Close
05/03/2015
Wastewater that produces green energy
Wastewater contains an elevated amount of chemical energy in the form of organic contaminants. In order to make use of this energy, researchers from around the world study ways to recover it in the form of hydrogen, a process which efficiently eliminates organic matter from wastewater. It not only reduces the amount of energy needed during the process, it also obtains energy from the produced hydrogen.

The key to achieve this is what is known as microbial electrolysis cells (MEC), a very special type of bacteria capable of generating electricity which in turn produces hydrogen.
 
At the UAB University that the Barcelona Synchrotron Park works with, Researchers from the Bioelectrochemistry group of the Department of Chemical Engineering have achieved to improve the energetic efficiency of the cells. The scientists, coordinated by professors Albert Guisasola and Juan Antonio Baeza, used real wastewater and achieved a biological production of hydrogen and, to a large extent, the recovery of a good part of the energy contained in the residues.
 
High hydrogen production and energy intensity were obtained through the wastewater treatment: these results are the basis for a potential industrial development of this technology and therefore for the creation of systems capable of producing hydrogen from wastewater treatment.

News based on the press release issued by the UAB.
 

More news

27/06/2017 ​Barcelona Synchrotron Park’s sustainable brownfield restoration program presented at AquaConSoil 2017 21/06/2017 Catalonia confirms itself as pole of attraction for foreign investments 15/06/2017 Construction of the Natura Bissé’s new world headquarters is well on its way 06/06/2017 ​Walk in the Park: the biodiversity routes await you 31/05/2017 UAB second most innovative university in Spain 24/05/2017 PRUAB: 10 years in strengthening relationships between research and business fabric
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26