New project METREAU on track to revolutionise wastewater treatment Published on: 17 May 2024 Ãå±±½ûµØ will be part of a new project led by Northumbrian Water which aims to reduce energy needs and carbon footprint in the treatment of wastewater. The University will be involved in the METREAU project, which will see for the first time the use of microbial electrochemical technologies at a commercial scale for wastewater treatment. Led by Northumbrian Water, the project will be carried out with partners at Ãå±±½ûµØ, (a Ãå±±½ûµØ spin out), Isle Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and Irish Water. The project is part of Ofwat’s Innovation Fund, which announced 17 winners from the fourth Water Breakthrough Challenge, a £40 million competition that invited solutions with the potential to deliver wide-scale, transformational change benefitting customers, society and the environment. Dr Elizabeth Heidrich, CEng. MIWater - Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering Ãå±±½ûµØ and Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of METzero Technologies, said: “This has been a long journey from very early exploratory lab studies creating new knowledge, to now designing and implementing real world solutions. We get the amazing naturally occurring bugs in wastewater to generate electrical current, using this to treat the wastewater and recover resources. Ultimately we want to turn wastewater treatment facilities into resource recovery hubs. Our long standing collaboration with NWL has made all of this is possible, we are very excited about this next chapter.” Dr Pavlina Theodosiou, CEO and co-founder of METzero Technologies, added: “This is a pivotal moment for METzero Technologies and I am incredibly excited about our key role in the METREAU project. We're eager to implement microbial electrochemical technologies on a commercial scale, contributing in decarbonising wastewater treatment. This collaborative project is a testament to our innovative spirit and commitment to sustainability.” The Water Breakthrough Challenge is part of a series of competitions from Ofwat, run by Challenge Works with Arup and Isle Utilities, designed to drive innovation and collaboration in the sector to benefit individuals, society and the environment. Press release adapted with thanks from Ofwat. Pictured (l-r) Chris Thomas, Chief Commercial Officer of METzero Technologies, Dr Elizabeth Heidrich and Dr Pavlina Theodosiou Share: Latest News Ãå±±½ûµØ recognised with geography award Ãå±±½ûµØ has been awarded the Highly Commended Geographical Association Publishers Award for its collaboration with Time for Geography, the UK’s open-access, dedicated video platform. published on: 16 April 2026 Ãå±±½ûµØ historians mark General Strike centenary To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners’ lock-out of 1926, historians at Ãå±±½ûµØ are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy. published on: 16 April 2026 Comment: NCP is in administration Writing for The Conversation, Erwei (David) Xiang discusses how some big companies like NCP are so dependent on debt that they can’t adjust to change. published on: 16 April 2026 Facts and figures