Periodic Reporting for period 3 - POSIDON (POlluted SIte DecontaminatiON - PCP)
Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-10-31
Member states are making effort to establish national decontamination/remediation strategies which are generally very costly. The POSIDON PCP aimed to address the lack of innovation driven public demand in the soil decontamination sector in Europe.
POSIDON PCP project gathered 5 European procurers, two front-runners: Port Network Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Of Trieste (IT) and Bilbao City Council (ES) and three observers: Spaque (BE), CEA - Vitoria Gasteiz City Council (ES), Baja do Tejo (PT), all facing a common soil decontamination challenge in their managing sites and all leveraging public demand to identify fit for purpose and cost - effective innovative and sustainable soil decontamination solutions.
The common challenge faced by the POSIDON buyers’ group was identifying a soil (both unsaturated and saturated, and potentially groundwater) remediation new, cost-effective technology, preferred as in-situ (and potentially on-site), to be capable of decontaminating both organic and inorganic contaminants in heterogeneous anthropic soils in brownfield, composed by a mixture of industrial wastes (like filling soils, construction & demolition wastes, slags, and ashes polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons and lead) and soils consisting of clays and sands, mainly polluted by heavy fractions of petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs and heavy metals.
The POSIDON PCP procured applied research and technological development to identify innovative, in situ, cost-effective soil remediation technologies, capable of decontaminating heterogeneous anthropic soils in brownfields, composed of a mixture of various industrial wastes and soils consisting of clay and sand highly polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), PAHs and heavy metals (specifically Arsenic and Lead).
POSIDON intended also to create a critical mass through the consolidation of a pan-European network of procurers who, sharing their needs and efforts, can enable the development (through PCP) and subsequent deployment (through a Public Procurement of Innovation - PPI) of novel technologies aimed to cover bigger market challenges in areas of common European interest. So POSIDON worked for inclusion, to prepare for the future cross-joint border PPI for soil decontamination of European brownfields.
See POSIDON PCP final results brochure (https://www.posidonproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/POSIDON-PCP-FINAL-RESULTS1.pdf)
POSIDON PCP project gathered 5 European procurers, two front-runners: Port Network Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Of Trieste (IT) and Bilbao City Council (ES) and three observers: Spaque (BE), CEA - Vitoria Gasteiz City Council (ES), Baja do Tejo (PT), all facing a common soil decontamination challenge in their managing sites and all leveraging public demand to identify fit for purpose and cost - effective innovative and sustainable soil decontamination solutions.
The common challenge faced by the POSIDON buyers’ group was identifying a soil (both unsaturated and saturated, and potentially groundwater) remediation new, cost-effective technology, preferred as in-situ (and potentially on-site), to be capable of decontaminating both organic and inorganic contaminants in heterogeneous anthropic soils in brownfield, composed by a mixture of industrial wastes (like filling soils, construction & demolition wastes, slags, and ashes polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons and lead) and soils consisting of clays and sands, mainly polluted by heavy fractions of petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs and heavy metals.
The POSIDON PCP procured applied research and technological development to identify innovative, in situ, cost-effective soil remediation technologies, capable of decontaminating heterogeneous anthropic soils in brownfields, composed of a mixture of various industrial wastes and soils consisting of clay and sand highly polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), PAHs and heavy metals (specifically Arsenic and Lead).
POSIDON intended also to create a critical mass through the consolidation of a pan-European network of procurers who, sharing their needs and efforts, can enable the development (through PCP) and subsequent deployment (through a Public Procurement of Innovation - PPI) of novel technologies aimed to cover bigger market challenges in areas of common European interest. So POSIDON worked for inclusion, to prepare for the future cross-joint border PPI for soil decontamination of European brownfields.
See POSIDON PCP final results brochure (https://www.posidonproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/POSIDON-PCP-FINAL-RESULTS1.pdf)
POSIDON launched in 2019 its PCP Call for Tender, a pre commercial public procurement that is a competitive multiple-sourcing procedure, for procuring applied research and technological development services for soil decontaminations solutions. This PCP involved different suppliers competing in parallel through different phases of development:
• solution design (phase 1)
• prototype development and lab validation (phase 2)
• original development of (at least) 2 prototypes (per each bidder) to be field-tested in 2 diverse sites (Trieste and Bilbao), with different urbanistic provisions that foresee future land uses (phase 3).
Evaluations after each phase progressively identified the solutions that offered the best value for money and met the customers’ needs. This phased approach allowed successful contractors to improve their offers for the next phase based on lessons learnt and feedback from procurers in the previous phase. Using a phased approach with gradually growing contract sizes per phase also made it easier for smaller companies to participate in the PCP and enables SMEs to grow their business step-by-step with each phase.
POSIDON PCP involved 13 different suppliers (organized in Consortia of enterprises and research centers) competing in parallel through different phases of development: 6 awardees were engaged in the solution design, 4 in the prototype development, and 2 in the original development of 2 prototypes field-tested in 2 diverse sites in Trieste (Italy) and in Bilbao (Spain).
The finalist solutions were SOIL-OMIC® process with BIOflushing® technology from TESECO Consortium and ERASE (ElectRode-Aided Soil rEmediation) from HPC Italia Consortium, promoted and presented at European level to different stakeholders, governments, soil owners and managers.
