Objective
The HYCO project tackles the growing challenge of sustainable sewage sludge management, a critical issue for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the EU, which produce 10-13 million tons of dry sludge annually. Current sludge treatment methods, particularly anaerobic digestion (AD), suffer from inefficiencies like slow reaction rates and high disposal costs. HYCO aims to revolutionize AD with the development of a novel compartmentalized plug-flow reactor (CPFR). By integrating advanced microbial process optimization, H2 addition for CO2 fixation, and innovative feeding strategies, HYCO will double hydrolysis rates, improving sludge treatment efficiency by over 50%. This will significantly reduce sludge disposal costs and enhance renewable methane production.
This project builds on my PhD and postdoctoral work at TU Delft, where I deployed cutting-edge metagenomic techniques and innovative feeding strategies to boost microbial activity and eliminate harmful pretreatment processes. At KU Leuven, I will collaborate with Prof. L. Appels, who specializes in optimizing AD treatment processes and developing AD reactors. Her expertise, combined with two secondments at Aalborg University and INRAE and two industrial stays at Aquafin and Waterleau, will further drive interdisciplinary advancements in microbiology, process engineering, and AI modeling.
HYCO will deliver a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution for sludge management, contributing to the circular economy and the EUs energy transition goals. By reducing waste, increasing methane yields, and improving reactor performance, HYCO aligns with sustainability objectives, offering a scalable approach for WWTPs across Europe. The project's impact extends beyond technological innovation, supporting local energy grids, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting sustainable urban waste management.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compounds
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
3000 Leuven
Belgium