The University of Guelph is participating in a $1.5-million initiative – backed by the federal and provincial governments – that aims to eliminate energy costs for wastewater treatment. The announcement was made on Jan. 27.
The Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science invested $500,000 that will allow the Southern Ontario Water Consortium to build on the GE Water and Process Technologies project and other innovative technology development by Ontario companies for capturing value from the treatment of wastewater.
The University of Guelph will work with McMaster University to test new ways to reduce energy consumption while generating energy from the wastewater treatment process and utilizing beneficial resources from wastewater. It’s the first large project to receive funding under the Southern Ontario Water Consortium’s (SOWC) Advancing Water Technologies (AWT) program, which supports collaborative, industry-led technology development projects and is funded by FedDev Ontario through a $12-million federal contribution.
“This first large AWT project epitomizes what SOWC is all about,” said SOWC executive director Brenda Lucas. “We connect the needs of industry with Ontario’s academic expertise and enable real-world testing in unique facilities to help bring innovative technologies to market.”
The University of Guelph will receive $368,000 out of a total of nearly $600,000 being provided through the AWT program. GE will provide $900,000 for the project.
