Innovation Projects

Innovation Projects

The department, in conjunction with the group’s business areas, is rolling out two projects linked to research in the area of urban wastewater.

Drastic

Drastic is a pioneering collaboration to transform the European built environment via a collection of circular, low carbon, affordable and innovative “Demonstrators”, located in key cities across Europe.

Drastic is a pioneering collaboration to transform the European built environment via a collection of circular, low carbon, affordable and innovative “Demonstrators”, located in key cities across Europe.

As a Horizon Europe project, co-funded by the European Union (EU) via the Built4People partnership, Drastic plans to address the untapped potential for decarbonisation and significant transformation within the European built environment via the reduction of whole life cycle carbon.
Drastic stands for Demonstrating Real and Affordable Sustainable Building Solutions with Top-level whole life cycle performance and Improved Circularity.

Through five ‘Demonstrator’ pilot projects, 23 partners across eight European countries, Drastic is a four-year project which aims to showcase varied and innovative solutions to reduce whole life carbon and the climate impact of construction across the entire construction value chain in Europe, whilst increasing and improving circularity within the built environment.

The Drastic Demonstrators will target different layers of buildings, to achieve reduction of operational and embodied carbon emissions and foster material reclamation and reuse. Drastic will show how these solutions, combined with improved business models, can lead the way towards a whole life cycle decarbonisation of the European Union (EU) building stock by 2050.

Sorigué will act as the construction company for the demonstrative project in Spain. We will use recovered metal components from a building that is being demolished. Additionally, the slab will be made with concrete that incorporates an alternative to conventional cement, developed from waste materials from the steel industry.
 

Despoliplast

El proyecto Despoliplast es un proyecto de I+D que busca dar una solución alternativa a todos aquellos residuos plásticos que no se pueden reciclar ya sea por composición, forma, etc y que actualmente van a vertedero.

The Despoliplast project is an R&D project that seeks to provide an alternative solution to all those plastic wastes that cannot be recycled due to their composition, shape, etc. and that currently go to landfill. 
The project is mainly based on the following premises: 

- Currently, there are five main causes of environmental problems. Plastic pollution has recently been included in this list. 
- With the entry into force of the new Law on Waste and Contaminated Land, no more than 50% of plastic waste can be sent to landfill. 
- The TRAN Committee of the European Parliament has confirmed that recycled carbon fuels will help in the decarbonisation of transport by 2050 (the year for zero emissions). 

Considering this, the Despoliplast project proposes the development of a catalytic depolymerisation technology for the transformation of plastics to recycled carbon fuel and hydrogen. 

The project has a duration of two years, starting in 2023 and ending in December 2024. In the first year, the characterisation of the waste to be analysed and the design and construction of the technology on a pilot scale will be carried out. In the second year, the pilot will be operated and its operation will be optimised. Likewise, during both years, the feasibility of obtaining hydrogen from the fuels obtained in the catalytic depolymerisation process by means of a steam reforming process will be evaluated at laboratory scale.

Sorigué coordinates the project in which the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, also participates as a partner. URV provides all its knowledge and experience in the catalytic depolymerisation process, while Sorigué will design, build and operate the pilot plant. 

This project is financed by the 'Núcleos de I+D" grant line for climate change projects of ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The total project budget is €233,318.60.

 

RECONSTRUCT

Reconstruct aims to achieve circularity in the European construction sector to reduce the industry’s strong environmental impact.
To lower the use of primary non-renewable raw materials, the project will develop low-carbon alternatives to cement and steel; manufacture construction components that use recycled materials and are designed for modularity and embed deconstruction in building design.

Reconstruct aims to achieve circularity in the European construction sector to reduce the industry’s strong environmental impact.
To lower the use of primary non-renewable raw materials, the project will develop low-carbon alternatives to cement and steel; manufacture construction components that use recycled materials and are designed for modularity and embed deconstruction in building design.

Globally, the Construction industry is responsible for over 30% of the extraction of natural resources, 25% of solid waste generated and 40% of GHG emissions, a third of which come from embodied carbon in materials. Cement and Steel are responsible for most of the embodied GHGs, representing >80% of the total.

