The European Union has awarded 3M\u20ac to the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project to increase resilience to\u00a0 climate change of waste infrastructures by the application of blue-green infrastructures.<\/i><\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/i>To reach climate targets, industries need to accelerate the transition towards a climate-resilient,\u00a0 resource efficiency, low-carbon, and circular economy. Starting from July 2021, the 42 months LIFE\u00a0 GREEN ADAPT project will increase the resilience of EU waste infrastructures to climate change by\u00a0 the application of green and nature-based solutions.<\/p>\n
The project will focus on landfills as a potential source of severe pollution episodes when impacted\u00a0 by extreme weather events by demonstrating the potential of blue-green infrastructures (BGI) and\u00a0 ecosystem-based approaches. LIFE GREEN ADAPT will demonstrate the ability of BGI to manage flash\u00a0 flooding and run-off caused by heavy rainfall and prevent fires and explosions caused by droughts\u00a0 and unusual heat waves.<\/p>\n
The LIFE GREEN ADAPT achieve this through (i) the development of novel bio-technosoils made of\u00a0 different wastes from the landfill to stabilise, recover and increase the soil quality by regulating\u00a0 nutrient supply and improving soil structure; and (ii) the engineering and construction of a set of\u00a0 innovative treatment wetlands for landfill polluted leachate and run-off water will deliver quality\u00a0 water, enhancing water reuse (e.g., for landfill irrigation) or discharge into natural courses. All the\u00a0 solutions developed in the project will be implemented at an industrial demonstration site located in\u00a0 the North-West of Spain to validate the potential of the BGI and ecosystem-based approaches and\u00a0 verify their performance under a real-scale landfill scenario. LIFE GREEN ADAPT will also support the\u00a0 transition to a resource-efficient and low-carbon economy by reducing water consumption and\u00a0 green-house gas emissions in the waste sector.<\/p>\n
Replicability and transferability will be key aspects of the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project. It will involve a\u00a0 multi-level governance analysis, vulnerability risks tools and innovation workshops. These will\u00a0 engage various key stakeholders, including potential end-users, policy makers and investors, and\u00a0 address the co-creation of the solutions developed during the length of the project so they are fit for\u00a0 purpose.<\/p>\n
The success of the project will be ensured by a multidisciplinary and international consortium\u00a0 integrated by 7 partners based in Spain, Denmark, Netherlands and Slovenia and led by the AIMEN\u00a0 in Spain. XILOGA, the one of the main Galician companies for the management of non-hazardous\u00a0 waste, will be the adopter of LIFE GREEN ADAPT solutions (end-user) and will commercialise the bio technosoils to other waste managers, landfill owners or public authorities interested in waste\u00a0 valorisation and soil bioremediation. These will be: LIMNOS, a company dedicated to the\u00a0 development of eco-remediation solutions for environmental restoration and protection, that will\u00a0 commercialise BGI design and engineering; FACTOR, an international group specialised in innovative\u00a0 and sustainable solutions, calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change vulnerability\u00a0 studies, will provide risk and vulnerability assessment services to public authorities in charge of\u00a0 waste\/water infrastructures and utilities interested in implementing BGI; ISLE, a global and\u00a0 independent technology and innovation consultancy firm specialising in cleantech and business<\/p>\n
consulting, that will offer BGI solutions brokerage and matchmaking services to BGI developers to\u00a0 accelerate co-development and market uptake of their solutions; AIMEN, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de\u00a0 Catalunya and Aarhus University will benefit from including the IP generated in their IP portfolio to\u00a0 exploit it through the optimal business model (e.g., licensing) defined in the exploitation and\u00a0 business strategy of LIFE GREEN ADAPT and will use knowledge developed during LIFE GREEN ADAPT\u00a0 in new R&I activities and training\/education.<\/p>\n
The consortium is ready to contribute to the shift towards a climate-resilient, resource efficient and\u00a0 low-carbon economy, aligned to the European Circular Economy Action Plan, Green Deal\u00a0 Communication, EU strategy on adaptation to climate change and Roadmap to a Resource Efficient\u00a0 Europe, among others.<\/p>\n
Ana Pascual Formoso (AIMEN), LIFE GREEN ADAPT project coordinator said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLIFE GREEN ADAPT represents an important step towards to make Europe more climate resilient on\u00a0 Adaptation to Climate Change. The approach proposed in the project for increasing the landfill\u00b4s\u00a0 climate resilience is based on a combination of technology according to Blue-Green Infrastructures and\u00a0 ecosystem-based solutions. In addition, this system will be able to treat approximately 20,000 m<\/i>3 <\/i>of\u00a0 landfill leachate and 1,300 m<\/i>3 <\/i>of rainwater harvested and to stabilize 0.2 ha reducing greenhouse gas\u00a0 emissions up to 92% (CO<\/i>2 <\/i>eq)<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
V\u00edctor Toca Achurra (XILOGA), President of the TOYSAL GROUP said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
