News

The loss of ecosystem biodiversity is causing more than economic impacts affecting human welfare. Today as never before, pollution climate change and biological invasions are major threats to our marine environment.

Galicia is home to one of the greatest marine ecosystems in the word as well as it is the European region with highest production of transformed sea products. This procedure requires high water consumption and therefore generates a large quantity of wastewater. In this sense and within the frame of the Life Seacan project, two biofilm-based technologies were developed (AGS and MBBR) in order to match the overall objective of the investigation: to reduce the environmental pressure exerted by fish canneries’ effluents in the marine ecosystem. Matching the goals stablished, the wastewater treatments developed, compared to conventional ones, demonstrated to be less space requiring in its implementation and more effective under unfavorable conditions, allowing, at the end, to meet the discharge limits imposed by legislation.

As a closure to this four-year investigation, two technical reports (Layman’s Report and Layman’s Report for Policy Makers) and a short video were elaborated and are now published and shared. Check them out for further information!

Aguas Residuales
24/11/2017

Tecnologías y soluciones innovadoras para afrontar los retos medioambientales de la industria conservera
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iAgua
24/11/2017

Tecnologías innovadoras para afrontar los retos medioambientales de la industria conservera
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TVG
29/11/2017

Retos tecnolóxicos nas conserveiras
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La Opinión
29/11/2017

La patronal de la conserva analiza mejoras en favor del medio ambiente
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Agro Diario Huelva
30/11/2017

Anfaco-Cecopesca y Cetaqua buscan mejorar la gestión de efluentes de la industria conservera
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iAgua
30/11/2017

Expertos del sector conservero para dar a conocer el proyecto LIFE SEACAN
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Retema
30/11/2017

Presentado el proyecto LIFE SEACAN ante expertos del sector conservero gallego
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La Voz de Galicia
30/11/2017

Nuevas tecnologías para depurar las aguas residuales de las conserveras
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Radio Galega
01/12/2017

Novas tecnoloxías de depuración para minimizar o impacto ambiental das conserveiras nos ecosistemas mariños
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Aguas Residuales
01/12/2017

El futuro del sector conservero se dirige hacia la implantación de tecnologías innovadoras de tratamiento de aguas
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El Correo Gallego
01/12/2017

Cetaqua y Anfaco-Cecopesca muestran el proyecto Life Seacan al sector conservero
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Tecnoaqua
01/12/2017

Cetaqua y Anfaco-Cecopesca difunden el proyecto Seacan sobre tecnologías sostenibles para el tratamiento de aguas al sector conservero
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El Correo Gallego
01/12/2017

Cetaqua y Anfaco-Cecopesca muestran el proyecto Life Seacan al sector conservero
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LIFE VERTALIM
04/12/2017

LIFE VERTALIM en la jornada “Tecnologías y soluciones innovadoras para afrontar los retos medioambientales de la industria conservera” organizado por LIFE SEACAN
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ANFACO-CECOPESCA
16/05/2018

JORNADA DE INNOVACIÓN EN AUTOMATIZACIÓN 4.0 PARA LA INDUSTRIA ALIMENTARIA
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The Galician marine ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the world. Fishing and aquaculture activities represent 3% of the Gross Domestic Product of this community. In this sense, Galicia perfectly exemplifies the impact that wastewater treatment systems from the canning industry can achieve.

In a clear commitment to the conservation of the marine environment, the Life Seacan project, led by Cetaqua Galicia, has developed two technologies addressed to a sustainable management of wastewater from the canning industry. Under this premise, the development of these two technologies based on biofilm bioprocesses has allowed the reduction of the energy consumption of the treatment process and, consequently, its carbon footprint. Besides, an optimum effluent quality has been obtained which, finally, is discharged into the natural channel.

Specifically, technologies based on biofilm processes, which have been developed and implemented throughout these four years of research, consist of a prototype of aerobic granular sludge, in which microorganisms, responsible for the biological elimination of pollutants from the wastewater, form compact aggregates called granules. On the other hand, it is the MBBR purification system, where microorganisms adhere to the surface of plastic supports forming the biofilm. These treatment systems are capable of purifying complex wastewater, thus contributing to the reduction of the impact of industrial activity on natural ecosystems and ensuring compliance with the discharge limits imposed by legislation.

In this context, Cetaqua Galicia organised in October 8th a project final event at Cidade da Cultura, in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). During this workshop, the project results were presented. Besides, since these technologies can be validated for their use in other sectors, such as dairy or winemaking, among others, its application in other fields of action was also discussed.