Although more than 70% of construction waste is recovered, a very small fraction is recycled back into buildings. With an ever expanding and ageing building stock, the European construction sector needs to redirect demolition and other industrial waste into the manufacturing of new building materials and components.

The focus must be on replacing cement and steel with low-carbon alternatives and/or embedding them in reusable construction components.

RECONSTRUCT will exploit these opportunities by developing waste-based (very) low-carbon alternatives to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and using them together with recycled and bio-based materials to produce in-situ components, precast components and sandwich panels designed to be removable, repairable, and reusable.

The whole lifecycle of construction materials will be digitized, allowing the simulation of a building's environmental performance, allowing impact and waste minimization.

These innovations will be applied to both on-site and prefabricated construction approaches, while AI-based solutions will be used to establish stable regional supply chains of waste materials.

RECONSTRUCT will demonstrate its approach through the construction of two real-scale demonstrators, and set up regional Circular Construction Clusters incorporating all the local value chain.

Sorigue is participating in the training of AI to automatically see and register material flows and, in the fabrication of precast concrete elements that will be installed at a demo site near Barcelona. These components will contain an alternative to OPC and incorporate recycled material.

The project consortium is made up of 16 members from 5 European countries and coordinated by the Catalan Institute of Construction Technology (iTeC).
 

VAL2H2

The VAL2H2 project, coordinated by Sorigué, will represent important technological advances in the whole hydrogen value chain: it will study renewable H2 production from bio residues, its purification, storage and use in fuel cells. The project is funded by the European Commission through the Next Generation Funds. At national level, the funds have been received through the Recovery and Resilience mechanism of the Ministry of Ecological Transformation and Demographic Challenge. 

The VAL2H2 project, coordinated by Sorigué, will represent important technological advances in the whole hydrogen value chain: it will study renewable H2 production from bio residues, its purification, storage, and use in fuel cells. 
The project is funded by the European Commission through the Next Generation Funds. At national level, the funds have been received through the Recovery and Resilience mechanism of the Ministry of Ecological Transformation and Demographic Challenge.

The project started in January 2023, and it has a duration of two years, during which novel technologies will be demonstrated at pilot scale level, lab-scale experiments and software simulations. One of the strengths of the project is its collaborative nature, as it is carried out in consortium within six entities: Sorigué (coordinator), Indox Energy Systems, IREC (Catalan Institute of Energy Research), CIEMAT, EURECAT y URV (Universitat de Rovira i Virgili).

The objective of the VAL2H2 project is the development of technologies that allow transformation of waste into renewable H2, as well as its purification, storage, and use in the form of fuel cells. In a decentralized approach, the waste will produce H2 that can be used as fuel in waste transport vehicles with a local and circular use. The VAL2H2 project will develop technological routes that will allow waste valorization in the form of renewable H2. To this end, there will be two innovative H2 production pilots that will study innovative pre-treatments combined with gasification and alcoholic fermentation technologies followed by low-temperature catalytic reforming. Likewise, purification, storage, and use of H2 studies will be carried out. For the enrichment and simultaneous separation of H2, highly compact systems based on the combination of catalysts, adsorbents, and membranes will be studied. In the case of storage, simulations will be carried out with specialized software, as well as experimental studies with a prototype to evaluate H2 storage under different pressure and temperature conditions. Finally, new methodologies for the analysis of exhaust gases and the quality of H2 produced will be studied, and studies will be carried out with fuel cells as a specific case of conversion of H2 into electricity for use in waste treatment plants.

Atmosphair

Atmosphair is a collaborative innovation project with the aim of, first, investigate the generation and emission of both odorous and greenhouse gases in wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems. The project will study, and design digital tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) in order to predict the production of those gases, which cause health and environmental problems, and be able to minimize the production of them using control strategies based on the outputs of the AI systems developed along the project. 

Atmosphair is a collaborative innovation project with the aim of, first, investigate the generation and emission of both odorous and greenhouse gases in wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems. The project will study, and design digital tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) in order to predict the production of those gases, which cause health and environmental problems, and be able to minimize the production of them using control strategies based on the outputs of the AI systems developed along the project. 

The project started in August 2022, and it will have three phases of 9 months per phase. The first phase will take place in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Torredembarra (Tarragona, Spain), which is operated by ACSA (Sorigué Group) and DAM. Three SME (small and medium enterprises) participate also in the project (AERIS, BGEO and SPIN), together with the coordinator of the project, which is the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP). 