“LIFE GREEN ADAPT project will allow us to carry out Xiloga\u2019s waste treatment plant to a more\u00a0 sustainable and resilient future.\u201d <\/i>This will be done by \u201c.. adapting our facility to the circular economy\u00a0 through the formulation and application of bio-technosoils, generated from mainly organic waste as\u00a0 fertile substrate to stabilize and revegetate our landfill and enable the regeneration of degraded\u00a0 areas, the purification of wastewater through different lagoons and plants integrated into nature,\u00a0 while ensuring stability and optimal management of the landfill by monitoring multiple parameters,\u00a0 contributing with this innovative project to the fight against climate change<\/i>“.<\/p>\n
Ur\u0161a Brodnik <\/b>(LIMNOS), said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWe are glad to be part of the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project, as Limnos is committed to the development\u00a0 and deployment of nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment and mitigation of pollution. The\u00a0 used approach within the project is inspired and supported by the nature and builds on cross-sectoral\u00a0 and interdisciplinary knowledge. The treatment wetlands for leachate treatment as part of the LIFE\u00a0 GREEN ADAPT demo site will strengthen climate resilience, reconsider the local water circle, and utilize\u00a0 the multipurpose character of the green approach<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
In\u00eas Ferreira (FACTOR), said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLandfills are particularly sensitive to climate change stressors especially to heatwaves, floods and\u00a0 droughts since they are usually open-aired and exposed to these factors. LIFE GREEN ADAPT will\u00a0 propose recommendations and lines of action to reduce landfills vulnerability to these stressors\u00a0 based on an analysis of the resilience achieved by the measures implemented in the demonstration\u00a0 site, and on an estimation of the economic costs of climate change impacts on the landfill<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prof. Blanca Antizar (ISLE), LIFE GREEN ADAPT Chair of Innovation Board said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLIFE GREEN ADAPT exploitation and business strategy plan for a fast adoption of its innovative\u00a0 climate change adaptation technologies into the market will increase landfill infrastructure life span,\u00a0 resilience to flooding, droughts and spontaneous fires, save freshwater consumption and reduce\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
greenhouse gas emissions, recover waste and save on costs associated with landfill leachates\u00a0 external treatment. We will align with the EU Green Deal and embrace a circular economy scenario\u00a0 to be replicated at EU level and beyond<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Jordi Morat\u00f3 (UPC), Director of UNESCO Chair on Sustainability said:\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLIFE GREEN ADAPT is a great opportunity to adopt Nature-Based Solutions for the waste sector in\u00a0 alignment with climate change, resilience and circular economy action plans from EU Strategy. A\u00a0 holistic approach based on Life Cycle Assessment including the evaluation of social, economic,\u00a0 technical and environmental impact will be developed to validate the best suitable waste appropriate\u00a0 technologies. Molecular microbiology tools will be utilized to validate the design of innovative\u00a0 treatment wetlands<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Carlos A. Arias (Aarhus University), said:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLIFE GREEN ADAPT is a challenging project, where the consortium will establish state of the art\u00a0 Nature-Based Solutions to improve climate change adaptation by enhancing adaptive capacity,\u00a0 enhancing resilience and mitigate the effects of climate change. The adaptations proposed by the\u00a0 consortium will establish demonstration cases for the treatment of polluted waters to improve the\u00a0 quality and to manage runoff peaks while reducing greenhouse gas emissions before discharge to\u00a0 natural waters and to recover resources that are commonly neglected. For its novelty and the proven\u00a0 capacity of the technologies to be established, the project has the potential of becoming an example\u00a0 to follow and a reference for sites with similar challenges. Aarhus University and particularly the\u00a0 Aquatic Biology group, will participate in all the actions of the project and is looking forward to the\u00a0 developments of the project<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.<\/p>\n
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Acknowledgements\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
The LIFE GREEN ADAPT project has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European\u00a0 Union under grant agreement No LIFE20 CCA\/ES\/001795<\/p>\n
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Contacts\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Ana Pascual Formoso, AIMEN \u2013 LIFE GREEN ADAPT project coordinator<\/p>\n
Tel: +34 98634400 | E-mail: apascual@aimen.es<\/p>\n
Luz Herrero Castilla, AIMEN \u2013 LIFE GREEN ADAPT project director<\/p>\n
Tel: +34 986344000 | E-mail: lherrero@aimen.es<\/p>\n
Natasha Giroux, ISLE Utilities \u2013 LIFE GREEN ADAPT communication leader<\/p>\n
Tel: +44 7999 491919 | E-mail: natasha.giroux@isleutilities.com<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European Union has awarded 3M\u20ac to the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project to increase resilience to climate change of waste infrastructures by the application of blue-green infrastructures<\/p>","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n