Project:
Triple Carbon Reduction
Exploring the transformation of emissions in waste water management
This project aims to evidence a step change reduction in green house gas emissions and electricity used in the water treatment process. This will simultaneously create a new renewable energy source through green hydrogen production.
Using novel technologies, it will create a ‘triple carbon’ synergy and demonstrate an alternative waste water treatment process that could significantly reduce the amount of emissions created compared to the current process.
Project stats:
Number of partners:
Funding received:
Estimated completion date:
December 2025
A project vital to tackling a reduction in emissions
The water sector currently accounts for almost a third of the UK’s green house gas emissions through its waste and industrial processes. As a sector deeply committed to enhancing and preserving the environment, the water industry is passionate about positively addressing climate change. In 2019, all UK water companies pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 with Scotland and Northern Ireland to achieve the same in 2040 and 2050 respectively.
Emissions from treatment processes (process emissions) have been highlighted as a key priority for the water sector as they are expected to represent the largest proportion of residual emission by 2030. It is very likely they will require offsetting to meet the industry’s net zero target.
What’s at the core of the project?
A demonstration plant will be set up and monitored for up to nine months to illustrate and trial a new approach to treating waste water, supported by Oxymem and Cranfield University. This will be located at Anglian Water’s Cambridge Water Recycling Centre in Milton.
The project will trial a novel process, integrating modern sewage technology with the latest technology for Green Hydrogen and Oxygen generation. While at scale up the aim will be to use treated effluent from wastewater, potable water will be supplied to the plant at demonstration scale and pass through an electrolyser which uses a renewable power supply. Here, oxygen is generated and used as a resource in the Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) treatment process, whereby nitrous oxide emissions and energy consumption are reduced. Green Hydrogen is also produced as a by-product at the electrolyser which can be either used in on site power generation, or be sold.
The water sector is in a unique position to exploit this process as it has both the resources (such as water and renewable energy) and end uses for the hydrogen and oxygen products, creating an elegant circular system to reduce carbon and recover resources.
By coupling an electrolyser and MABR, the project aims to achieve three main carbon benefits, in line with the aims of the Water UK Net Zero 2030 Routemap.
By coupling an electrolyser and MABR, the project aims to achieve three main carbon benefits, in line with the aims of the Water UK Net Zero 2030 Routemap.
The benefits are:
Green Hydrogen production
Green Hydrogen can be used in applications that are currently challenging to decarbonise such as diesel generators, and provide a benefit to local economies and community energy use (i.e. hydrogen to gas grid). The hydrogen byproduct will be collected by Element 2, a company focused on building the UK’s hydrogen network. It will be used by a number of leading vehicle manufacturers in their quest to deploy hydrogen powered road transport.
Elimination of nitrous oxide emissions
The project aims to demonstrate a viable alternative way to treat waste water that significantly reduces its impact on the environment. This demonstration plant process (MABR) is targeting elimination of nitrous oxide (N2O), a green house gas that has an impact on the atmosphere 300 times greater than carbon dioxide.
Huge reduction in energy consumption
This alternative treatment process will use up to 85% less energy than conventional treatment processes in use, contributing to helping to reach the net zero target and the potential to provide savings to pass on to customers
These benefits represent a triple carbon reduction.
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Additional project objectives
Environmental evaluation for scale
An environmental evaluation of the demonstration plant will be carried out by Brunel University through a lifecycle assessment of resource recovery and hydrogen implementation pathways. This will enable us to determine if viable higher energy efficiency and lower emissions can be achieved with this integrated system and inform application at scale across the water sector.
Community sentiment
Optimal alignment for efficiency
Business case
Alternative treatments of final effluent
A wealth of transformational benefits
The triple carbon approach represents a viable strategy to meet the industry Net Zero ambitions by implementing the solution at scale, to reduce the marginal abatement cost of carbon emissions reduction.
It demonstrates the viability of hydrogen production at wastewater treatment centres and defines best practice for process scale up for the water sector, to allow hydrogen demand and infrastructure to grow beyond local use and support regional and national applications.
The project will generate resource recovery, by using the oxygen produced via electrolysis into the MABR as a resource and not a by-product. It will also achieve this by using final effluent to avoid compromising drinking water resources and resilience built to face climate change.