Severn Trent and partner get £1 mill innovation grant to treat wastewater 

The grant funding comes from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Carbon Trust, as part of their Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator programme.  

It will support a project that focuses on a new process developed by CCm Technologies to use captured carbon dioxide to stabilise, nitrogen, phosphate and organic chemicals held within Severn Trent ‘s waste streams, turning them into sustainable plant nutrients.

The company said the process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions on site, while the carbon free heat co-generated in CCm’s proprietary process will be used to reduce energy consumption across the site, aiding Severn Trent in itsdrive toward zero carbon operations. 

CCm Technologies claimed the process would be “a world first for the wastewater sector” that would substantially reduce the amount of energy needed, as well as increasing the quality. 

It added there was potential to develop an enhanced fertiliser product for agricultural or horticultural application, potentially creating new commercial opportunities for Severn Trent 

Paul Knuckle, external funding lead at Severn Trent commented: “We are really excited about this award from the Carbon Trust and BEIS because it’s a first for Severn Trent and CCm Technologies.

It would, he added, demonstrate how well aligned the utility company’s wastewater recycling ambition was to Government energy efficiency strategy and show how the sector can support the circular economy with the potential to produce value from waste. 

CCm chief technology officer and co-founder Professor Peter Hammond, remarked: ”This is a meaningful breakthrough that will allow our technology to demonstrate the release of significant plant nutrient resources held by Severn Trent and use them to lock captured carbon back into the soil, paving the way for greater sustainable agriculture in the UK.”