This event combined perspectives from different entities, both public and private, that share an environmental commitment. So, the day has been enriched thanks to the presence of the partners of the LIFE SEACAN project: Cetaqua , Universidade de Vigo and Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, in addition to the presence and participation of companies from the food and beverage sector such as CAPSA FOOD, CONDES DE ALBAREI or COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS IBERIA, as well as other entities such as Augas de Galicia, ANFACO-CECOPESCA and FIAB. This broad vision has allowed expanding the initial spectrum and forging new commitments towards increasingly sustainable management of treatment processes.

The Life Seacan Project comes out with a great commitment to the preservation of the marine ecosystem. Galicia is, in this sense, a distinctive region that stands out for its marine diversity and that depends, greatly, on its shores. This is, therefore, why the conservation of this ecosystems is so important and requires high responsibility.

Thus, framed in this project, two technologies: AGS (Aerobic Granular Sludge) and MBBR (Moving Biofilm Bed Reactor) that invest in a more sustainable treatment of wastewater from the canning industry were developed. This innovative treatment systems – based on biofilm processes – have made possible to reduce energy consumption of the process and, consequently, the carbon footprint, in addition to obtaining an effluent of optimum quality for later disposal to the natural course.

On the 8^th of October in Santiago de Compostela, the final workshop of this project, “Towards a Sustainable Management in the Food Industry: Innovation on Wastewater treatment and valorization”, will take place, in which all these matters will be addressed; taking a step further towards a more sustainable management that interferes increasingly less in natural environment.

The attendance to this workshop is free, so everyone who might be interested, could register here.

Feel free to check the provisional agenda here.

Sign up!

On the 23rd of January five projects gathered together, framed within the Life program, in order to strengthen bilateral relationships and to build new future-oriented opportunities.

The projects which have been part of the event, that took place in Cetaqua Galicia facilities, have been Life Siamec, Life Smart Fertirrigation, Life Multi-AD 4 AgroSMEs, Life Multibiosol and, of course, Life Seacan.

During the journey the assistants have expounded their objectives and their prospects once the projects are completed. In addition to the advisable presentations, in order to crown it all, a panel discussion have taken place, in which every participant have debated about the development and impact of these projects.

On the 12^th of December we welcome the Project Adviser from the EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, established by the European Commission), together with the External Monitor of the project.

The visit was divided into two parts: Firstly, the financial and technical meetings took place. In these gatherings, in addition to the economic aspects, the situation of the different actions, which are carried out over the course of the project, was approached. Secondly and lastly, as a closure of the event, a visit to the pilot plant –located in O Grove– was organized. Over there, the operations executed, and that ensure the development of the activity and therefore of the project, were explained.

Iagua
19/10/2015

Seacan: ¿Cómo mejorar el tratamiento de las aguas residuales de las industrias conserveras?
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La Voz de Galicia
18/10/2015

La USC coopera con Cetaqua Galicia en un proyecto de tratamiento de aguas residuales
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Xornal USC
16/10/2015

Comeza o proxecto Life Seacan baseado en novas tecnoloxías de depuración
que minimizan o impacto ambiental da actividade industrial nos ecosistemas mariños
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El Correo Gallego
16/10/2015

Tecnología al servicio del agua
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DUVI
15/10/2015

Novas tecnoloxías de depuración para minimizar o impacto ambiental das conserveiras nos ecosistemas mariños
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Finanzas
15/10/2015

Desarrollan tecnologías de depuración para minimizar impacto de conserveras
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Aguas Residuales
13/09/2015

Arranca el proyecto Life Seacan para el desarrollo de procesos de depuración para industrias conserveras
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Iagua
10/09/2015

Seacan: Depuración con procesos de biopelícula para preservar el ecosistema marino
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Retema
07/09/2015

Life Seacan desarrollará nuevos sitemas de tratamiento para reducir la contaminación de los ecosistemas marinos
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Tokyo was the hosting city for the World Water Congress & Exhibition of this year 2018. From 16th to 21st September, the event has received more than 6.000 professionals from 100 different countries; promoting countless discussions about the future of sustainable water management.

Among the most remarkable matters, issues such as the importance of the circular economy, the implementation of SGD (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations, the efficiency of the process involved, the digitalization of the water sector and the emerging pollutants should be noticed.

The Life Seacan project was presented in a session dedicated to biofilm and granular sludge technologies. Over the presentation technical advances were shown as well as the implementation of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR) and Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) technologies in a real cannery. The subject raised curiosity among the attendees, resulting in a really interesting discussion. One of the main concerns was related to the application of the AGS technology for the treatment of effluents with high levels of salinity, a problem that not only affects the canning industry, but many other industry sectors.