OPTINAGUA
Relevant project information
Dates
Project website
Role of CIRCE
Grant agreement number
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Description and objectives
The current efficiency analysis based on real data (economic and environmental) of water use in industry is a pending task both at Spanish and European level in a context of increasing competition for water uses and, therefore, of greater pressure on these scarce resources. A rigorous evaluation of the efficiency of industrial water use, taking into account the degree of resource use in the production of goods and services, as well as the environmental impact of such industrial activity, and the costs of restoring the resource is a necessary work in the environment and in the current situation. The adoption and proposals of technical solutions to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of water use are alternatives that must be delivered to the industry after the implementation of the corresponding audit. OPTINAGUA intends to provide them.
The OPTINAGUA tool is based on a methodology that combines economic, energy and environmental aspects. The technological development of Optinagua is based on already consolidated and widespread methodologies such as "Water Footprint (HW)", "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)", "Water Pinch (WP)" and "Physical Hydronomics (PH)". The final result is the construction of a global indicator to numerically measure the economic and environmental efficiency of water use in agribusiness, in order to propose measures to improve process efficiency.
Value proposition
The main objective of the project is the creation, implementation and validation of a software tool to perform the analysis of water use and energy efficiency in agribusiness, including sustainable development, environment and economy. These evaluations are the starting point for the improvement of processes in order to increase efficiency in the use of resources, creating a positive effect for the environment and for the competitiveness of the companies themselves, such as the identification of opportunities for improvement in the production chain and technical solutions to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of water use. These technical solutions are aimed at improving the industrial processes that make the companies more competitive in the global market. The objective is the periodic analysis of the evolution and verification of the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed measures, once implemented. The tool covers sectors that account for around 90% of GDP in Spain.
- Vegetables (canned, preserves, jams and sauces, frozen)
- Meat, dairy, beer
- Canned fish and seafood, frozen ready meals and sugar sectors.
It also represents a seal of quality that differentiates the company from the competition, incorporating measurement elements and reference values to compare the production process with the rest of the sector. It also implies a demanding advancement of national policy trends.
Project partners
CIRCE, UNIVERSITY OF ZARAGOZA, GEOSLAB, IP3