Meet NAMOR Partners: LUT University
What is your organisation’s role in the NAMOR project?
At LUT University, we lead Work Package 2: Preparatory Activities for MPBR Demonstration Plants, which lays the foundation for the successful design, construction and start-up of the three NAMOR demo sites in Greece, Finland and Slovenia. In addition to leading WP2, LUT is responsible for the Finnish demonstration in Mikkeli. The Finnish demo focuses on a Low-Temperature Algae-Bacteria System (LTABS) for decentralized wastewater treatment. The objective is to explore the potential of Nordic microalgae strains and consortia to enhance traditional wastewater treatment under cold and low-light conditions. Through this work, LUT combines system-level engineering leadership with strong expertise in algal biotechnology and resource recovery within Prof. Bhatnagar’s research group.
What do you expect to be the key benefits that the NAMOR project will deliver?/OR According to you, what value does NAMOR bring to water management in Europe?
The real value of NAMOR lies in how it reframes wastewater treatment. Instead of seeing wastewater simply as something that needs to be cleaned before discharge, NAMOR approaches it as a source of recoverable resources and as part of a circular water system. From the Finnish perspective in particular, one of the most important contributions is demonstrating that algal-based treatment systems can function reliably in cold and low-light conditions. This has often been considered a limitation for microalgae technologies. By working with Nordic strains that are naturally adapted to low temperatures and limited light, we are expanding the geographical applicability of algae-based wastewater treatment across Europe and providing validated data from demanding climatic settings.
How have the first months of the NAMOR project been for so far?
The first months of NAMOR have been very active and technically focused for us at LUT. As WP2 leader, our focus has been on coordinating the preparatory groundwork for all three demonstration plants. A significant part of the work has involved analyzing long-term wastewater characterization datasets from each demo site and using this information to support site selection and system design. As WP2 leader, we organize the monthly WP2 partner meetings to track progress, coordinate partners’ activities, and keep the work package aligned with the project timeline and expected outcomes. The collaboration within the consortium has been very smooth, and there is a strong shared commitment to delivering not only technically sound systems but also solutions that are environmentally and economically viable. Overall, the first phase has been intensive but very constructive.
