Aufero 2022 update

As background information, the Aufero Liquidium project aims to design the innovative IC HPD desalination technology pilot unit for real environment, an efficient technology for production and recycling of minerals and battery materials using less chemicals, less energy and investment costs.

In the first year of the three-year Aufero project, 2022, we focused on the content and schedules of the work packages. The partners individually refined their own work packages and created their own work groups, each of which specialized in their own special fields and expertise. As we know, the year was challenging for everyone, also for us to get the specially manufactured parts and components designed and ordered within set time. However, we managed to keep the tight schedule and finish the design on time as planned.

The technology was publicly presented for the first time in August in Finland at the BIWIC 2022 conference at Aalto University. In addition, the internal trainings of the project group and partners planned for the year were completed.

With regards to our technology focus is on ice quality enhancement, energy reduction and process efficiency and it has been established that the technology is consuming very low energy driven by the low latent heat of fusion of ice (333 kJ/kg), which is only a mere 7th of the required energy or latent heat required for the evaporation desalination technology (2500 kJ/kg).

Although the year was challenging, project partners successfully achieved established tasks and milestones. Our project work continues immediately in January 2023 with further determination of requirements and calculations.