The role of Sorigué in the project is focused on the monitoring and control of greenhouse gases emission (in concrete N2O and CH4) in WWTP, which is in line with the interest of Sorigué for increasing the sustainability of its processes and take steps towards the decarbonization of Sorigué’s business. 

Atmosphair has received funding from the Next Generation Funds within a programme which supports the AEI (Innovative Company Clusters) (PRTR en el desarrollo de actuaciones necesarias para la consecución de los objetivos definidos en el Componente 13 "Impulso a la PYME").

REGENERA

The objective of REGENERA project, financed with funds from the Next Generation EU recovery plan for Europe, is to investigate hybrid storage technologies for renewable energy surpluses through their use in existing industrial processes to produce renewable fuels. In this way, these industries would become delocalized points of management of such surpluses and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. 

On the one hand, Power To Gas (P2G) technologies will be investigated to enable the valorization of industrial waste and the production of renewable fuels (H2 and CH4) through the stationary storage of surplus renewable energy. 
On the other hand, an energy optimization process will be investigated to work in periods of renewable energy surplus or low electricity prices. 
 
Finally, predictive machine learning models for energy optimization will be developed for the operation of P2G technologies and the logistics of renewable fuels produced. These predictive models will be integrated into an intelligent process simulation system that will allow simulating different scenarios to finally select the best management models, which will allow: 
  1. To reduce the cost of storing surplus renewable energy by 33%.
  2. To reduce the cost of renewable fuel production (H2 and CH4) by 35%.
  3. To promote the decarbonization of industries by 25%, resulting in an increase in the competitiveness of the industrial fabric.
More specifically, Sorigué will lead the work package dedicated to the production of hythane, a renewable fuel composed of H2 and CH4. This fuel will be obtained with a bioelectrochemical reactor for obtaining biohydrogen from CO2 and urban wastewater, which will be coupled to an adsorption tower (scrubber) for biogas upgrading, thus producing hythane globally. This system will be built in a first phase at a lab-scale and will later be scaled up to a pilot plant to be installed at the WWTP of La Llagosta. 
 
REGENERA project will be supported by IMDEA Agua (Madrid Water Institute) and LEITAT as experts in the field of bioelectrochemistry.
 
The project has a duration of 40 months, having started in September 2021, and is part of the National R&D&I Program 'Misiones Ciencia e Innovación' of the Centro Tecnológico de Desarrollo Industrial (CDTI). 
Soritex

Textile waste has become a global problem. The consumption of clothing has grown at an accelerated rate and its useful life is becoming shorter and shorter (in fifteen years it has been reduced by about 20%). SORITEX proposes to change this situation through an ambitious and innovative project that uses a disruptive chemical process technology for the recycling of post-consumer textile waste. In this project, textile waste will be transformed into raw materials for the textile industry, which in turn generates circularity and reduces the environmental impact of its activities. 

The fashion industry is one of the industries with the greatest international reach. Garments and textiles account for 5% of world trade in manufactured goods, making it the fourth most representative industry.
This process of expansion of the industry and its large volumes traded, combined with the industry's need to innovate and present the latest fashion trends, has led to the consolidation of the concept of "fast fashion" (buy more, wear less; cheap and mass-produced throwaway clothes). In contrast, reuse and recycling have not increased at the same pace, largely because textile products are often not designed for this purpose.
 
Sortitex proposes to change this situation through an ambitious and innovative project that uses a disruptive chemical process technology for the recycling of post-consumer textile waste. In this project, textile waste will be transformed into raw materials for the textile industry, which in turn generates circularity and reduces the environmental impact of its activities. Under the project, chemical recycling processes for textile waste will be developed. This will make it possible to:
  • Establish the treatment route for textile waste of cotton and polyester nature of post-consumer origin as a viable alternative to management via destruction or landfill, reaching 95% valorization of textile waste. 
The Soritex project, developed by Sorigué, has a duration of 3 years and has the support of the Textile Industry Research Association - AITEX as a technical expert in the textile sector.
 

This project is financed by the "Núcleos de I+D" line of aid for circular economy projects of ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC). The grant awarded is €150,000.

