Objective
Most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release significant amounts of heavy metals and nutrients into aquatic ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and increasing the cost of reusing effluent water. Other waste products, like sewage sludge (SS), are still largely incinerated or disposed of in landfills, generating CO2 emissions and risking heavy metal leaching into water systems. The EU's Directive EU 2024/3019 mandates the phased implementation of tertiary treatments, yet currently only 10-15% of tertiary WWTPs use nature-based approaches. eMINING proposes an innovative nature-based solution that transforms these challenges into an economic opportunity by combining phytoremediation and phytomining for simultaneous WWTP effluent treatment and SS valorisation with the added benefit of recovering responsibly sourced metals for the European industry.
Our solution deploys a plant-based system to remove heavy metals and nutrients from both WWTP effluents and SS repurposed as a metal-enriched growth substrate, whilst recovering metals from harvested plant biomass. Building on our ERC STOIKOS plant composition analysis and preliminary trials with candidate species, we will confirm species performance under WWTP conditions and optimise species combinations for maximum element recovery (i.e. N, P, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Co, Cd, Cr, and Pb).
eMINING's dual environmental-economic benefit represents a paradigm shift in wastewater treatment: a cost-effective nature-based solution that makes regulatory compliance financially attractive, with an added metal recovery revenue stream that conventional systems cannot match. This proof of concept will establish the protocols and economic viability case needed for future industrial adoption. Our innovation will turn WWTPs into providers of responsibly sourced metals whilst protecting aquatic ecosystems, promoting local and circular economies, and transforming the European wastewater treatment services market.
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 biotechnology bioremediation phytoremediation
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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) ERC-2026-POC
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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.
08193 BELLATERRA
Spain
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.