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Industrial and agricultural water solutions

Moodvideo AFSG/WFBR - FOCUS_WATER
About

Water scarcity, rising treatment costs, rising energy consumption, and stricter environmental rules. These are the main challenges industries and agricultural businesses face when it comes to their water usage. We help to overcome these challenges by developing water technologies that reduce costs, support regulatory compliance, and improve sustainability.

Water is a critical resource in the agri-food and industrial sector. These industries depend on large quantities of clean water, but supplies are becoming increasingly limited and do not always fit the quality needs. Therefore, local water circulation and the availability of alternative water sources are crucial. Wastewater streams often contain valuable nutrients, compounds or heat that are lost during discharge, while environmental regulations in this area become stricter.

We design and implement practical, scalable solutions directly on site: from advanced purification systems that remove PFAS and other (micro)pollutants, to technologies that enable water reuse, nutrient recovery, energy efficiency, and microbiologically safe water. We also develop biobased and biodegradable treatment products and support companies in managing brine and saline water challenges. 

These help our clients to reduce operational expenses, strengthen sustainability performance, and build resilience against scarcity and regulatory change.

Discover our expertises

Expertises

Separation and purification

We offer innovative solutions for water reuse, pollutant removal, and recovery solutions. These help Industries turn residual wet streams into valuable resources.

We support agri-food, chemical, and biobased industries in unlocking value from their residual wet streams. Together with our partners, we develop integrated water and resource recovery strategies, from intake to discharge, that fit operational and sustainability goals.

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Industrial wastewater treatment plant

Mild and energy-efficient compound recovery

Compound recovery can represent for over 70% of production costs in food and biobased processes. We design and deliver mild, energy-efficient separation and purification technologies, and integrated process solutions. These preserve the quality of target compounds while reducing costs and waste.

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Product concentration (Dewatering)

Industries working with water-rich streams face costly, energy-intensive concentration processes that risk degrading product quality. We develop mild, efficient dewatering solutions and technologies that preserve value, reduce waste, and deliver high quality water-fit-for-use.

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dewatering

Water-fit-for-use and aqueous waste stream treatment

Industries face stricter regulations, rising treatment costs and water scarcity while dealing with complex aqueous waste streams. Our expertise ensures water-fit-for-use and turns waste into valuable resources.

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watergebruik in fabriek met appels

Why partner with WUR

Collaboration
Water purification

What we offer

  • On-site circular water treatment solutions
  • Advanced technologies for micropollutants, desalination and energy recovery
  • Biobased and biodegradable treatment products
  • Practical and economical separation and purification expertise
  • Integrated concepts on water, minerals, CO₂ and energy
Highlight
One solution for 4 issues: residual heat, brine, water and electricity: SeaHydrogen

Contact us

Contact

Looking for viable methods for recovering nutrients from wastewater? Or are you looking for ways to efficiently purify water before it's discharged? Or perhaps you want to use the heat in your cooling water for energy and water reuse? Contact our business developer.

RA (Raphael) Fredon

Business developer

Focus areas

Focus areas

Fermentation and bioprocessing

Fermentation is a powerful method for next-gen food production. We support companies to design scalable, efficient and sustainable fermentative processes, from strain to scale.

Biobased or renewable materials and plastics

Industry demands materials and plastics that are sustainable, circular, fossil-free and safe. 

We help manufacturers develop those materials without compromising on quality or economic viability. With over thirty years of experience, we develop high-performance, renewable materials based on biomass and side streams, such as agricultural and forestry residues. 

Health benefit substantiation for food reformulation

The food industry continuously strives to develop healthier products that align with consumer expectations and evolving regulations.

Wageningen University & Research supports companies to reformulate their products with trusted, evidence-based health benefit substantiation.

Biobased chemicals for safe and circular materials

ndustries face growing pressure to replace persistent and harmful substances with safe and sustainable alternatives. We closely work together with businesses  to create and implement new circular materials that are non-hazardous and mechanically, or chemically, recyclable or (bio)degradable to the highest content possible. 

We develop biobased chemicals and materials that are renewable, non-toxic and compliant with future regulations. Our techno-economic analyses make sure they’re also economically viable.

Ingredient flexibility for smarter food reformulation

Ingredient flexibility is becoming essential as costs rise, ingredients change and sustainability targets grow. 

Food producers need to reformulate, but without losing taste, texture or processing performance. Wageningen University & Research helps make that possible.

Industrial and agricultural water solutions

Water scarcity, rising treatment costs, rising energy consumption, and stricter environmental rules. These are the main challenges industries and agricultural businesses face when it comes to their water usage. 

We help to overcome these challenges by developing water technologies that reduce costs, support regulatory compliance, and improve sustainability.

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