• The Regional Minister of Infrastructure and Mobility, Ethel Vázquez, and the rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Antonio López, signed the collaboration agreement today. 
   

• The agreement has a total budget of 338,316 euros, which will be provided by the Xunta through Augas de Galicia, and will be in force until 31 May 2023.

• This agreement is part of Challenge 3 Circular economy of the integral water cycle of the Innovaugas 4.0 project, advanced management of Galician water resources, of Augas de Galicia, recently awarded as the best public initiative in the water sector in the 'Water Europe Innovation' awards.
   

• The Centro Singular Cretus, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies, will collaborate with Augas de Galicia in the search for solutions to advance actions in the integral water cycle.

   

The Regional Minister of Infrastructure and Mobility, Ethel Vázquez, today signed an agreement with the rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Antonio López, for the development of a diagnosis of circular economy opportunities in the management of the integral water cycle.

Within the framework of the agreement, which will create a working group made up of staff from Augas de Galicia and the USC, the potential for energy production in WWTPs will be addressed, the definition of circularity indicators in the management of wastewater treatment plants and work will be carried out to achieve a favourable social perception for the use of recycled water and resources recovered from wastewater.

The agreement signed today will also allow progress in the research and development of proposals for actions for the implementation of the circular economy model, which will make it possible to obtain bioplastics from the fat fraction of wastewater or maximise the use of organic matter in the sludge line, among other applications.

This Xunta-USC agreement complements the system to optimise energy consumption and guarantee the quality of water discharged at WWTPs that Augas de Galicia awarded in March for 1.5 million euros and which aims to develop a comprehensive system that allows automatic and continuous measurement of the parameters of energy consumption and quality of treated water in small and medium-sized WWTPs, with the aim of formulating recommendations for improvement through advanced simulations in a controlled environment. 

Ethel Vázquez also recalled that the agreement with the University of Santiago is in addition to the one already signed with the Fundación Universidade da Coruña last June with a budget of 170,000 euros to develop innovative methodologies for predicting flood risk and the effects of climate change, as part of challenge 2, strengthening capacities for preparedness and adaptation to climate change of the public procurement of innovation project, Innovaugas 4.0.

INNOVAUGAS 4.0

Innovaugas 4.0 is a project promoted by the Public Business Entity Augas de Galicia, under the Regional Ministry of Infrastructure and Mobility of the Xunta de Galicia, which seeks to achieve innovative solutions for advanced integrated water management, optimise water resources and provide a long-term response to the demands of the different uses of water, in balance with the natural environment and river ecosystems, while respecting the achievement of environmental objectives established for water bodies and addressing the new scenarios determined by climate change.

The Innovaugas 4.0 project has an eligible budget of €7 million and is 80% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Spanish Multi-regional Operational Programme (POPE) 2014-2020.

Innovaugas 4.0 was selected by the Ministry of Science and Innovation in 2020 in the Line of Promotion of Innovation from the Demand and Innovative Public Procurement, has a European funding of 4,200,000 euros, will also be co-financed by the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) with 700,000 euros and Augas de Galicia will contribute 2,100,000 euros.