R3VOLUTION is pioneering circular water management
Solid Progress Since Launch
Since its official launch in January 2024, the EU-funded project has made solid progress across field trials, technology development and stakeholder engagement, completing the first 18 months of its four-year programme. Funded under Horizon Europe, the R3VOLUTION consortium is researching innovations in industrial water reuse, solute and heat recovery, and AI-driven process design. The consortium’s goal is to set new benchmarks for circular water management across Europe and beyond.
Building a Strong Foundation
By now, R3VOLUTION has established a robust technical and organisational framework. The consortium of 19 partners representing nine countries is following a coordinated rhythm of communication. The pilot-scale installations have been designed for demo sites in the pulp and paper, steel, petrochemical and bio-based chemical sector, nearing commissioning and operation, which will validate the system layouts from the project.
Figure: The R3VOLUTION demonstration cases
The Digital Process Assistant (DPA) and Digital Twin modelling platforms are under development, as are early machine learning models and explainable AI tools to guide decisions on process optimisation. Furthermore, characterisation data has been established, membrane and heat recovery solutions have been designed, and an exploitation roadmap is under development. With the core infrastructure and tools now in place, the project is entering a crucial phase involving real-life demonstrations, validations and scaling.
Entering the Next Phase
As R3VOLUTION transitions into its next phase, the focus will shift to the following: Optimizing pilot-scale installations across the four industrial sectors, demonstrating target outcomes: > 90% water reuse, > 45% solute recovery, > 50% heat reuse, and 100% hazardous substance elimination in operational settings, eExpanding DPA replicability via virtual simulation for the mining stream and additional industries, and intensifying dissemination and exploitation activities and collaboration with other projects and initiatives in the sector.
