Digital Twin project with Severn Trent Water wins £10 million Net Zero Hub award

We are honoured to announce our participation in the award-winning Digital Twin project with Severn Trent Water, recognised as one of the 16 winning solutions in the prestigious Water Breakthrough Challenge, as announced by Ofwat yesterday.

Net Zero Hub, led by Severn Trent Water, presents a game-changing opportunity to realise net-zero carbon ambitions in wastewater treatment, and ExploreAI is proud to be among the partners at the forefront, providing innovative technology and digital twin expertise.

The vision is to bring together the most promising technologies at a single site, establishing the pioneering 'Net-Zero hub.’ Through large-scale trials, we aim to deliver a comprehensive blueprint for water companies to retrofit their wastewater treatment plants, enabling them to meet their ambitious 2030 Net-Zero commitments. This initiative focuses on deploying cutting-edge technology that specifically targets our most significant emissions challenges.

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Using digital twins for impact

In our mission to redefine wastewater management, we've joined forces with Atkins, a like-minded partner sharing our commitment to forward-thinking solutions. Together, we've developed two ground-breaking tools: a carbon optimiser and a digital twin feasibility study, tailored specifically for Severn Trent.

The carbon optimiser tool delivers an initial assessment of the carbon footprint at wastewater treatment sites, providing a comprehensive overview that is essential for effective environmental management and sustainability efforts. This technological achievement enables all stakeholders to closely examine the environmental impact of their operations and make necessary adjustments to minimise carbon emissions.

On the other hand, the digital twin feasibility study represents a pioneering step forward in highlighting the potential benefits of implementing a digital twin at a wastewater treatment site. This digital replica of the physical system serves as a valuable tool for monitoring, controlling, and optimising operations, leading to improved operational efficiency and reduced emissions.

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Looking ahead

The next phase of our collaboration takes us to the Net Zero hub, where we will build the digital twin, setting a new benchmark for operational excellence. Through the powerful synergy of deterministic models and artificial intelligence, we leverage the capacity to process vast amounts of data swiftly and accurately. This empowers us to anticipate potential challenges and provide optimal recommendations for effective action.

Our vision is to establish a robust and replicable methodology, accompanied by a blueprint for implementing digital twins at other wastewater treatment sites. This initiative allows other utilities to leverage this advanced technology, optimising their operations, enhancing efficiency, and driving progress towards achieving Net Zero. By doing so, we not only benefit individual utility companies but also make a significant contribution to the wastewater utilities sector in the UK.

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The bigger picture

“Combating the climate emergency to protect generations to come is a challenge that requires everyone to reinvent ways of working," notes Liv Garfield, CEO of Severn Trent. "This commitment to creating the world’s first carbon-neutral hub has the possibility of changing the face of wastewater treatment worldwide. The impact of this cannot be underestimated given emissions from wastewater are 80% of our operational emissions, and the hub will solve that.“

“We’re constantly developing new technologies and ideas to identify wastewater challenges ahead of their arising, and this project is the perfect example of that. We’re proud to have worked closely with Severn Trent Water and leading partners, deploying our AI solutions to reduce, remove and avoid carbon,” said Has Dosanjh, CEO of ExploreAI.

This bid covers the most innovative technology specifically designed to address our most significant emissions. It perfectly aligns with one of our core values of "planting trees we’ll never see" – making a positive impact that we can be proud to pass on to future generations.

If you're interested in better understanding your wastewater landscape and harnessing the power of Digital Twins to drive impactful outcomes at a larger scale, please reach out to Tania Flasck at tania@explore.ai.

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