Session Type:
Oral
Water infrastructure systems face numerous challenges including aging facilities, emerging contaminants, and increasing demands for resource recovery. Current approaches are often not well suited to manage emerging challenges and addressing them may require technological solutions that have not yet been implemented in an operational environment or have not yet achieved widespread acceptance. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) offers a unique opportunity for water infrastructure applications. HTL enables conversion of the organic matter in wet wastes like sewage sludge into biocrude (a fuel precursor), concentrates and separates metals and other inorganics into a stream of solids, and neutralizes pathogens while decomposing several contaminants. Applying HTL to treatment of municipal wastewater may result in several benefits: Reduced biosolids volumes and associated disposal costs. Recovery of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen Destruction of pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and other compounds of concern that evade conventional treatment. Provide an integrated pathway for co-production of energy (biocrude) and water recovery. This session is an important addition to GC&E 2026 because HTL research has expanded in the energy domain with strong interest from water resource reclamation facilities, but its integration into water infrastructure is limited. Municipalities, regulators, and technology developers have limited opportunities to connect and discuss both the science of HTL and operational requirements and needs of treatment plants. By convening researchers, utilities, and industry innovators, this session will highlight the practical role of HTL in building water systems of the future.
Session Details:
Invited
Presiders
Hanno Erythropel, Ph.D., Yale University
Lars Ratjen
Paul Anastas, Yale University
Peter Licence, The University of Nottingham
Organizers
Hanno Erythropel, Ph.D., Yale University
Lars Ratjen
Paul Anastas, Yale University
Peter Licence, The University of Nottingham