ZERO BRINE service offers ‘disruptive’ opportunity in resource management
The ZERO BRINE project, which aims to advance circular economy business models by redesigning the value and supply chain of water and minerals through the recovery of resources from brine generated by process industries, has announced the release of its Online Brine Platform (OBP).
The OBP is an interactive web service that connects brine owners with mineral and water users and technology providers to promote the reuse of secondary raw materials and water. Through the OBP, brine effluents are mapped alongside raw materials (minerals), water streams used by process industries, as well as effective brine treatment technology providers and waste heat streams.
“Many process industries emitting brine streams are investigating possibilities for salt or water recovery and are interested and willing to matchmake with stakeholders on a platform such as the ZERO BRINE Online Brine Platform.”
–John Harinck, Program Manager, Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT)
The OBP establishes a network of interested stakeholders that, via an online forum, can contact prospective business partners. The platform also identifies potential business matches based on the profiles of those registered, further facilitating the transition towards a circular economy within process industries. In addition to the OBP, a dedicated web portal offers information specific to the field of saline wastewater management and reuse of secondary raw materials.
Registered users will have access to information on the available quantities and qualities of saline wastewater, recovered materials and resources needed by the end users, as well as the location and proximity to industrial sites. This will enable industries to make informed decisions regarding the management of their own resources, while encouraging industrial symbiosis.
“The OBP plays key role in replicating the paradigms generated in the framework ZERO BRINE. The development of an Industrial Symbiosis platform for brine recovery will facilitate the application of a new, disruptive resource management concept of systemic eco-innovation.”
–Despina Bakogianni, PhD candidate, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
Browsing the portal will be free for all visitors and full access to all OBP data is reserved for registered users. This online service will be supplemented with the organisation of workshops and meetings that will take place at industrial clusters in the Netherlands including Delfzijl, Emmen, Chemelot, Amsterdam, and Zeeland. For more information on the Online Brine Platform and to discover what opportunities await, visit the website.
Acknowledgement
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 730390.