154 |2020 Sustainability Report |A decade for us to transform The circularity of a 9.1 2 drop of water Goal Strategic line As a result of investment in new technologies capable of converting wastewater into new materials and energy sources, Aqualia is prepared to help many industries and Public Administrations to work on the transition from a linear to a circular economy. In a world where resources are increasingly scarce and Aqualia has been developing this line for several years in the population is growing, it is necessary to adopt different parts of the world, enabling the water sector strategies focussed on a circular economy to increase the to be seen as a key factor in the economic future of any use of energy, raw materials and secondary materials. country. Water plays a very significant role in the success of the Wastewater treatment is the operation that presents circular economy in other productive sectors that use the greatest opportunities within the end-to-end water the minerals and materials resulting from its treatment. cycle.That is why Aqualia focusses on accelerating New technologies, capable of converting wastewater efforts to transform WWTP stations into circular stations into new materials and using it as an energy source, or biofactories. have led many industries to work on the transition from a traditional linear economy to a circular model. Circular stations or biofactories The aim of the main projects for converting WWTPs into circular stations or biofactories is to: Avoid, recover, Produce Regenerate transform and renewable water evaluate energy the residues in usable so they are able to for subsequent re- resources so they can be self-sufficient and use for agricultural, be used for agricultural generate surpluses. urban, industrial and purposes or for energy environmental purposes. recovery.