Revolutionising waste disposal by harnessing the power of the circular economy
1. Applicant Information
Raquel
Zambrano
COO
TreaTech
Avenue Alexandre Vinet, 1004 Lausanne
Switzerland
Teammates
Frédéric Juillard, CEO
Dr. Gaël Peng, CTO
Pierre-Cédric Vigna, CPO
2. Criteria - Applicants Responses
Which clean technology categories does your innovation cover?
Bioenergy & Waste To Energy, Clean Water, Other (please specify)
Renewable gas
Please select the category you’re submitting your application for
New Solution
Please select the phase of your innovation:
Other (please specify)
TRL6
3. Questionnaire - Applicants Responses
Proposal/ Submission Title
Revolutionising waste disposal by harnessing the power of the circular economy
Problem Statement
We are facing a global waste management crisis which is intensified by ongoing population growth and economic development. These growth drivers are putting greater pressure on existing waste disposal processes, leading to poor waste management solutions which can cause significant environmental harm.
Currently incineration is championed as the most effective way to eliminate viruses, bacteria and micropollutants (e.g. PFAS) from waste streams. However, this disposal method requires the waste to be transported to treatment facilities before it can be burnt, both of which release a considerable amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Plus, the energy generated from the heat of the incineration process cannot be stored and this process wastes large volumes of water by using systems that do not recover the steam outputs, further exasperating the scarcity of clean water.
Which do you think are the innovative factors of your idea?
TreaTech is disrupting the waste treatment industry by bringing to market an innovative technology that captures the full value of a broad range of end products from waste. We have developed a patented technology that uses catalytic hydrothermal gasification to convert a broad range of waste streams that are usually incinerated into integral resources in a sustainable and cost-efficient manner. These include capturing fresh water, and minerals used for fertiliser such as phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium, as well as producing a constant supply of methane-rich renewable gas that can be injected into the grid network, stored or used at our customers’ sites.
TreaTech’s can provide a secure feedstock of renewable gas that can enhance supplies for businesses and consumers, improving regional resilience to a sudden spike in wholesale gas prices. In addition, TreaTech provides a clean technology solution that can reduce the climate impact of current waste treatment solutions.
Which benefits would your idea bring to the industry?
Our modular solution fits customers' on-site processes, transforming waste into valuable resources in a sustainable circular manner. As a result, our technology enables our customers to reduce their carbon footprint, control their energy supply and embrace circular solutions.
We reduce the carbon footprint of the waste disposal process by eliminating any form of off-site transportation. Our technology is able to convert 99% of organic carbon of any waste product into pollutant-free, methane-rich gas that is used to power our treatment process in a circular way, and the remaining gas can be injected into the grid network, stored or used to power our customer’s industrial processes. All these actions replace the use of fossil fuels mitigating climate change. We also support the circular economy by recovering minerals that can be transformed into fertiliser, and clean water which can be reused, making it a closed loop waste treatment solution.
To which challenges does your idea provide a solution to?
TreaTech’s technology provides a solution to short and long term environmental and climate challenges associated with waste management. We are able to:
- Eliminate toxins and pollutants released into the atmosphere when waste is incinerated.
- Reduce the carbon footprint by removing the need to transport heavy amounts of waste to treatment facilities.
- Remove the risk of soil or water contamination through run off by treating the waste in a contained, circular solution.
- Recover clean water which can be reused.
When compared with incineration, the most common disposal solution, TreaTech’s technology emits up to 94% less CO2eq and requires 3 times less space.
Reflecting on the current geopolitical climate, countries globally are striving for energy independence and we provide a waste to energy solution. Our circular solution transforms waste into methane-rich gas, and by storing this gas we can contribute to a local and sustainable supply.
4. Supporting attachments and links
