Innovative Materials for Ensuring the Optimal Operation of Biological Municipal WWTP

The project “Innovative Materials for Ensuring the Optimal Operation of Biological Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants”, with the working title AMONPLAST, is being implemented under the 2nd Call of the National Centre of Competence for Polymer Materials and Technologies for the 21st Century (hereinafter referred to as NCK POLY-ENVI21), co-financed by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the National Centres of Competence Programme.

          

The project aims to critically evaluate the potential of waste materials, primarily polyurethane-based carriers, for application in biological municipal wastewater treatment plants in order to increase nitrification efficiency. Within the consortium, we will test existing materials, develop and synthesize new materials, assess their suitability for practical application, and use LCA analysis to evaluate their safety and applicability in practice.

The project has strong commercial potential, particularly among operators of biological municipal wastewater treatment plants, as it offers a low-cost and reliable solution for enhanced biological removal of ammonium nitrogen from wastewater. There are hundreds of such treatment plants in the Czech Republic alone, and most smaller plants (up to 5,000 population equivalents) face reduced nitrification efficiency during the winter period, which consequently results in difficulties in meeting the effluent limits imposed by water authorities. Thanks to the international sales network of ASIO TECH, there is also significant potential for supplying the technology to foreign markets.

The objective of the project is to design and test innovative polyurethane-based carriers, preferably manufactured from recycled materials, and to test them at both laboratory and operational scales. The aim is to characterize these materials, optimize their production, and calculate the return on investment to assess their potential for large-scale practical application, particularly in the context of the EU Directive 2024/3019. An LCA analysis will be conducted to verify the health and environmental safety of the materials used.

The project will be implemented by a consortium consisting of ASIO TECH, spol. s r.o. (main beneficiary), Brno University of Technology, and the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague. The project will generate one functional sample, one verified technology, and two other results.

The project “Innovative Materials for Ensuring the Optimal Operation of Biological Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants”, No. N02000051 DP026, with the working title AMONPLAST, is being implemented within the 2nd Call of the National Centre of Competence for Polymer Materials and Technologies for the 21st Century. The project is scheduled to run from January 2026 to December 2028.