Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HYDROUSA (Demonstration of water loops with innovative regenerative business models for the Mediterranean region)
Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2021-06-30
To overcome these challenges, the 12 million € Horizon2020 project – HYDROUSA aims to provide an innovative, circular water management approach for Mediterranean islands and coastal areas to close the water loops and boost their agricultural and energy profile. HYDROUSA goes beyond the current water management practices by adopting regenerative nature-based and biomimicry solutions, characterized by low energy and carbon footprint to valorise non-conventional water sources and recover valuable products and resources. HYDROUSA implements a combination of traditional and modern techniques to revolutionize the water value chain by closing the interrelated water, food and energy loops to restore, regenerate and optimise the natural and social water cycles. The HYDROUSA concept is materialised in six demonstration sites at full scale in three Mediterranean islands (Lesbos, Mykonos, and Tinos). Furthermore, the transferability of HYDROUSA solutions is assessed in 28 early adopter cases in Mediterranean coastal areas, islands and at water-stressed rural or peri-urban non-Mediterranean areas. The additional services provided with the innovative approaches will lead to a win-win-win situation for the economy, the environment, and the community. Comprehensive business models are being developed to demonstrate the economic viability of the aforementioned technologies and services as well as the resulting economic benefits from the recovered materials and energy. HYDROUSA does not only develop and demonstrate innovative water services, but also revolutionise the water value chains in Mediterranean areas from water use up to sewage treatment and reuse. By these means, it will change the natural and social water cycles by valorising non-conventional water resources, which are currently not being exploited.
All HYDROUSA solutions and services are being evaluated with respect to their technical, economic, environmental and social sustainability within the water-energy-food-employment nexus, capturing the extended supply chains. Process and material/resource mapping of all HYDRO solutions and data collection process has started. The nexus models have been developed for most of the HYDRO systems, as well as the cost and revenue models. A holistic circularity assessment framework has been developed (i.e. Multi-Sectoral Circularity Assessment – MSWCA), which assesses circularity and sustainability of the complex water systems. Finally, marketing and exploitation activities focused on defining the exploitation scenarios along the 6 HYDRO demonstrators. So far, the development of 6 integrated 3-layer business models (canvas) was finalised. Moreover, a first version of the market size was carried out. Following the successful community and stakeholder engagement activities which took place during the first reporting period through workshops, interviews, meetings, surveys and focus group discussions and other co-creation events, important activities also took place during the second reporting period such as additional co-creation workshops, webinars, local visits, etc.
So far, through an extended reporting form tracked every Quarter, HYDROUSA consortium has realised 330 dissemination actions. The estimated number of persons reached, in the context of all dissemination and communication activities is exceeding 600,000.
HYDROUSA will support governments to identify water and water-related small and decentralized services delivering regenerated closed loops. Possible further actions will be directed to creating regulatory and institutional clarity, generating conducive environment for the decentralized service delivery models. A major focus is on rural, water-scarce decentralized areas; HYDROUSA water loops support the European Green Deal without leaving individual houses or small regions behind and ensure a fair and inclusive transition.