ZERO BRINE · Project

Turn Industrial Brine Waste Into Sellable Minerals, Salt, and Clean Water

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Many factories produce salty wastewater — brine — that costs a fortune to dispose of and pollutes rivers and coastlines. ZERO BRINE figured out how to crack that waste stream open and pull out useful stuff: clean water you can reuse, table-grade salt, magnesium compounds, and even captured waste heat from nearby plants to power the process. Think of it like sorting your recycling bin, except the bin is a pipe full of industrial saltwater and every separated fraction has a buyer. They proved it works at two demo plants in Rotterdam Port and three pilot sites across Europe treating brine from coal mines, textile factories, and petrochemical operations.

By the numbers

Demo plants operated in Rotterdam Port petrochemical cluster

Large-scale pilot plants at other industrial sites across Europe

Partners in the consortium

Countries represented in the consortium

Industry partners involved

SMEs with disruptive technologies

Feasibility studies for full-scale implementation completed

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Process industries — from petrochemicals to textiles to mining — generate massive volumes of salty wastewater (brine) that is expensive to dispose of and environmentally damaging. At the same time, these companies pay separately for fresh water and mineral inputs that could be recovered from their own waste. Current treatment options are energy-intensive and rarely recover anything of value, turning a potential resource into a pure cost.

The solution

What was built

The project built and operated 2 industrial-scale demo plants in Rotterdam Port treating real brine from EVIDES, plus 3 large-scale pilot plants for coal mine water, textile effluents, and other process streams. Deliverables include full operating and maintenance manuals, 3 feasibility studies for full-scale deployment, technology verification reports, and an optimized system integrating electrodialysis, membrane units, and crystallizer technology for mineral recovery.

Audience

Who needs this

Chemical and petrochemical plant operators with brine disposal costsTextile manufacturers dealing with high-salinity dyeing effluentMining companies managing contaminated mine waterPort authorities and industrial park managers pursuing circular economy goalsWater utilities serving industrial clusters

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Petrochemical & Chemical Processing

enterprise

Target: Chemical plants and refineries generating large volumes of saline wastewater

If you are a chemical plant operator spending heavily on brine disposal and freshwater intake — this project demonstrated 2 demo plants in Rotterdam's petrochemical cluster that recover water, salt, and magnesium from your brine effluent. The system uses waste heat from neighbouring factories to cut energy costs, and feasibility studies for full-scale implementation are already completed. With 23 partners across 10 countries validating the approach, the technology is ready for industrial replication.

Textile Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Textile dyeing and finishing companies with high-salinity effluent

If you are a textile manufacturer struggling with salty wastewater from dyeing processes — this project built and operated a pilot system specifically for textile effluents. The pilot tested input and output water quality, energy and chemical consumption, and optimized efficiency. Instead of paying for disposal, you recover reusable water and mineral by-products. The 3 feasibility studies completed show clear pathways to full-scale deployment.

Mining & Mineral Extraction

enterprise

Target: Coal and mineral mining operations dealing with mine water treatment

If you are a mining company managing contaminated mine water — this project operated a dedicated pilot plant for coal mine water treatment using electrodialysis and pressure-driven membrane units. The system tracked energy consumption, chemical usage, and product stream composition throughout operation. With a full operating and maintenance manual produced, including detailed drawings and instructions, the technology package is ready for transfer to new sites.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does it cost to implement a ZERO BRINE system?

The project did not publish specific capital or operational cost figures in the available data. However, 3 feasibility studies for full-scale implementation were completed, which would contain site-specific cost projections. The system is designed to offset costs through revenue from recovered salt, magnesium, and water — plus eliminated disposal fees.

Can this work at industrial scale, not just in a lab?

Yes — this was demonstrated at industrial scale. 2 demo plants operated in Rotterdam Port's petrochemical cluster treating actual brine from process industry partner EVIDES. Additionally, 3 large-scale pilot plants ran at other industrial sites across Europe. Operating and maintenance manuals with detailed instructions were produced for replication.

Who owns the IP and how can I license this technology?

The consortium of 23 partners across 10 countries includes 12 industry partners and 6 SMEs with what the project calls 'disruptive technologies.' IP is distributed among consortium members. Technology suppliers within the Brine Consortium would be the starting point for licensing conversations. Contact the coordinator at Technische Universiteit Delft for specific licensing arrangements.

What minerals and products can actually be recovered?

The system recovers clean reusable water, salt, and magnesium compounds from brine. End-product quality was specifically targeted to meet local market specifications in Rotterdam. The crystallizer technology developed produces mineral products of sufficient purity for commercial sale.

How long does it take to get a system running?

Based on available project data, the demo plants went through a documented startup, operation, and optimization cycle. The project produced operating and maintenance manuals with detailed drawings and instructions. The 3 feasibility studies provide roadmaps for full-scale implementation at different types of industrial sites.

Does this meet environmental regulations for zero liquid discharge?

The project's core goal is eliminating wastewater discharge from brine — achieving what industry calls 'zero liquid discharge.' Technologies were also assessed for Environmental Technology Verification (ETV), an EU-recognized certification process. This provides a strong regulatory compliance pathway.

Can I use waste heat from my own or neighbouring operations?

Yes — industrial symbiosis is a core design principle. In Rotterdam, the demo plants sourced waste heat from neighbouring factories in the port cluster. This reduces the energy cost of the recovery process and creates value from heat that would otherwise be wasted.

Consortium

Who built it

ZERO BRINE assembled a strong industry-heavy consortium of 23 partners across 10 countries, with 12 industry partners (52% of the group) and 6 SMEs bringing specialized technologies. This is not an academic exercise — the majority of partners are companies that make, build, or operate things. The consortium deliberately spans the full supply chain: large process industries generating brine (like EVIDES in Rotterdam), SMEs with disruptive treatment technologies, technology suppliers organized into a formal Brine Consortium, and 5 universities plus 4 research centres providing scientific backup. For a business buyer, this means the technology was developed and tested by the kinds of companies that would actually use it, not just theorized in a lab.

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTCoordinator · NL
THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEENparticipant · UK
EVIDES INDUSTRIEWATER BVparticipant · NL
STICHTING S-ISPTparticipant · NL
IVL SVENSKA MILJOEINSTITUTET ABparticipant · SE
POLITECHNIKA SLASKAparticipant · PL
LENNTECH BVparticipant · NL
ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONparticipant · EL
TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMUparticipant · TR
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PALERMOparticipant · IT
REVOLVE MEDIAparticipant · BE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
SEALEAU BVparticipant · NL
WATER EUROPEparticipant · BE
FUNDACIO EURECATparticipant · ES
TECNICA Y PROYECTOS SAparticipant · ES
SOCIEDAD DE FOMENTO AGRICOLA CASTELLONENSE S Aparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands) — reach out to the Department of Water Management or Chemical Engineering for coordinator contacts

Order a report on this consortium See TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the ZERO BRINE team for licensing or technology transfer? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and provide a tailored briefing for your specific brine challenge.

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