Andicos

The Andicos™ (Anaerobic Digestion by Combining Organic Waste and Sewage) technology is a modular treatment step that can be added to existing treatment plants. Andicos™ consists of two main steps: filtration through membranes and membrane concentrate processing through a digester with biogas and organic fertilizer production. 

The full Andicos™ concept, including both systems, has only been demonstrated at lab scale (TRL 4). In PAVITRA GANGA the full Andicos™ is taken to TRL 6/7.

The Andicos™ technology was selected in this project because of the robust functioning and the modular concept that allows it to be easily added to existing installations. The specific construction of IPC™ membranes allows for rigorous backwashing, up to 2 bar(g) of the membrane. These membranes use 50% less energy and are more compact than other commercially available flat sheet membranes. The ability to regularly backwash membranes makes the process more stable under challenging conditions.

The membrane concentrate is combined with processed organic household waste (pre-treated and fractionated to remove metal, glass, wood, plastics, paper etc..) to increase organic matter content to levels that allow efficient anaerobic digester functioning.

The digester produces biogas and a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as a fertilizer, thus upcycling organic waste and wastewater and decreasing the net costs of treatment. The resulting effluent from the IPC™ membranes is less polluted compared to current effluent, and is safer and more sustainable for water re-use (irrigation) and improving the river water quality.