English

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.