Biodaph2O

LIFE BIODAPH2O is a demonstration project which main objective is the scaling-up and implementation of an ecoefficient nature-based tertiary wastewater treatment (BIODAPH) at two demo sites located in water-stressed regions of the Mediterranean area located in Spain and Greece. 

BIODAPH2O is a LIFE project which started in August 2022 and it is funded by the LIFE programme, the funding instrument of the European Commission dedicated to environmental protection and climate action. The project is coordinated by the University of Girona and the rest of participants are ACSA (Sorigué Group), the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP), CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Fundació Universitaria Balmes (UVIC-UCC), Minavra Techniki y NTUA (National Technical University of Athens. 

LIFE BIODAPH2O is a demonstration project which main objective is the scaling-up and implementation of an ecoefficient nature-based tertiary wastewater treatment (BIODAPH) at two demo sites located in water-stressed regions of the Mediterranean area located in Spain and Greece. This system will produce reclaimed water that will contribute to diminish discharges of pollutants in freshwater ecosystems and to promote agricultural reuse. The BIODAPH system, previously developed in the Innoqua project (GA 689817), is based on the depuration capacity of biological organisms: water fleas (Daphnia), microalgae and biofilms of removing pollutants (nutrients, organic carbon, suspended solids, pathogens, heavy metals, emerging and priority pollutants, and micro plastics). This compact and low-energy consumption system has a low sludge production and do not require chemicals for its operation.The implementation of this system at Quart WWTP (Girona, Spain), will reduce the impact of secondary wastewater discharges in the River Onyar while improving the chemical and ecological quality of aquatic ecosystems of the Region.  In the case of Greece, the BIODAPH system will be implemented adjacent to the Antissa WWTP in Lesvos, which features modular units of the up flow anaerobic sludge blanket digestion, constructed wetlands, and an UV unit. These modular treatments will allow BIODAPH system to be tested in different configurations to obtain reclaimed water in accordance to EU Regulation 2020/741, which set the minimum standards for water for agriculture, in order to irrigate 7,000 m2 of nearby agricultural land. 

The technical and economic feasibility of the technology will be evaluated and the results of BIODAPH2O project will be widely disseminated in different media. Finally, the BIODAPH technology will be validated by an ETV verification body looking forward to its wide replication and exploitation. 

Reference: LIFE21-ENV-ES-BIODAPH2O/101074191
Acronym: LIFE21-ENV-ES-BIODAPH2O
Project coordinator: Victoria Salvadó (UdG)
Start Date: 01/08/2022
End Date: 31/01/2026
Total Eligible Budget: 2.128.772 €
EU Contribution: 1.277.263 €

 

Water Mining

The Project has the objective of promoting the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Circular Economy Package of the EU showing and validating innovative solutions for water management at large scale, combined with the recovery of high-value resources from alternative water sources. The project is formed by 38 public and private partners from 12 countries which will perform different demonstrations at 4 sites in Spain, Cyprus, Portugal and Italy.

Sorigué is participating in the implementation of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) combined with a partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) system in the mainstream of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of la Llagosta (Spain), which is being operated by Sorigué. This AnMBR-PN/A system will allow the recovery of nutrients and energy from the water. Moreover, the water coming from the developed technology will have of high quality for reuse in the industry or agriculture.

Sorigué is working in a case study in the WWTP of la Llagosta, where a pilot plant is being constructed. The plant has a fit-per-purpose, flexible design, which means that it can be operated in a different way depending on the final use of the water, which can be agricultural, industrial or urban. The tertiary treatment has a final process for phosphorous recovery in form of vivianite, a phosphorous salt with magnetic properties which can be recovered with the help of magnets. Lastly, in a final step the water will pass through recycled reverse osmosis membranes. The plant designed has taken into account the perspectives of all groups of interest (farmers associations, local and regional water authorities, etc.). With this groups of stakeholders, periodic meetings are taking place in order to gather their opinions and apply the principles of ecodesign and value sensitive design to the final technology.

