Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge funds three innovative projects where Jacobs’ technologies and insights play a key role

Driving innovation in U.K. water infrastructure

Three projects featuring Jacobs-developed technologies and expertise have been named winners of the fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge by the Ofwat Innovation Fund. The fund is delivered by Challenge Works (part of the Nesta group) in partnership with Arup and Isle Utilities. This round supports bold innovations that tackle emerging contaminants, net zero goals and water sector-wide resilience, aiming to deliver long-term benefits to customers, communities and the environment.

Two of the winning projects will see Jacobs’ residuals treatment technologies developed at full scale to reduce energy use and increase biogas and fuel recovery. A third will pilot new molecular methods to optimize treatment and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.

PyroPlas: Turning residuals into sustainable fuels

The PyroPlas project will develop a new process for reusing wastewater residuals. It combines Jacobs’ patented Dune low-energy drying technology with pyrolysis and non-thermal plasma treatment. This approach will produce sustainable aviation and marine fuels from wastewater sludge while removing pollutants such as PFAS and microplastics.

Severn Trent leads the project, with additional support from Hybrid Gasification, Durham University and several water companies, including United Utilities, Wessex Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Anglian Water.

The project was awarded £11.1 million ($15.1 million) to build and operate the system for a year. While the Dune and pyrolysis systems will run at full scale, non-thermal plasma will be demonstrated at laboratory scale.

Jacobs’ Dune technology enables greater fuel recovery by minimizing the energy required for drying sludge before thermal treatment. This allows the syngas produced during pyrolysis to be used for fuel or electricity, rather than burned to heat the process— creating more value.

Next-Gen Digestion: Boosting biogas production with microbial hydrolysis

The Next-Gen Digestion project will demonstrate Jacobs’ Microbial Hydrolysis technology at full scale at United Utilities’ Leigh treatment works in North West England. Microbial hydrolysis improves anaerobic digestion by increasing energy yields and reducing the volume of residuals. 

United Utilities is leading the project, with support from Cranfield University, Imperial College London, Severn Trent Water, Yorkshire Water and Anglian Water. Ofwat awarded £5.7 million (approx. $7.6 million) to scale the technology. The project will also assess the potential for digesting cellulose recovered from wastewater as part of Severn Trent’s Net Zero Hub. 

This will be one of two global first installations of microbial hydrolysis, building on Jacobs’ successful pilot-scale trials.

Metagenomics: Making Microbes Matter

A third project, Metagenomics – Making Microbes Matter, will explore how advanced molecular methods can support treatment performance and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Led by United Utilities, the project includes Newcastle University and utility partners Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water and Anglian Water. Jacobs is a key team member providing process treatment and nitrous oxide emissions expertise for this first of its kind project.

The project has received £1.4 million ($1.9 million) and includes four technical workstreams. These will analyze a full year of microbiological and process data to improve treatment compliance and nitrous oxide emissions reduction using molecular methods. This will provide deeper insights into microbial populations and our biological infrastructure. 

“The Ofwat Innovation Fund is a globally leading program that continues to help the water sector trial and scale exciting new technologies. We’re proud to support our clients in securing funding and delivering these important projects,” says Jacobs Head of Water and Environment, Europe, Amy Bentley. “Beyond technology, one of the most valuable aspects is collaboration, with true sharing of knowledge, trial work and lessons learned between water companies and across the sector.”

Real-world impact for a resilient water future

From next generation drying and digestion to innovative molecular methods, Jacobs is committed to progressing knowledge and technology to deliver real-world value and help reduce the water industry’s environmental impact. These projects represent a major step toward a more resilient, sustainable U.K. water sector— and will provide insights that benefit the industry globally.