In a world first for wastewater treatment, Yorkshire Water will implement a new ammonia and phosphorus recovery process that cuts greenhouse gases and recycles waste material at one of its wastewater treatment works.

A partnership between Yorkshire Water and CCm Technologies will see the pioneering technology use carbon dioxide to stabilise nitrogen and phosphate held within the waste treated at the plant and turn them into sustainable plant nutrients.

The new approach, which will cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce treatment costs to help keep customer bills low, is a world first for the wastewater sector.

Work has begun to identify the first treatment works to implement the new process and it is expected to begin operating later in the year.

Nevil Muncaster, Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer commented:

"Yorkshire Water’s holistic and integrated approach is critical to the sustainability of our water and wastewater services and our business. This is a further example of the innovative measures we, and our partners, are developing to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure we maximise the resources we have available to us.

“By helping society benefit from the full value of water, we deliver a wide range of economic, environmental and social benefits for both the short and long term.”

Professor Peter Hammond, CCm’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, commented:

”This is another significant step forward that will allow our technology to demonstrate how sustainable resource use by Yorkshire Water can lock captured carbon back into the soil, allowing the water industry to play a role at the heart of carbon reduction.”