360 management and innovation – the cornerstone themes of Aqualia’s presence at iWater

The first edition of iWater, the International Exhibition of the Integrated Water Cycle, is to be held at the Fira Barcelona exhibition centre between 15th and 17th November. Aqualia will be present at the exhibition as one of the main sponsors of the event, which focuses on the key issues shaping the future of water management through 3 base themes: resilience, governance and funding.  Aqualia will present its views on these issues from the viewpoint of its comprehensive management (360?) capabilities and the great potential of its R&D+I section.

The format proposed by iWater is innovative, with different options depending on the interests of each of the attendees: first, it includes the FORUM, in which 80 of the most prominent world-leading experts in the industry will set out their ideas to overcome outstanding challenges, with special emphasis on legal frameworks and sustainability.

Juan Luis Castillo, director of Aqualia in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Aragon, La Rioja, Valencia and Murcia, will take part on the 15th at round table No. 2, to address the issue of “Urban Resilience”.  On behalf of Aqualia, he will provide insight into the significant changes of concept modern cities face: technological, regulatory, orientation towards sustainable growth, and above all, openness to citizens, the true protagonists of such changes. Provision of the integrated water cycle must be one of the vectors of change in our cities and must enable the CITY to adapt to new requirements.

On the 16th November, Rafael Perez, Aqualia International Operations Director, will be one of the speakers at round table nº 5, which will address the question of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). He will present different real-life examples he has participated in that provide a clear and tangible illustration of such goals. Aqualia has recently joined the “PPP for Cities” Centre, a project launched by the United Nations and led by IESE, created with the aim of transforming cities into sustainable and intelligent environments linked to the achievement of SDGs.

Presentation of 4 pioneer projects

In addition, the INNO HUB, located in the exhibition area, will bring together R&D projects and promote synergies between companies, research centres and universities. Aqualia will present 4 of its projects: Life Metamorphosis, FP7 All-gas, ELAN and Mides H2020.

The Methamorphosis project aims to recover energy from wastewater to produce re-usable water and bio-methane for the transport sector, thus mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

The All-gas project follows along the same lines in that it involves a change in paradigm through the systematic transformation of resources to produce items of value, such as bio-fuels, lipids or fertilizers. All the biomass produced at Wastewater Treatment Plants is available for alternative uses such as vehicle fuel (bio-methane). In this way, wastewater becomes a resource rather than a burden for society.

The third innovation project presented by the Aqualia R&D+i team at the Inno Hub is the ELAN® project, which will exhibit new technology for removing nitrogen from the return pipes on the sludge circuit at wastewater treatment plants, a stream that can account for between 15 and 25% of the total Nitrogen load.

The fourth exhibition to be presented is the Mides (microbial desalination for low energy drinking water) project, which is developing a unique and innovative system for obtaining drinking water through state-of-the-art desalination processes with zero energy costs.

Activities on the Aqualia Stand 

Aqualia will also be running STAND D425 in the exhibition hall at iWater. The Aqualia stand focuses on the company’s ability to provide comprehensive solutions for water management. This concept underwrites the company’s “360? from end to end” claim.

Throughout the entire iWater exhibition, the Aqualia stand will host various events that will unquestionably make it one of the main focal points and centres of attention in the exhibition hall:

At 11h45 on 15th November, Felix Parra, General Manager of Aqualia, and Enrique Cabrera, professor at the UPV, will present the book “Regulation of Urban Water Services”.

The next day, 16th November, Miguel Perea, Aqualia director of Customer Services, will make a presentation entitled “Aqualia and citizens. Multi-channels for better service. Smart Aqua App”. 

At 17h00 the same day, Eva Martinez, Area head of Aqualia Innovation and Technology Department, will present details of All-gas, a worldwide pioneering project that is revolutionising the coveted goal of waste water purification to sustainably obtain clean energy from effluents. The title of her presentation is “The Miracle of micro-algae that run buses”.

Finally, at 11h30 on the 17th, stand D425 will be host to Sandra Benbeniste, one of the promoters of the Alliance for Water in Ibiza and Formentera, and Eduardo del Castillo, Aqualia officer in the Balearic Islands. Both speakers will talk of their experiences in “public-private partnership for the benefit of citizens: Ibiza, a success story”.

IWater: discussion of future challenges for water management

Leading figures in the water industry and delegations from Colombia, France, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, China and Denmark, among others, have already confirmed their attendance.

IWater aims to bring together in Barcelona international experts, entities and professionals from the entire water sector. The venue has already confirmed the participation of 120 exhibitors from 10 countries, including major operators, engineering firms, construction companies and public entities.

The organisation has directly selected and invited around a hundred key professionals, specifiers and institutional representatives from more than 20 countries to participate in business meetings and presentations of investment projects.