About the Nereda® WWTP in Zutphen
In November 2016 Water Authority Rijn en IJssel has announced the commissioning of the world’s first (industrial) Nereda extraction factory for Kaumera Nereda® Gum in Zutphen. In addition to the energy/chemical saving and phosphate recovery, the Nereda technology opens up the opportunity to recover a valuable biopolymer. The Nereda process excess sludge is rich in Alginate-Like Exopolysaccharides (Kaumera), a biopolymer mix produced by the bacteria purifying the wastewater. Kaumera can easily be harvested and has the potential to unlock economic interesting applications.
Water Authority Rijn en IJssel has committed to investing € 11 million in the construction of a Kaumera Nereda® Gum factory using the residual water of the Friesland Campina dairy production plants in Lochem and Borculo. In addition to producing the new, sustainable raw material, the factory will purify the residual water resulting in a quarter less sludge than is produced during the current process.
Image: Artist impression of the Nereda in Zutphen
