Life Cycle Assessment of European Industrial Plants | School of Applied Sciences

This project aims to advance circular water use, enhance resource efficiency and develop sustainable wastewater treatment technologies in industrial processes through international collaboration.

The Project

Dr Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis, a Reader in Chemical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield, has been conducting research for the €12.8 million AquaSPICE project since 2020, and further developed more recently through the International Collaborative Fund (ICF).

The AquaSPICE initiative, involving 29 European partners and led by Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule University (RWTH) in Aachen, Germany, aims to implement circular water use in process industries, enhance resource efficiency and deliver compact industrial solutions.

The project’s objective is to develop a series of studies on the environmental impact of water and wastewater treatment technologies installed in various industrial plants in Europe.

Partner Institutions

• Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH), Germany

  • Prof Dr Thomas Wintgen
  • Dr-Ing. Laurence Palmowski
  • Dr Sarah Mueller
  • Chuan Jiet Teo- PhD Candidate

International Partnerships

RWTH Aachen University, ranked #99 in the QS World University Rankings 2025 and #92 in THE World University Rankings 2025, has been a key collaborator with Dr Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis on several EU-funded projects. Building on this collaboration, they decided to co-author scientific papers combining RWTH’s expertise in water and wastewater management, with the University of Huddersfield’s strengths in environmental impact assessment and explore alternative treatment technologies and management schemes.

Dr Angelis-Dimakis visited RWTH in June 2022 where he presented research on AquaSPICE technologies, including environmental impacts, life cycle assessment, wastewater treatment and industrial symbiosis.

Supported by a Santander Mobility Grant, four Engineering Masters students accompanied him, presenting their research aligned with AquaSPICE and visited a local wastewater treatment facility. The students gained invaluable experience at a globally renowned institution and presenting to an international audience.

During a second visit in August 2023, the researchers began drafting a scientific paper on wastewater management in slaughterhouses, significant industrial water users and pollution sources. The paper models three scenarios — no treatment, primary treatment and tertiary treatment with partial reuse - evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Footprint 3.0 method and identifying tertiary treatment with reuse as the most environmentally sustainable option. They are currently preparing at least one more scientific paper.

Dr Angelis-Dimakis plans to visit RWTH again in June 2025 to explore further collaborative opportunities.

About the Researchers

Dr Athanasios (Thanos) Angelis-Dimakis is a Reader in Chemical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield, specialising in sustainable industrial systems, life cycle assessment and water resource management. With prior roles at Imperial College London, he now participates in three EU-funded projects and supervises a research group focused on eco-efficient technologies and process innovations.

Find out more about Dr Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis.

Sustainability Development Goals related to this project