Name
Developing circular economy KPIs to promote green hydrogen and other co-product and by-product utilisation in the water and wastewater sector
Authors
Michelle McMullen, Danielle Soban, Jelena Vlajic, Mahamad Yousuf and Beatrice Smyth, Queen's University Belfast, UK
Description

The water and wastewater sectors are being challenged to reduce atmospheric emissions, energy usage and operating costs, whilst reshaping business models to support more sustainable operations and move from a ‘linear’ to ‘circular’ economy. Upcoming waste legislation presents another layer of complexity, with increasing urgency to track recoverable waste and minimise or eradicate avoidable waste. Change within organisations is driven by key performance indicators (KPIs), but there are currently limited KPIs in use that are specific to the circular economy. The lack of such indicators presents a barrier to progress, and the overarching aim of this research is therefore to develop and trial bespoke circular economy KPIs that can be used to transform workforce and industry behaviour. This presentation will focus on the transition to a green hydrogen circular economy, which is proposed as a solution to sustainably revolutionise and energise water and wastewater services. Integrating green hydrogen into existing operations could increase energy security and independence, as well as provide valuable co-products and by-products, such as oxygen that could be used to increase the capacity of treatment facilities. The selection and testing of KPIs to support these measures will be outlined and opportunities for future implementation discussed.

Track
Open Horizons