Electrodialysis in Action – Recovering Water and Avoiding Waste in the XTRACT Project

Recovering water, securing recyclable materials, and avoiding waste are key objectives of XTRACT.

Within the framework of XTRACT, G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH has recently started operating a new electrodialysis unit for water treatment. The technology is being applied for the first time in the project by the Process Engineering team, with the aim of recovering water from sulphate-containing, microbiologically obtained recyclable solutions and reusing it in the bioleaching process.

The concept behind this approach is both challenging and highly practical. Water is recycled and retained within the process, sulphate is converted back into sulphuric acid, and the formation of gypsum waste sludges is avoided. This contributes to increased resource efficiency while reducing waste generation.

The plant is already in operation and has been tested using synthetic solutions. The next step will involve its application with real leaching solutions from project operations. This phase underlines the importance of technical expertise, careful implementation, and effective collaboration among the XTRACT project partners.