  • Partners: 38
  • Coordination: TU Delft (Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht)
  • Duration: September 2020-August 2024
  • Funding: Proyecto HORIZON2020, call SC5-04-2019 Building a water-smart economy and society.
  • SDG: 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 17

For more information: https://watermining.eu/

 

Lloval

This project studies and evaluates the recovery of sludge produced at drinking water treatment plants by using it as a substitute for raw materials in the industrial sector. Its aim is to incorporate the sludge into the production chain, giving it a high added value for a wide range of applications.

This project studies and evaluates the recovery of sludge produced at drinking water treatment plants by using it as a substitute for raw materials in the industrial sector. Its aim is to incorporate the sludge into the production chain, giving it a high added value for a wide range of applications.

A study is being carried out to characterise the purification sludge and evaluate the different possibilities for use in the construction and cement industries. It is hoped that the material can be used as a partial replacement for some raw materials, which would help to reduce the carbon footprint and to reduce energy and natural resource consumption, as well as increase the service life of quarries.

Its application in the production of zeolitic materials (microporous aluminosilicate mineral) by thermal activation treatment is also being evaluated. The most promising technological solution will be complemented by a technical, economic and environmental feasibility analysis to ensure its industrial application.

This research seeks new opportunities for recovery in line with the principle of the waste treatment hierarchy established in the European Union in Directive 2008/98/EC, which will lead to a series of environmental benefits derived from the use of materials that are primarily destined for landfill or use as land conditioning.

The Lloval project has been developed by Nordvert, the Sorigué company specialising in waste management, with the support of the group's innovation department. It applied to the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC) 2019 call for projects promoting the circular economy and was awarded the maximum grant requested by the ARC, as well as being supported by the Government of Catalonia’s Agency for Business Competitiveness, ACCIÓ.

Desorech

Desorech is a research and development project that aims to improve the quality of recycled plastic for reuse. From 2021 and for the next three years, work will be carried out to evaluate a technology to deodorise recycled plastic packaging to produce a clean, odour-free material that can be used in industry.

Desorech is a research and development project that aims to improve the quality of recycled plastic for reuse. From 2021 and for the next three years, work will be carried out to evaluate a technology to deodorise recycled plastic packaging to produce a clean, odour-free material that can be used in industry.

The technology will remove odours from packaging in order to provide a high quality material for reuse in industry from processes with a low environmental impact. Sectors such as cosmetics, hygiene and food will be able to make new use of these resources and respond to the growing market demand for sustainable solutions.

Desorech represents a commitment to the transition between the linear economy, based on the extraction of raw materials from limited resources, and the circular economy, focused on the reuse of recycled products as a source of raw materials and products in a closed cycle.

The Desorech project has been developed by Sorigué and is supported by the Engineering for the Circular Economy (I4EC) research group at the University of Alicante as experts in the decontamination of used plastic materials.

This project is financed by the “Núcleos de I+D” (R&D cores) grants for circular economy projects from the Government of Catalonia’s Agency for Business Competitiveness, ACCIÓ, and the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC). The project received a grant of €150,000.

Water Harmony

The Water Harmony project is a collaborative project aiming to close the water cycle gap by harmonising global best practices, implementing smart and healthy water management concepts that address emerging challenges and mobilise stakeholders.

The Water Harmony project is a collaborative project aiming to close the water cycle gap by harmonising global best practices, implementing smart and healthy water management concepts that address emerging challenges and mobilise stakeholders.

Within the framework of this project, Sorigué and Leitat are researching nanofibre synthesis using the "electrospinning" technique with the aim of retaining and eliminating different types of pollutants from wastewater (pathogens, heavy metals, microplastics and pharmaceutical products) by means of a highly permeable and therefore energy-efficient system. The selectivity of the technology will make it possible to obtain different effluent qualities focused on the reuse of water for agricultural and domestic use.

In the course of this research, a water quality characterisation study has also been carried out with respect to microplastics at different stages of treatment. This study, carried out jointly with the TecnATox group at Rovira i Virgili University, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different water treatments in eliminating microplastics.

The research is part of an international WaterWorks 2017 ERA-NET Co-fund project comprising 12 European partners, as well as Chinese, American, Australian and Singaporean partners, all led by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in a project worth approximately €2 million. Specifically, Sorigué has CDTI funding with a budget of €423,857 and a grant of €169,542.

Low-E

The overall objective of the Low-E project is to address water scarcity through developing a new energy-efficient desalination system to treat water with different salinities, recovering 100% of the water and achieving the desired zero liquid discharge target.

