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This research platform also includes the Life Incover project, completed in 2019 but whose facilities are still un - derway at the El Toyo WWTP, where microalgae are cultivated on an indus - trial scale in a 3,000 m 2 lagoon, known as raceway, and wastewater treatment is carried out thanks to the algae-bac - teria symbiosis. The water obtained from this process meets the most de - manding parameters in a sustainable, simple way and with energy savings of up to 80% compared to a conventional treatment plant. REUSA also includes th e Life Ulises project, which is being developed at the El Bobar WWTP and aims to re- volutionise conventional purification processes through a set of innovative technologies that not only regenerate water suitable for agriculture, but also produce valuable resources, such as biofuel for vehicles or agricultural bio - fertilisers from wastewater. The project also aims to reduce ener - gy consumption and the carbon foo - tprint associated with water treatment by increasing the efficiency of a con - ventional wastewater treatment plant. All these projects, led by Aqualia, show the company’s potential in R&D and its commitment to Almeria as a spearhead in the application of new technologies that provide value and innovative solutions to the environ- mental, economic and social needs of the region from the perspective of sustainability. Aqualia and its partners seek to con - vert wastewater into a high-value ele- ment for reuse in agricultural irrigation in a safe and efficient manner, in ac - cordance with these new standards imposed by Europe. The project, which is part of the Euro - pean LIFE programme, has a budget of more than 3 million euros and is made up of an international consor - tium, led by Aqualia, made up of 8 en - tities, including international partners such as Águas de Portugal and the Dutch company MicroLAN; national partners such as CETIM and Newland EnTech; and Spanish public entities View of the El Toyo wastewater treatment plant in Almería. such as the University of Almería, the Provincial Council of Almería and the Hydrographic Confederation of the Guadalquivir (CHG). LIFE Phoenix also faces the growing challenge of emerging pollutants and microplastics, which cause problems in current purification systems, as they are difficult to eliminate and often end up in seas and rivers, posing a serious environmental risk. Treated wastewater is seen as a solution to this problem in a country where, although the leader in Europe, only 7-13% of wastewater is reused REUSA, a platform for experimentation in water reuse in Almeria I N N O V A T I O N 64 I N N O V A T I O N
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