Kingston University has received an EU Horizon Europe grant to join CeSuds, an international project led by the University of Limerick that aims to turn wastewater treatment plants into resource-producing hubs.
The work focuses on hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), a process that converts sewage sludge into hydrochar, process liquid and recovered nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.
Dr Heba Ghazal will lead Kingston’s contribution, investigating how micropollutants, especially pharmaceuticals, break down during HTC. Her research will also develop analytical tools to monitor these changes, assess whether wet oxidation is needed for process liquids, and identify the best operating conditions and degradation pathways.
The wider consortium is responding to rising treatment costs, stricter environmental rules, and concerns about traditional sludge disposal methods, such as spreading on farmland or incineration. The project also uses machine learning to help operators predict output quality in real time.
- Hydrochar could serve as a renewable fuel or soil amendment.
- Process liquids could be further treated to generate more biogas.
- Recovered nutrients could support fertiliser production and European food security.
- The approach may help wastewater plants move toward energy neutrality and lower emissions.
The four-year doctoral network will train 14 researchers across Europe, with practical experience at industrial and municipal sites in several countries.
For property development, the project could make wastewater infrastructure more valuable to new housing, commercial and mixed-use schemes. If treatment becomes cleaner, more energy efficient and more self-sufficient, developers may face fewer constraints on site servicing, lower long-term utility costs and stronger sustainability credentials. In growing urban areas, this could improve the feasibility of dense development and support planning approvals tied to circular economy and carbon-reduction goals.
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