# Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery

**Source**: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qeeri/water-center/wastewater-treatment-resource-recovery
**Parent**: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qeeri/water-center

## Overview

Advancing sustainable water management through produced water treatment, wastewater reuse, and
waste-to-resource conversion to support Qatar’s circular economy.

## Projects

- Waste2Value - Biorefinery for Converting Waste Streams to Value-Added Products
- PURE - Produced water utilization through advanced remediation
- CURES - Circular Decentralized Systems for Urban Wastewater Treatment, Reuse, and Soil Enrichment

The project "Biorefinery for Converting Waste Streams to Value-Added Products
(BioWaste2Value)" aims to establish an integrated biorefinery platform that transforms
diverse waste streams into high-value, sustainable biomaterials, contributing to resource
recovery, circular economy, and environmental sustainability. The project focuses on three
interconnected pathways:

- Waste-to-Protein, where agro-industrial and food waste is converted into microbial
  protein, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and methanotroph-based biomass, for use as
  sustainable animal feed in aquaculture and poultry industries.
- Waste-to-Bioplastics, targeting the conversion of agricultural and food waste into
  biodegradable plastics, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics and
  reducing environmental pollution.
- Waste-to-Biochar, producing biochar from various waste streams for applications in soil
  enhancement, carbon sequestration, and sustainable energy.

The project aligns strongly with Qatar National Vision 2030 and Qatar National Development
Strategy by promoting sustainable economic development, efficient resource utilization, and
environmental preservation. It addresses key pillars, including environmental sustainability
through waste management and pollution reduction, economic diversification by fostering
innovative biotechnologies, and food security by supporting local aquaculture and
agriculture sectors. By transforming waste challenges into opportunities, this project
contributes to Qatar’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy and advances the
country’s commitment to global sustainability goals, such as the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Through its innovative and scalable solutions, the project
supports Qatar's vision for a sustainable, self-sufficient, and resilient future.

Produced water (PW) is generated in very large volumes in Qatar as a by-product of natural
gas production and is typically disposed of via deep-well injection, a practice that poses
risks of long-term environmental contamination. Reuse of gas-derived PW represents a
promising alternative for applications such as district cooling, aquifer recharge, and
landscape irrigation. However, the presence of residual oil, toxic organic compounds, and
heavy metals in treated PW must be effectively addressed before safe reuse is possible.

This project is a collaborative effort between QEERI, ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ),
local company APEX Water Solutions & Services, and QatarEnergy LNG. The primary objective is
to evaluate and optimize the performance of two hybrid treatment trains for PW purification:

- constructed wetland - adsorption - membrane treatment
- coalescent media/APEX ceramic filtration - adsorption - membrane treatment.

In the first treatment train, pilot-scale wetland systems (developed and operated at EMRQ) will be assessed for their effectiveness in removing oil and organic pollutants from PW, followed by adsorption processes and desalination-grade membrane filtration. In the second treatment train, porous coalescent materials and APEX ceramic membranes will be tested for oil and suspended solids removal as a potential replacement for wetlands in hybrid treatment schemes.

A fully integrated prototype system for PW treatment will be designed, fabricated, and tested with real gas PW under field-relevant conditions. Comprehensive life cycle assessment and scalability analyses will be conducted to evaluate the environmental and economic feasibility of PW treatment and reuse pathways in Qatar.

This project introduces a novel system based on wastewater management to support water and
food security with urban infrastructures. It proposes an integrated and closed-loop
decentralized wastewater treatment solution by integrating engineered and nature-based
processes to produce high-quality effluent for non-potable reuse, such as flushing, and to
support crop production using biochar derived from the waste by-products.

The system integrates a Membrane Aerated BioReactor (MABR) with a living wall bioreactor,
supported by engineered substrates derived from local agri-waste, generating effluent and
sludge as by-products. The MABR uses oxygen-permeable membranes to enhance
nitrification–denitrification with low energy input, maintaining resilience under variable
loads. Its effluent is polished in the living wall, which combines vegetation with tailored
substrates (hydrogel and biochar) for nutrient and contaminant removal. In addition to
treatment efficiency, the living wall provides ecological and aesthetic value, enabling
integration into urban spaces and infrastructure.

The sludge by-product from MABR and other agri-waste is converted to biochar, which will be
applied to recover the nutrients from the effluent within the living wall and to support
crop production through enhanced nutrient and water retention. Within this, biochar is
modified and optimized through urea coating, then tested for its ability to improve crop
yields. This component reinforces the project’s integrated vision of circularity by
transforming local waste into materials that support both treatment performance and
agricultural productivity.

By merging energy-efficient biological processes, nature-based treatment, and local waste
valorization, the project establishes a technically robust and environmentally integrated
model for next-generation decentralized wastewater management.