Government backs technology to convert wastewater into commercial fertiliser

CCm Technologies in partnership with Severn Trent has been awarded approximately £1 million government funding to explore new sustainable ways to recycle wastewater and convert it into a commercial product.

The water and waste company has received grant funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Carbon Trust, as part of their Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator programme.

The project focuses on a new process, developed by CCm Technologies, which uses captured carbon dioxide to stabilise, nitrogen, phosphate and organic chemicals held within waste streams at Severn Trent, turning them into sustainable plant nutrients

The funding will go towards developing an entirely new solution for treating wastewater in the sewage process. This approach, in partnership with CCm Technologies, is a world first for the wastewater sector and will substantially reduce the amount energy needed, as well as increasing the quality.

Paul Knuckle, external funding lead at Severn Trent, said: “We are really excited about this award from the Carbon Trust and BEIS because it’s a first for Severn Trent and CCm Technologies. We’ve demonstrated how well aligned our wastewater recycling ambition is to the government energy efficiency strategy and how we can support the circular economy with the potential to produce value from waste.

Knuckle added: “Winning this award alongside our collaboration with CCm Technologies is a first step in building a strong innovation partnership and we’re looking forward to working with them.  It will be the first trial of the technology at this scale in the UK”                                           

Professor Peter Hammond, CCm’s chief technology officer and co-founder, commented: ”This is a meaningful breakthrough that will allow our technology to demonstrate the release of significant plant nutrient resources held by Severn Trent and use them to lock captured carbon back into the soil, paving the way for greater sustainable agriculture in the UK.”