720388Paradox - Environmental Treatment Concepts LimitedClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKAD is used by 146 UK WT plants to clean wastewater and produce energy but its efficiency is severely limited by aggressive scale in pipes and equipment. AD suffers from aggressive scaling in pipes and equipment as the wastewater must be heated to facilitate AD. Scale reduces heat exchange, reducing efficiency of AD and consequently reducing methane production by up to 25%, losing water companies an avg of £490K annually for each AD facility. Existing de-scaling solutions are chemical & mechanical treatments. These are expensive and damage surfaces, resulting in rapid re-scaling and ongoing expense. Descaling chemicals kill AD bacteria so facilities must be shutdown for descaling. WT companies use polymer to thicken wastewater (referred to as sludge once majority of water is removed) before transportation to sewage treatment centres, however this thickening/dewatering can be very inefficient, resulting in increased weight of sludge being transported. Water companies spend on avg £1.5m per treatment centre per yr on sludge transport. Project will output Paradox, a non-chemical method for treating wastewater using frequencymodulated energy to change the properties of wastewater, causing coagulation of suspended solids. Paradox will: 1) Remove existing scale build up and eliminate ongoing scale (Calcite, Struvite, Vivianite). 2) Significantly improving separation, reducing polymer consumption by 25%. 3) Enhance effect of coagulants, reducing chemical consumption, reducing cost. 4) Reduce equipment damage and maintenance required. 5) Increase efficiency of the AD plant by 10%. 6) Reduce sludge water content by 20%, reducing transport costs by £300K per treatment facility per yr. UK market for Paradox (spending on polymer/coagulants, descaling chemicals and sludge transport) is worth £66m in 2013, growing 10% CAGR to £124m by 2020.