under short rotation management, and fast growing grasses e.g. Miscanthus, there is exciting potential to demonstrate a system in the UK (called Water Renew), which offers integrated benefits of a low energy, wastewater tertiary treatment, with a renewable bioenergy crop.

The project team of WRc, Cranfield and Queens Universities and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland, will build upon crop research and recent international research (notably in Sweden / Australia), to bring Water Renew systems to commercial application in the UK.

Benefits

• A cost-effective, low energy, sustainable system to treat wastewater by removing nitrogen and phosphorus
• Financial and environmental benefits through generating energy by-products with reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Credibility of being involved in green, renewable energy technologies.