Soil-Omic® is a process based on the application of advanced sequencing tools, metagenome analysis of environmental matrices and chemometric analysis, for the definition of site-specific protocols and formulations for the degradation of organic contaminants and the removal of inorganic contaminants. The solution operates with BIOflushing®, an in situ biological remediation technology that uses original plants and specialized hydraulic systems for biostimulation, bioaugmentation and chemical flushing of saturated and unsaturated soil. The achieved TRL is 8, and the innovation is in the commercialization stage, with end of 2023 as time to market.
ERASE is an electrode-based remediation approach to integrate physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms for the clean-up of contaminated sites. The solution is a total in situ approach thought to address complex polluted environments, different soil textures and various organic and inorganic pollutants at the same time. According to the design and operative conditions, it is possible to trigger different phenomena and removal mechanisms and to establish the optimal conditions for the treatment of the contaminants of concern at the polluted site dealing with. The modularity of the technology allows operation on contaminated sources of different extensions and depths. As with any totally in situ approach, no significant excavation/ disposal of soil is required. Furthermore, the estimated limited requirements of materials and equipment, in comparison to other established technologies, make this solution an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective approach. The achieved TRL is 7, and the innovation is in still under development, with a time to market expected within 2026.
• solution design (phase 1)
• prototype development and lab validation (phase 2)
• original development of (at least) 2 prototypes (per each bidder) to be field-tested in 2 diverse sites (Trieste and Bilbao), with different urbanistic provisions that foresee future land uses (phase 3).
Evaluations after each phase progressively identified the solutions that offered the best value for money and met the customers’ needs. This phased approach allowed successful contractors to improve their offers for the next phase based on lessons learnt and feedback from procurers in the previous phase. Using a phased approach with gradually growing contract sizes per phase also made it easier for smaller companies to participate in the PCP and enables SMEs to grow their business step-by-step with each phase.
POSIDON PCP involved 13 different suppliers (organized in Consortia of enterprises and research centers) competing in parallel through different phases of development: 6 awardees were engaged in the solution design, 4 in the prototype development, and 2 in the original development of 2 prototypes field-tested in 2 diverse sites in Trieste (Italy) and in Bilbao (Spain).
The finalist solutions were SOIL-OMIC® process with BIOflushing® technology from TESECO Consortium and ERASE (ElectRode-Aided Soil rEmediation) from HPC Italia Consortium, promoted and presented at European level to different stakeholders, governments, soil owners and managers.
Soil-Omic® is a process based on the application of advanced sequencing tools, metagenome analysis of environmental matrices and chemometric analysis, for the definition of site-specific protocols and formulations for the degradation of organic contaminants and the removal of inorganic contaminants. The solution operates with BIOflushing®, an in situ biological remediation technology that uses original plants and specialized hydraulic systems for biostimulation, bioaugmentation and chemical flushing of saturated and unsaturated soil. The achieved TRL is 8, and the innovation is in the commercialization stage, with end of 2023 as time to market.
ERASE is an electrode-based remediation approach to integrate physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms for the clean-up of contaminated sites. The solution is a total in situ approach thought to address complex polluted environments, different soil textures and various organic and inorganic pollutants at the same time. According to the design and operative conditions, it is possible to trigger different phenomena and removal mechanisms and to establish the optimal conditions for the treatment of the contaminants of concern at the polluted site dealing with. The modularity of the technology allows operation on contaminated sources of different extensions and depths. As with any totally in situ approach, no significant excavation/ disposal of soil is required. Furthermore, the estimated limited requirements of materials and equipment, in comparison to other established technologies, make this solution an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective approach. The achieved TRL is 7, and the innovation is in still under development, with a time to market expected within 2026.
POSIDON’s procurers with the PCP aimed at achieving ambitious improvements in terms of quality and effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of new technologies, creating new competitive markets.
The main relevant outcome and objectives analyzed to demonstrate how effectively new solutions achieved the POSIDON challenge were decontamination cost (euros/ton), time to clean up (months or year) and sustainability.
The environmental remediation technologies industry and its corresponding market is a function of a complex landscape of actors, legislation, macroeconomic factors, public policy groups and others. At a global level, the total market for remediation technologies is expected to grow at a modest but healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9% from 2021 through 2027. With this growth rate, the total market should expand from nearly € 26 billion in 2017 to € 42 billion in 2027.
Multiple sourcing and the separation between the development and large-scale deployment, was beneficial to develop a more competitive market, enhancing the incentive to strive to improve performance.
Virtuous process of co-evolution of demand and supply shortened the time-to-market for the suppliers that can better anticipate demand for new solutions.
Leaving IPR ownership with companies encouraged them to pursue wider commercialization, which in turn offers extra contractual incentives to undertake additional R&D effort.
The main relevant outcome and objectives analyzed to demonstrate how effectively new solutions achieved the POSIDON challenge were decontamination cost (euros/ton), time to clean up (months or year) and sustainability.
The environmental remediation technologies industry and its corresponding market is a function of a complex landscape of actors, legislation, macroeconomic factors, public policy groups and others. At a global level, the total market for remediation technologies is expected to grow at a modest but healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9% from 2021 through 2027. With this growth rate, the total market should expand from nearly € 26 billion in 2017 to € 42 billion in 2027.
Multiple sourcing and the separation between the development and large-scale deployment, was beneficial to develop a more competitive market, enhancing the incentive to strive to improve performance.
Virtuous process of co-evolution of demand and supply shortened the time-to-market for the suppliers that can better anticipate demand for new solutions.
Leaving IPR ownership with companies encouraged them to pursue wider commercialization, which in turn offers extra contractual incentives to undertake additional R&D effort.