The final event of the European project Sea4value is held in Tenerife
- A train of disruptive technologies that make it possible to recover minerals and metals from the sea has been tested in a mobile laboratory
The final event of the Sea4Value European project, funded by the Horizon 2020 call, was held in Tenerife last September 26. During this event, the results obtained after more than four years of research were presented, in which have tested ten disruptive technologies to recover minerals and metals from brines from desalination plants. These technologies have been implemented and tested in a mobile laboratory or “moving lab” installed in Tenerife. The project, coordinated by Eurecat with the participation of more than 16 European partners, has aimed to develop innovative solutions to convert brines, until now considered waste, into a new source of value within the circular economy.
The day before the final event, on September 25, a hybrid meeting was held between project partners and experts in desalination and brine recovery. This session saw the closing of the CWA (CEN Workshop Agreement), which aims to provide guidelines on best practices for sustainable brine mining. This will ensure that the innovation developed during the project has a practical application, taking into account aspects such as the circularity of the desalination plants, as well as the environmental and economic impacts.
The following day, September 26, the final conference was held under the title “New technologies for the extraction of minerals and metals from sea brines in seawater desalination plants”. Organized by the Catalan Water Partnership, Eurecat and Aqualia, the conference served to present the results of the project and other similar initiatives developed in Tenerife. Sandra Casas, technical coordinator of the project from Eurecat, and Naiara Hernández, from Aqualia, started the event with a presentation of the project and its main results.
Next, related projects were exhibited such as SEArcularMINE (presented by Fabrizio Vicari from ResourSeas), IDIWATER and the TESTBED DE VALORIZACIÓN DE SALMUERRA (presented by Baltasar Peñate from the Institut Tecnológico de Canarias) and REWAISE (by Juan Arévalo from FCC Aqualia) . The day concluded with a round table with local experts and a visit to the Innovation Center “Water and Added Value European (WAVE) Center”, where the “moving lab” of Sea4Value is located.
The event had more than 50 participants, including media and local radio. In addition to disseminating the results of the project, the meeting served as the final meeting of the consortium, before the final closure of the project scheduled for November 2024.
Finally, the Sea4Value project will be presented internationally during the ECOMONDO fair in Rimini, Italy, next November 6 at 10:30 a.m. on the main stage of Hall Est. The CWP, which will be present throughout the fair at stand B5-504 with representation from Sea4value, will have invitations for all those interested who want to know first hand the results of a project that is giving new value to brines from desalination plants, contributing to the circular economy.
