NAMOR

The NAMOR project is pioneering a next-generation, decentralized water treatment solution that integrates co-cultivation of microalgae and bacteria with advanced membrane filtration in a modular, plug-and-play system. Designed to support a sustainable and resilient urban water cycle, NAMOR enables localized treatment of diverse water and wastewater streams with minimal energy use and environmental impact. Demonstrated across three climate zones (high, medium, and low temperatures) and under varying lighting conditions, the hybrid system ensures robust, high-quality effluent production tailored to specific site needs. The project also emphasizes biomass valorization for nutrient and energy recovery, reinforcing circular economy principles. At its core, NAMOR integrates a digital twin—enhanced with sensor networks and predictive analytics—for real-time system monitoring and optimization. A Decision Support System further enhances operational efficiency, adjusting to local water and nutrient recovery requirements. Recognizing the limitations of traditional decentralized water and wastewater treatment systems—which often rely on downscaled centralized processes that are energy-intensive and face challenges in adaptability and performance—NAMOR advances beyond these by developing highly flexible, AI-driven systems optimized for local conditions. By combining innovative microalgae-based treatment in membrane photobioreactors with advanced digital technologies, NAMOR delivers efficient wastewater remediation and valuable biomass production with lower energy consumption. Importantly, NAMOR’s inclusive, participatory approach ensures that diverse stakeholder perspectives are integrated, facilitating social acceptance and effective implementation of decentralized solutions that align with broader sustainability and circular bioeconomy goals.

ITI-CERTH leads Work Package 4 (WP4) “Digitalization and Optimization of Demo’s Performance”, focusing on the design and implementation of NAMOR’s digital platform. This includes developing the system architecture, integrating sensor data from microalgae membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) into a Digital Twin (DT), and deploying AI-driven analytics for real-time monitoring and optimization. Moreover, ITI-CERTH leads the configuration and deployment of the DT platform using microservices and RESTful APIs to enable seamless communication between physical sensors and the digital environment. Finally, ITI-CERTH contributes to the development of the Decision Support System (DSS), applying machine learning to enhance energy efficiency, nutrient recovery, and planning of decentralized water treatment solutions.

Consortium

DIETHNES PANEPISTIMIO ELLADOS, Greece
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDI, United Kingdom
LAPPEENRANNAN-LAHDEN TEKNILLINEN YLIOPISTO LUT, Finland
WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND BUSINESS FORDEVELOPMEN, Spain
ALGEN, CENTER ZA ALGNE TEHNOLOGIJE, DOO, Slovenia
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS, Greece
ECOLOGIA S.A., Greece
Operon Group Oy, Finland
WATER EUROPE, Belgium
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERIA, Spain
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI, Slovenia
SUNDOSOFT LTD, South Korea
RIGHT-CLICK, France
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI, India