REMEB · Project

Cheap Ceramic Filters Made from Waste Clean Your Wastewater for Reuse

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remeb-h2020.com

Imagine making a high-quality water filter not from expensive materials, but from leftovers — olive oil production waste, marble dust, and broken ceramics. That's exactly what REMEB did: they turned agricultural and industrial trash into ceramic membranes that clean wastewater well enough to reuse it. These recycled filters cost up to 3.5 times less than conventional ones, making water treatment affordable for regions where every drop counts. They built and tested a full-scale bioreactor at a real wastewater treatment plant to prove it works.

By the numbers

3.5x

lower cost than organic membrane MBR

2.5x

lower cost than conventional ceramic MBR

consortium partners

countries in consortium

SMEs in consortium

demo deliverables (membranes, pilot membranes, full MBR)

The business problem

What needed solving

Water treatment plants spend heavily on membrane replacement — conventional ceramic and organic membranes are expensive to buy and maintain. Meanwhile, agricultural and industrial producers pay to dispose of waste like olive oil residues and marble dust. In water-scarce regions, the combination of high treatment costs and growing demand for water reuse creates an urgent need for affordable filtration technology.

The solution

What was built

The project built recycled low-cost ceramic membranes (lab and pilot scale) made from olive oil waste, marble waste, and ceramic scrap, plus a complete membrane bioreactor (MBR) system validated at a real wastewater treatment plant. A total of 21 deliverables were produced, including 3 demo deliverables covering the membranes and the full MBR unit.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal wastewater treatment plant operators in water-scarce regionsOlive oil producers and food processors with wastewater discharge costsCeramic tile and marble companies looking to monetize production wasteIndustrial parks needing on-site water recycling solutionsWater technology companies seeking lower-cost membrane products to resell

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Municipal Water Treatment

enterprise

Target: Water utility or wastewater treatment plant operator

If you are a water utility struggling with high membrane replacement costs — this project developed ceramic membranes from recycled waste that are 3.5 times cheaper than organic membranes and 2.5 times cheaper than standard ceramic membranes. They validated a complete membrane bioreactor at a working wastewater treatment plant, proving the technology handles real municipal wastewater. For utilities in water-scarce regions, the treated water meets reuse standards.

Food & Beverage Processing

SME

Target: Olive oil producer, dairy, or food processing company with wastewater discharge obligations

If you are a food processor paying high fees for industrial wastewater discharge — this project built a membrane bioreactor specifically designed for industrial wastewater reuse. The membranes are partly made from olive oil solid wastes, turning your own waste stream into a treatment solution. Replication studies covered industrial wastewater applications across multiple countries including Turkey, Italy, and Colombia.

Ceramic & Building Materials

SME

Target: Ceramic tile manufacturer or marble processing company looking to valorize waste

If you are a ceramics or marble company paying to dispose of production waste like chamotte from fired scrap or marble cutting dust — this project proved these residues can be turned into commercial ceramic membranes for water treatment. With 13 partners across 7 countries validating manufacturing replicability in Turkey and Italy, there is a tested supply chain for converting your waste into a sellable product.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much cheaper are these membranes compared to what's on the market?

The project reports that REMEB ceramic membranes are 3.5 times lower in cost than organic membrane MBRs and 2.5 times lower than conventional ceramic MBRs. This covers both initial investment and running costs. The cost advantage comes from using recycled waste materials instead of expensive raw inputs.

Has this been tested at industrial scale or only in a lab?

REMEB was validated at a real Waste Water Treatment Plant, not just in a lab. They produced pilot-scale ceramic membranes and built a complete membrane bioreactor (MBR) that was compared against the existing MBR already operating at the selected plant. Manufacturing was replicated at facilities in Turkey and Italy.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license this technology?

The technology was developed by a consortium of 13 partners led by Sociedad de Fomento Agricola Castellonense S.A. in Spain. The project included a business plan for commercialization after the project ended. Based on available project data, licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator or relevant consortium partners.

Which regions or climates benefit most from this technology?

The project specifically targeted water-scarce regions. Replication studies were conducted in Colombia and nearby countries, Cyprus and nearby countries, and across Europe. Any region facing water scarcity or strict wastewater discharge regulations would benefit from affordable water reuse technology.

What waste materials are needed to produce these membranes?

The membranes use olive oil solid wastes, marble working wastes, and chamotte from fired ceramic scrap, combined with standard ceramic tile industry raw materials. This means the technology works best where these agricultural and industrial residues are locally available, particularly in Mediterranean and ceramic-producing regions.

Is the technology ready to deploy today?

The project ended in August 2018 and included a business plan for commercialization. The technology reached pilot validation at a working wastewater plant with manufacturing replicated in multiple countries. Based on available project data, deployment readiness would depend on the consortium's post-project commercialization progress.

Consortium

Who built it

The REMEB consortium brings together 13 partners from 7 countries with a strong commercial orientation — 6 of the partners are SMEs and the industry ratio stands at 31%. The coordinator is a Spanish agricultural company (Sociedad de Fomento Agricola Castellonense), which signals practical, market-driven leadership rather than purely academic goals. The geographic spread across Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Norway, Cyprus, and Colombia covers both manufacturing bases (ceramic industries in Spain, Turkey, Italy) and target markets for water reuse (Mediterranean and Latin American water-scarce regions). With manufacturing replication validated in Turkey and Italy, the consortium has already tested the supply chain across multiple production sites.

SOCIEDAD DE FOMENTO AGRICOLA CASTELLONENSE S ACoordinator · ES
UNIVERSITAT JAUME I DE CASTELLONparticipant · ES
CONSEJO DE CAMARAS OFICIALES DE COMERCIO, INDUSTRIA Y NAVIGACION DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANAparticipant · ES
ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LASINDUSTRIAS CERAMICAS AICEthirdparty · ES

How to reach the team

Sociedad de Fomento Agricola Castellonense S.A., Spain — contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction

Order a report on this consortium See SOCIEDAD DE FOMENTO AGRICOLA CASTELLONENSE S A profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing REMEB's low-cost ceramic membrane technology for your water treatment operations? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner and prepare a tailored technology brief.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate