The INCOVER project is led by AIMEN and will develop innovative and sustainable technologies for a resource recovery-based treatment of wastewater, using smart operation monitoring and control methodologies.

Three added-value plants treating wastewater from municipalities, farms and food and beverage industries at three demonstration sites will be implemented, assessed and optimised concurrently with the aim to achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7 to 8.

The plants will generate benefits from wastewater through the following three solutions:

1) Bio-production (bio-plastics and organic acids) via microalgae/bacteria and yeast biotechnology;

2) Near-zero-energy plant providing upgraded bio-methane via pre-treatment and anaerobic co-digestion systems;

3) Chemical recovery (N, P) and reclaimed water via adsorption, biotechnology based on wetlands systems and hydrothermal carbonisation.

To improve added-value production efficiency, the INCOVER solutions will include monitoring and control via optical sensing and soft-sensors approach.

The combination of all INCOVER technologies offers alternative solutions to conventional wastewater treatment. A wastewater specific Decision Support System methodology will be tailored to the INCOVER technologies and will provide data and selection criteria for a holistic wastewater management.