The overall objective of the Low-E project is to address water scarcity through developing a new energy-efficient desalination system to treat water with different salinities, recovering 100% of the water and achieving the desired zero liquid discharge target.

This research aims to develop a system based on capacitive deionisation technology (CDI) to desalinate seawater. The technology minimises energy consumption and is a more competitive alternative to reverse osmosis, the most widely used system at present. Our German partners are also working on post-treatment technology for the brine generated by CDI technology, involving a solar-powered thermal technology.

The Low-E project is being developed by Sorigué's innovation department and is supported by the Tecnalia research centre.

This research is part of an international project from the call entitled “Nuclis de recerca industrial i desenvolupament experimental de component internacional Catalunya-Alemanya” (Industrial research cores and experimental international development between Catalonia and Germany) composed of three partners: the company Tinnit GmbH, the University of Cologne (TH Köln) and Sorigué, the company acting as the project leader. This line of funding is granted by the Government of Catalonia’s agency for business competitiveness, ACCIÓ, with a budget of €360,978.40 and a grant of €144,800.23.

Genius

GENIUS is an R&D&I project that aims to reduce CO₂ emissions through digitalising electric vehicle recharging systems at the CLD facilities in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Through the application of a digital twin system and IoT-based technologies, the cleaning and waste management company Sorigué will seek to optimise the resources and consumption of PV and grid energy so it can monitor and control the entire infrastructure, processes and operations holistically, anticipate future events and situations, and make decisions based on the application of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

GENIUS is an R&D&I project that aims to reduce CO₂ emissions through digitalising electric vehicle recharging systems at the CLD facilities in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Through the application of a digital twin system and IoT-based technologies, the cleaning and waste management company Sorigué will seek to optimise the resources and consumption of PV and grid energy so it can monitor and control the entire infrastructure, processes and operations holistically, anticipate future events and situations, and make decisions based on the application of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

The main objective of GENIUS is to develop a complete digital twin embedded into a cloud-based IoT platform for advanced process monitoring and control, energy optimisation for recharging, electrical resource management involving PV and grid energy, carbon footprint tracking and the dynamic economic analysis of energy in urban environments. This will maximise the synergies of local renewable energy generation and the electric vehicle fleet towards the full decarbonisation of the entire CLD value chain.

The project partners are the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), CLD, NVISION Systems and Technologies and the Catalonia Energy Research Institute (IREC).
GENIUS is a public-private collaborative R&D&I project from the state R&D&I programme oriented towards societal challenges within the framework of the 2017-2020 State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation. It is financed by NextGenerationEU funding.

IntelWATT

The project aims at evaluating the application of intelligent, innovative and cost-effective solutions in energy-intensive industries in various countries. In accordance with the European Water Framework Directive and with the objective of ensuring the long-term availability of this resource, the project seeks to provide real examples of sustainable water and energy production that reuse the maximum volume, extract high added-value products, produce green energy and reduce the discharge of solids to zero.

The project aims at evaluating the application of intelligent, innovative and cost-effective solutions in energy-intensive industries in various countries. In accordance with the European Water Framework Directive and with the objective of ensuring the long-term availability of this resource, the project seeks to provide real examples of sustainable water and energy production that reuse the maximum volume, extract high added-value products, produce green energy and reduce the discharge of solids to zero.

The project will involve facilities in Spain, Greece and Germany. The Sorigué pilot plant will validate an innovative technology for obtaining renewable energy from the salinity gradient between the brine collector of the Llobregat river and wastewater treatment plant effluents. The process train consists of a combination of reverse electrodialysis (RED) technology and solar-powered membrane distillation (MD), and will be located at the largest brine collector in Catalonia located in Castellgalí (Barcelona). This way both renewable energy and high-quality water for reuse will be produced.

Funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme of the European Commission (Grant Agreement No 958454), intelWATT is a three years and a half project coordinated by the Demokritos National Centre for Scientific Research in Greece and is made up of a consortium of public and private partners from seven countries. Is funded by the H2020 programme of the European Union (Grant Agreement number 958484)

  • Partners: 20 partners coordinated by NCSR Demokritos.
  • Duration: October 2020-March 2024
  • Funding: HORIZON2020, funded by the European Commission under the call CE-SPIRE-07-2020  Preserving fresh water: recycling industrial waters industry
  • SDG: 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17
  • For more information: https://www.intelwatt.eu/
Electrowetland

Research and development of new technology to make the process of removing organic matter from wastewater more efficient, while simultaneously retrieving electrical energy.

Research and development of new technology to make the process of removing organic matter from wastewater more efficient, while simultaneously retrieving electrical energy.

The goal is to improve the performance of wetland systems, creating a competitive advantage for the business in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) market.

This research aims to perfect wetland systems through incorporative bioelectrochemical systems in order to make the processes of removing organic material more efficient, while simultaneously seeking to retrieve electrical energy so that it can be reused to monitor the entire process.

This project is co-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the ERDF Operational Program for Catalonia 2014-2020, with a subsidy of €98,830.20. Thematic goal: To promote technological development, innovation and quality research.

Watertur

Research into new technologies to manage the water cycle in tourist facilities in an intelligent and sustainable way. This research aims to develop innovative technologies to optimize and provide higher intelligence to the main points of water consumption and purification, primarily in the recreational area and in the different treatment systems that exist in a hotel facility.

Research into new technologies to manage the water cycle in tourist facilities in an intelligent and sustainable way. This research aims to develop innovative technologies to optimize and provide higher intelligence to the main points of water consumption and purification, primarily in the recreational area and in the different treatment systems that exist in a hotel facility.

The project seeks to apply advanced technology to grey-water treatment—waste water that comes from domestic use such as washing clothes or dishes, as well as bath water—through the implementation of a wetland with a vertical wall configuration and bioelectrochemical technology to generate energy.

This project is co-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the ERDF Operational Program for Catalonia 2014-2020, with a subsidy of €516,776.40 for the entire project, €44,045.95 of which has been allocated to Sorigué. Thematic goal: To promote technological development, innovation and quality research.

Both projects are developed in collaboration with the Leitat technological center and have been subsidized by the ACC1Ó agency, which promotes business competition in the Generalitat of Catalonia through the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the ERDF Operational Program for Catalonia 2014-2020.

ResActiv

Research that seeks to develop a technology that transforms out-of-use tire waste and biostabilized material – waste not previously studied with new technologies –, into a new activated carbon filter.

Research that seeks to develop a technology that transforms out-of-use tire waste and biostabilized material – waste not previously studied with new technologies –, into a new activated carbon filter. The goal is for this new product to be able to adsorb bad odors, heavy metals, organic matter and emerging contaminants in the treatment of water and derivatives.

The ResActiv project seeks, on the one hand, to produce a high-added-value product for the water management sector within the circular economy. On the other hand, it is committed to reducing the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill, giving a solution for waste whose material and energy could not be assessed up to this point.

The ResActiv project is fully developed by Sorigué. In its first stage, the group will be supported by the Carnot MICA Institute (France), whose specialty is the study of activated charcoal.

The research is supported by the Core R&D Grants for Circular Economy projects offered by the Generalitat de Catalunya’s ACCIÓ agency and is funded by the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC).

Between 2012 and 2020, the research laboratory have carried out these R&D+i projects, among others:

Asfaplast

Project to develop a new asphalt mixture that uses polymers from recycled plastic waste to obtain pavements with high structural and surface performance.

Project to develop a new asphalt mixture that uses polymers from recycled plastic waste to obtain pavements with high structural and surface performance.

The research is called 'New decarburising asphalt mixtures made with polymers from recycled plastic waste, Asfaplast' and is funded by ACCIÓ, within the framework of the call for proposals "Industrial research and experimental development clusters", for the development of the RIS3CAT strategy.

Tubotex

Project with the objective of manufacturing pipelines using technology based on new materials which will replace reinforced concrete in the production of large-scale pipelines.

Project with the objective of manufacturing pipelines using technology based on new materials which will replace reinforced concrete in the production of large-scale pipelines. The project is approved by the Management Board of the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), and also has support from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

New ultrafine mix positioning system (AUTL-PLUS)

A project which optimizes the functional characteristics of a high-performance wearing course with regard to friction, guaranteeing the thinnest layer and achieving greater robustness.

