Can you tell us about your role in the AquaSPICE project?
Business Development Group SRL is a Romanian based SME with experience of more than 25 years in Lower DANUBE River Basin and currently interested to transfer knowledge and involve stakeholders from Eastern Europe in implementing innovative technologies in several sectors like Water( and related energy, food, circular economy, irrigations, etc.) and energy efficiency in buildings.
In AquaSPICE project we are working with a well-known Romanian poultry and meat producer( Agricola International SA in Bacau) to promote the water- industrial symbiosis by facilitation the deployment of a pilot project in one of their slaughterhouses located in Bacau , contributing in this way to implement the Romanian strategy for innovation and water re-uses in their region ( as was adopted few months ago by the Regional Development Agency North East , ADRNE, for the whole North Eastern region of Romania).
What do you consider as important water management challenges in the industrial sector?
The water sector in Romania is a public one, with limited knowledge and expertise in developing innovative technologies as we will develop in AquaSPICE project. The water management in Romania is very much involved in classic topics( water quality of sources, water management of floods and droughts, etc.) but less participative in cross-sectorial projects as the circular economy . Also, cooperation between Romanian water sector and industry is limited, as well as cooperation with the citizens.
AquaSPICE project is considering not only development of innovative water technology for water re-use, but also involvement of the local and regional stakeholders for cooperation in new projects, making water-energy-food NEXUS stronger in their field.
What do you think are the main benefits the project brings forward and in which areas are you expecting AquaSPICE to have an impact?
The main goal of the AquaSPICE is to start working on implementation of a water efficiency process in one company belonging to the AGRICOLA group of companies. An assessment of water use has been executed in the first months of the project and the basics for establishing a Real Time Monitoring System have been created. All information collected from different sources (including sensors to be installed) will be at the end used in the AI tool to be developed by the project colleagues, in order to assist the Agricola management to take ‘’live’’ decisions in terms of water use.
The ultimate goal for Agricola will be the reduction with 30% of the water currently in use in their pilot premises, contributing to the local efforts to care more about water, a novel subject not only for any industry in Romania, but also a signal to be send to the local administrations for improving the regional policies in relation with the water sector.
