Objective
REGENIOUS will revolutionise the regeneration of spent granular activated carbon (GAC), a key material in industrial and municipal water treatment, by replacing fossil fuel-based thermal processes with a novel electrochemical regeneration (ER) technology. Thermal regeneration currently dominates the market but is highly energy-intensive, generates significant GHG emissions, and shortens the carbon’s usable life. As a first-of-a-kind solution, REGENIOUS will develop a portable and modular ER plant capable of operating directly at end-user facilities, enabling in-situ regeneration of GAC with drastically reduced energy demand, costs, and environmental impacts, while avoiding transport and landfill. At lab scale, new electrode formulations and regeneration protocols will be optimised for durability, efficiency, and pollutant removal. These advances will be scaled up through intermediate prototypes and a redesigned full-scale portable unit, integrating renewable electricity (organic photovoltaics), electrolyte management (selective electrodialysis), and advanced digital controls for safe, automated operation. Demonstration campaigns will be conducted at major Drinking Water (Spain) and Wastewater Treatment Plants (Cyprus), validating performance under real conditions, with replication activities in Portugal and Germany. Beyond technology, REGENIOUS will deliver predictive tools for GAC lifetime, new indicators for ER performance, and proof-of-concept second-life applications for exhausted activated carbons (EAC) in construction and agriculture. Sustainability assessments, business models, and exploitation strategies will ensure market uptake and replication across sectors such as food, chemical, and textile industries. By reducing GHG emissions compared to thermal regeneration, REGENIOUS supports the EU Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the Processes4Planet partnership, paving the way for a climate-neutral, circular, and competitive European industry.
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. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering water treatment processes wastewater treatment processes
- engineering and technology chemical engineering separation technologies desalination electrodialysis
- social sciences economics and business business and management business models
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy photovoltaic
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
HORIZON.2.4.9 - Low-Carbon and Clean Industries
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2025-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
31100 PUENTE LA REINA
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.