WACOSYS is an Cooperative Research Project (CRAFT) with a duration of two years and co-funded by the European Commission. The aim of the project is to develop, test and optimise a monitoring and control system for wastewater irrigation of Short Rotation Plantations (SRPs). In SRPs, fast growing tree species act as a bio filter for water pollutants and produce high amounts of biomass in short time periods due to permanent fertilisation. The biomass can be used for renewable energy production. The WACOSYS project will test the performance efficiency of the WACOSYS system for it’s practical and commercial application within existing Short Rotation Plantations working with different clones from willows and poplars under different climatic conditions (Estonia and Spain). The WACOSYS-system guarantees SRP-operators a safe and more efficient production in their plantations. It consists of a combined sensor-detector-dosage system which includes a monitoring, control and distribution unit which enables the dosing and distribution of the wastewater in accordance to the plantations demand for optimum plant growth and maximum uptake rates while observing critical loads in the effluent to avoid environmental pollution. That will strengthen the competitiveness of SRP produced biomass against other fuels and combustibles and will ensure the compliance with European and national environmental legislation.

Duration: 2004-2006

Budget: 931.000 €

Participants:

• HYDRO-AIR GMBH (Germany) - Coordinator
• BIOAZUL S.L. (Spain)
• STAB TRATAMENTO DE ÁGUAS E BIOTECNOLOGIA LDA (Portugal)
• MUNITSIPAALASUTUS KARJÄÄR (Estonia)
• ANTONIO RAMOS FERNANDEZ (Spain)
• PROFACTUS RECYCLING & HEATING BV (The Netherlands)
• ESTONIAN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (Estonia)
• WARSAW AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (Poland)
• TECHNOLOGIE TRANSFER ZENTRUM BREMERHAVEN E.V. (Germany)

Industrial main objectives of the WACOSYS project:

• to develop, test and optimise an innovative and economic monitoring and control system for irrigation and fertilisation of biomass producing Short-Rotation-Plantations with wastewater,
• to guarantee high efficient, low-cost and sustainable production of combustible biomass products (e.g. wood pellets),
• to reduce wastewater treatment costs for small communities up to 80%.

 

Environmental objectives of the WACOSYS project:

• to generate a local, renewable and CO2 neutral source of energy (Kyoto protocol),
• to avoid pollution of surface water and groundwater resources,
• to improve the quality of surface waters in areas where a high percentage of the population currently has no connection to wastewater treatment facilities (especially in Eastern Europe),
• to save scarce water resources by enabling the re-use of wastewater for agricultural irrigation,
• to develop a system which is closing the nutrient loop on local level, by producing biomass for certain purposes with economic value.

 

Social objectives of the WACOSYS project:

• to strengthen rural areas (create employment, local products, push local economy),
• to promote the creation of new employments in the European renewable energy sector,
• to open up new markets for renewable energy consumption.

 

Background:
A main objective of the European Commissions energy policy is to raise the amount of renewable energies from currently about 6% up to 12% from total energy generation until 2010. Therefore a huge potential is seen in the application of biomass, which is competitive, storable, CO2-neutral and in connection with wastewater an extreme low-cost fuel for heat and power generation.
The current main biomass sources like forest-wood, recycle-wood and bio gas can not meet the future demand for heat and power generation in Europe. Therefore, it is necessary to develop high efficient and low-cost biomass production systems. Wastewater irrigated Short Rotation Plantations (SRP) can contribute to meet these requirements because they use the advantages of communal wastewater as a source for cheap fertilisation and irrigation for the cultivation of fast growing combustible energy crops (e.g. willows, poplars). Due to this procedure these SRP’s also can contribute to a low-cost and environmentally safe biological wastewater treatment for about 25.000 small communities in Europe (135 million citizen) which are not yet connected to central wastewater treatment systems but soon have to fulfil new EU environmental legislation.

Further information can be found on the project website www.wacosys.info.