WATER & WASTE TREATMENT


TURNING WASTE EMISSIONS INTO VALUE


Here, Dr Alexander Krajete, CEO of emissions treatment specialist Krajete, explores how emissions valorisation can reduce harmful pollutants and create economic value by repurposing waste gases into useful products


converted to valuable products. Valorisation of gaseous emissions, for example, can reduce environmental impact, support a circular economy and increase profits. Valorisation is the process of increasing the


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value of something. Valorisation can occur through two primary approaches: chemical and biological conversion. Chemical valorisation uses catalysts and


high temperatures to transform waste gases into useful compounds. While highly efficient, it often demands substantial energy, limiting sustainability unless powered by renewables.


nce considered waste, many outputs from industrial processes can now be valorised — meaning they can be


Biological valorisation employs microbes or


enzymes under milder conditions. These processes use less energy and are ideal for decentralised systems but operate more slowly and require careful microbial optimisation. Hybrid systems combining both methods are


emerging, aiming to boost conversion efficiency while lowering energy use. The potential for carbon dioxide valorisation


is vast. Carbon is central to many industrial products. With plastic production reaching 413.8 million tonnes in 2023, recycling carbon from industrial waste gases is critical. The chemical industry is working to reuse


waste carbon in materials like polycarbonates, polyurethanes, and polypropylene carbonates. Companies such as Fortum and Covestro are already integrating recycled carbon to reduce environmental impact and promote circularity. Agribusiness both consumes and emits CO2.


Each year, about 230 million tonnes of CO2 are used globally, 130 million of which go to fertiliser


THE IMPORTANCE OF OPTIMISING WATER USAGE NOW


restricted water supply. Evides has produced a briefing paper on this framework, highlighting the importance for


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UK industry to understand and prepare for a future where water is less readily available than it is today. Published by the UK Environment Agency in June, the document explores the measures


needed to ensure a long-term sustainable water supply in the UK, given an increasing population, climate change and environmental challenges. The current trajectory of water use is unsustainable, with a shortfall of 5 billion litres a day in public water supplies anticipated by 2055. The Evides paper, Implications for Industry: National Framework for Water Resources 2025,


summarises the likely changes for industrial users, from reform of abstraction licensing to increasing demands to optimise processes, introduce water reuse and recycling, and provide transparent accountability through smart metering and monitoring. Likely sector-specific measures are outlined, with big water users such as power,


agriculture, data centres and new industries subject to particular scrutiny and oversight. Industry is encouraged to optimise water use now, as the issue is not going to go away. To download a copy of this briefing paper, visit www.evidesdbfo.co.uk


3 SEPTEMBER 2025 | PROCESS & CONTROL 2


he UK’s new National Framework for Water Resources 2025 lays the groundwork for a sustainable water future. The implications for industry are much closer scrutiny of water use and the need to upgrade and improve water systems or face the consequences of


production. Yet, fertiliser manufacturing also emits around 2.1 per cent of global CO2 emissions. Integrating carbon-emitting and


consuming industries into closed-loop systems can cut waste and cost. Such integration would revolutionise industrial carbon management, but would require significant investment. One of the most successful applications of


bacterial valorisation is the process developed by LanzaTech, which has commercialised a waste gas-to-ethanol technology. This system efficiently converts carbon monoxide from steel mill off-gas into fuel-grade ethanol using the bacterium Clostridium autoethanogenum. Given that carbon monoxide makes up a


substantial portion of steel mill emissions and synthesis gas, this process represents a major advancement in industrial carbon recycling. Research has demonstrated that ethanol


produced through LanzaTech’s system results in greenhouse gas emissions that are 60 per cent lower than that of conventional fossil gasoline, with biomass-based ethanol achieving close to 90 per cent emission reductions Methane, from fossil extraction and landfills,


is a potent greenhouse gas, but also a valuable energy source. Biogas plants ferment organic matter into gas, primarily methane and CO2. This biogas can be used for power and heat, or upgraded into biomethane for grid injection. Switzerland leads in biogas adoption, with


over 100 plants. In 2019, it cut methane emissions by over 50,000 tons of CO2 equivalent by processing 1 million tons of manure. Countries lacking fossil reserves could greatly benefit. One example is Lake Kivu, between Rwanda


and the DRC, where anaerobic microbes naturally produce methane. Efforts are underway to harness this unique resource for energy generation. As well as increasing the circular economy,


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