Background: Wastewater is a major global burden. Treatment is essential for environmental and human health, yet 44% of sewage worldwide is still discharged untreated into rivers, lakes, and seas. Conventional wastewater treatment has matured into an energy-intensive sector; achieving universal treatment now requires resource recovery and energy-neutral systems.

Untreated wastewater releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and spreads pathogens that drive outbreaks of diarrheal disease, cholera, and other preventable illnesses. Nutrient pollution causes eutrophication, dead zones, fish kills, and biodiversity loss. Wastewater treatment must therefore shift toward energy-positive, resource-recovering technologies to support climate resilience and public health

Wastewater Fuels was founded to address this challenge by transforming wastewater into renewable energy. The company develops Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs), which use electroactive microbes to convert organic pollutants into clean hydrogen and other valuable products while achieving treatment.

A key partner is The Vita Group, with 75+ years of advanced materials expertise and EcoVadis Platinum sustainability status. The leading European manufacturer of PU foams and functional materials is now developing conductive carbon- and mineral-enhanced filtration foams that enable scalable, high-performance MEC electrode architectures.

Aim: The two partners combined expertise in functional materials and bio-electrochemical engineering to utilise The Vita Group’s proprietary conductive foam as a novel MEC electrode. The goal was to overcome key deployment barriers including scaling limitations, electrode cost, and the need for extremely large filtration surfaces, enabling robust and industrially viable wastewater-to-fuel systems.