The main work to be performed in WP1 is related to the coordination and monitoring of the activities, the administrative and financial management, the coordination of the reporting and deliverables production, the management of the knowledge generated in order to facilitate the communication and dissemination activities (WP9), and the resolution of possible conflicts.

The management of the project involves:

• to ensure that the project main targets are achieved within the established timeframe and budget
• to co-ordinate and organize the work in the project
• to ensure a communication flow
• to ensure the project follow-up (project progress control and planning),
• to ensure the quality of the deliverables and
• to establish decision making procedures.

All members assume full technical and financial responsibility for the management of the project. The overall management of the project will be assumed by the Principal Investigator who will be responsible for the project planning, tracking and oversight as well as for the provision of costs and for the issue of periodic cost statements.

A communication infrastructure based on periodic meetings and emailing lists will be established.

This work package WP2 will identify major characteristics of the condensate resulting from the drying/ shredding of the Fermentable Household Waste (FHW). The dependence of these characteristics on the main operating characteristics of drying, namely temperature and duration and energy consumed, will also be assessed. Moreover, the seasonal fluctuation of the condensate characteristics will be evaluated. Furthermore, a synthetic wastewater similar in physicochemical characteristics to a typical municipal wastewater will be defined. This synthetic wastewater will be used in combination with the condensate to produce a feedstock that will be used in any of the following processes. The use of synthetic feedstock ensures stability in the characteristics of the feedstock that will be used in experimental processes. The measurements of soluble (sCOD) and total (tCOD) chemical oxygen demand, total (TSS) and volatile (VSS) suspended solids, total nitrogen (Kjeldahl), total phosphorus and Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) pH, alkalinity and temperature will be carried out according to Standard Methods (APHA, AWWA and WEF, 1995). Total carbohydrates will be measured according to the analysis of Josefsson (Josefsson, 1983).

WP3 will evaluate the anaerobic digestion potential of the condensate/wastewater mixture. The evaluation will be pursued through experiments carried out in a pilot-scale, high-rate innovative bioreactor, called Periodic Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (PABR). Biogas productivity, methane content, pH, alkalinity, sCOD, tCOD, TSS, VSS and VFAs will be measured routinely.

Models of the process will be developed using suitable software (e.g AQUASIM, COMSOL Multiphysics) based on previous experience developed by the group.

WP4 will develop an activated sludge system for the treatment of the effluent of the digester. The specific system to be used will be a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) as it is most suitable for activated sludge experimentation at small (lab) scale.  The SBR operation will contain aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic phases to secure both COD and nutrient (N and P) removal.

In order to optimize the operating parameters of the SBR regarding the removal of nutrients and COD from the digester’s effluent, a lab scale (Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) equipped with Programmable Logic Computer (PLC) and Human Machine Interface (HMI) will be designed and constructed.

During the experiments sCOD, tCOD, nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate, TKN), phosphorus, alkalinity, TSS and VSS will be measured regularly both in the influent and the effluent of the SBR in order to estimate the effect of different parameters (e.g. Hydraulic Retention Time, Duration of each operational phase, concentration of dissolved oxygen etc.) on the efficiency of the process.

Finally, in order to fully understand the process, a model such as the Activated Sludge Model (Henze et al,2000) will be developed using suitable software (e.g AQUASIM) and will be verified based on experimental data.

WP5 will investigate the possibility of treating the effluent of the anaerobic digester (PABR), as well as condensate/municipal wastewater mixture by using Microbial Fuel Cell technology and simultaneously produce electricity in a four-air-cathode microbial fuel cell (4ACMFC) (Fig.4). The advantage offered by the specific technology is the simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity production. The MFC will be assessed in WP4 in terms of COD removal rate, power production and coulombic efficiency. The operation of the experimental setup will be pursued using electrochemical techniques.

First, a physicochemical characterization of WAS will be conducted in the frame of WP6. Evaluation of AcoD of the  mixture of WAS with condensate will be performed using a conventional 100L CSTR anaerobic digester. Evaluation criteria will include biogas productivity, methane concentration in the biogas and COD removal rate. During experiments sCOD, tCOD, pH, alkalinity, TSS, VSS, VFAs, biogas productivity and methane concentration in biogas will be measured regularly both in the influent and the effluent of the CSTR to estimate the effect of different parameters (i.e. Hydraulic Retention Time and Organic Loading rate, activated sludge/condensate mixture ratios) on the efficiency of the process.

Finally, the results will be compared with results obtained from the AD of WAS.

In WP7 we will utilize the experimental results of WPs 2-6, to develop alternative scenaria for the co-management of household fermentable waste and municipal solid waste. First, each alternative technology will be assessed based on its treatment efficiency (i.e. COD removal, biogas productivity, electricity productivity etc.). To develop the scenaria, we will consider the characteristics of the case study city. A cradle-to-grave approach will be adopted for the development of the scenaria, from the generation of the waste through its valorization and disposal of by-products.

WP8 will assess the environmental and economic impact of the proposed waste co-management approach based on the alternative scenaria developed in WP7. The tools that will be used for the environmental assessment will be Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC).

Both models will be developed using EASETECH (a specialized software for implementing LCA principles in waste management systems) as well as a Life Cycle Inventory database (i.e. Ecoinvent).

Firstly, we will develop an LCA of the base-case scenario (as described in WP7), to assess its impact. Primary data regarding the fermentable solid waste and wastewater generation rate and composition as well as the waste management options used will be acquired for developing the base-case scenario from an actual 100,000-resident’s municipality.

The base-case scenario LCA will act as a basis for assessing the actual environmental impact (net benefit or loss) of the proposed waste management system. We will use a combination of experimental, primary and secondary (from relevant databases) data for the development of the Life Cycle Inventory of the proposed waste management system. The experimental results will be used to obtain the efficiency of the scenario developed (e.g. biogas produced in a PABR per ton of waste treated).

The main objective of WP9 is to ensure that the results achieved within the DENOMINATE project will be open public available and to disseminate them properly within the scientific community and interested stakeholders. Aspects related to the dissemination of technology and knowledge generated during the course of the project is exceptionally important. Apart from the scientific impact, the socioeconomic aspect will be taken into account.