A project which optimizes the functional characteristics of a high-performance wearing course with regard to friction, guaranteeing the thinnest layer and achieving greater robustness. The project is being financed by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

High-performance bituminous mixtures using new lowtemperature technologies (MB2t)

Developed by a consortium of five top companies lead by Sorigué, in collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), with finances from the Spanish Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).

Neoballast

The creation of a durable, Eco-friendly, and high-performance ballast. The new design hopes to solve two major problems of railway tracks: track degradation, and noise and vibrations.

The creation of a durable, Eco-friendly, and high-performance ballast. The new design hopes to solve two major problems of railway tracks: track degradation, and noise and vibrations. This project has ben a part of the Horizon 2020 program, which is being undertaken in collaboration with COMSA, Dynamics, Structures and Systems International, Talleres Felipe Verdés and Mapei.

High performance coldrecycling emulsion

Developed by Sorigué, the ECL2REC emulsion allows the early creation of a more cohesive mix, which makes it a sustainable option for the structural rehabilitation of aging pavements.

Efficient use of milling

Sorigué has exclusively researched the use of in-plant recycling to increase efficiency.

Albepav

The development of ambient temperature mixtures that use recycled glass to reduce the “heat island” effect of pavement, in collaboration with COMSA, Progeo and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). 

The development of ambient temperature mixtures that use recycled glass to reduce the “heat island” effect of pavement, in collaboration with COMSA, Progeo and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). This project has been funded by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI).

Bimodal Emulsions

A project to improve the viscosity of current emulsions by using a differential distribution of differently-sized particles. Developed exclusively by Sorigué.

Sequ2

A study of the technical and financial feasibility of an industrial process that aims to value material removed from roads at the end of its service life.

A study of the technical and financial feasibility of an industrial process that aims to value material removed from roads at the end of its service life.

The purpose of this project is to supplement recycling lines currently in existence, in response to situations in which technical limitations prevent them from being included or whereby their rates are increased by the methods currently applied.

Safe road surfaces

Sorigué, in collaboration with two divisions of the Applus+ group, IDIADA and Energy & Industry, takes part in the project “Future Roads Energy and Adherence Knowledge”.

Sorigué, in collaboration with two divisions of the Applus+ group, IDIADA and Energy & Industry, takes part in the project “Future Roads Energy and Adherence Knowledge”.

The project aims to gain greater knowledge on surface-tyre adhesion processes during different service provision conditions.

The goal of this consortium is to further develop the design of road surfaces, the capacity to predict the behaviour of the development as a whole, and to gain a greater understanding of the factors that determine surface properties.

Piezoroad

The goal of this project is to develop electricity-generating elements based on the use of piezoelectric patches that can be extensively embedded in road surfaces. 

The goal of this project is to develop electricity-generating elements based on the use of piezoelectric patches that can be extensively embedded in road surfaces. The project features the collaboration of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Catalonia Polytechnic University, UPC) and funding from the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (Spain’s Centre for Industrial Technological Development, CDTI).

Smartmove

The development of technology based on magnetic markers with the aim of increasing the preventive safety of self-driving vehicles on roads.

The development of technology based on magnetic markers with the aim of increasing the preventive safety of self-driving vehicles on roads. The goal of this system is to strengthen conventional systems based on detecting obstacles and guided using cameras or LIDAR.

The investigation, with the name "Development of a redundant road safety system for autonomous vehicles, SMARTMOVE", is developed in collaboration with Elecnor and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Catalonia Polytechnic University, UPC). It is funded by ACCIÓ, within the framework of the “Nuclis de Recerca industrial i desenvolupament experimental” [Industrial Research and Experimental Development Nuclei] selection process, for the development of the RIS3CAT strategy.

Between 2011 and 2014, Sorigué participated in the “Commercial development of a tool to efficiently manage the programming of plot irrigation based on high-resolution thermal images”, along with Codorniu, ITRA and IAS-CSIC. The project received funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation under the framework of the Innpacto meeting in the year 2011.

Thanks to the development of this project, a tool that allows the farmer to irrigate efficiently has been developed, as he or she is aware at all times of the hydrological state of each one of the sub-zones of a plot, which represents important progress in the efficiency of managing large areas.