Grants and Contributions:
Title:
Converting food waste into clean water, bio-methane and compostable solids
Agreement Number:
1041133
Agreement Value:
$172,810.00
Agreement Date:
Feb 1, 2026 - Mar 31, 2029
Description:
Effective management of organic waste reduces pollution and helps to preserve land and water resources. Organic waste (primarily food waste) in Northern landfills generate leachates polluting fragile Northern ecosystems. At the same time, such waste represents the only available source of renewable biomass in the North. The Project will develop and demonstrate an innovative bioprocess for enhanced biomethane production (bioenergy) from organic food waste, which also results in the production of organic fertilizer and clean water. The Project’s bioprocess is based on a combination of food waste pre-treatment in a leach-bed reactor (LBR) and enhanced biomethane production in a bioelectrochemically enhanced anaerobic digestion (BEAD) reactor based on the BEAST (bioelectrochemical anaerobic sewage treatment) concept. This concept will be tested at a pilot scale and is expected to result in a simple, robust, and low-cost system that is optimized for operation in Northern and remote communities. To reduce energy consumption and optimize BEAD performance at low temperatures, local knowledge will be used to determine locally available sources of organic waste and local microbial inoculum for BEAD operation.
Organization:
National Research Council Canada
Expected Results:
In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators. In the long term, find collaborative solutions to public policy challenges and create stronger innovation systems.
Location:
Ottawa, Ontario, CA K1S 5B6
Reference Number:
172-2025-2026-Q4-1041133
Agreement Type:
Grant
Report Type:
Grants and Contributions
Recipient Business Number:
118838937
Recipient Type:
Academia
Recipient's Legal Name:
Carleton University
Federal Riding Name:
Ottawa Centre
Federal Riding Number:
35079
Program:
Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program - Collaborative R&D Initiatives
Program Purpose:
Collaborate on multiparty research and development programs to catalyze transformative, high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for game-changing scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs in priority areas.
NAICS Code:
541710 - R&D in the physical, engineering and life sciences