BKT Tomorrow Water Project
Description
Tomorrow Water, an innovative environmental solutions provider with a vision of a “Clean and Beautiful World Beyond Waste”, contributes to the world via clean water & sanitation (SDG 6), affordable clean energy (SDG 7), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13).
Tomorrow Water Project (TWP) is a comprehensive system that converts sewage from a cost stream to a profit stream by integrating low-energy wastewater systems, AI-based value chain innovation, and rigorous resource recovery. TWP is contributing to the global paradigm shift toward digital transformation of the water and sanitation industries.
In order to foster sustainable waste and sewage practices, Tomorrow Water believes that wastewater itself needs to be converted from a cost stream into a profit stream. TWP does this by recovering valuable resources from wastewater, including water, energy, proteins, and nutrients, making it more economically feasible to implement sustainable water and sanitation systems.
The goal of TWP is to build a sustainable waste and wastewater management system, integrating low-energy wastewater treatment, energy production and other crucial elements of modern infrastructure in one place. TWP’s systems feed off each other, minimizing wasted resources. For instance, the biogas facility provides energy for wastewater treatment, and the wastewater plant provides organic waste feedstock for the biogas plant.
TWP Stages:
TWP 1.0 (2016-2020), Development of Treatment Solutions: Development of individual treatment solutions with the goal of enabling wastewater treatment to become energy neutral. This will be done by developing energy-saving wastewater treatment technologies and by integrating energy production technologies such as thermal hydrolysis and biogas production into the same facility as the wastewater plant.
TWP 2.0 (2021-2025), Value Chain Innovation: On top of developing treatment solutions, TWP will incorporate design & engineering, construction, and operation to expand the scope of TWP. Even with an energy-neutral treatment solution, if the entire value chain does not have significantly reduced costs, it still remains inaccessible for many developing nations. Water AI and automation technologies can solve these challenges, which can immediately and inexpensively optimize wastewater treatment processes and negate the need for costly engineering work and operations, making the whole project more affordable.
Furthermore, in TWP 2.0, data centers will be incorporated into process. Data centers are sorely needed around the world as data processing requirements expand. The limiting factors for data centers in major cities are physical space, cooling capacity, and energy needs. By incorporating a data center on-site a TWP facility, IT capacity can be expanded for a region in a sustainable, affordable way because the transfer of biogas energy and cooling water between TWP facilities solve data centers’ traditional hurdles.
TWP 3.0 (2026-2030), Upcycling: Ultimately, TWP’s capacity to recover valuable resources including water and energy as well as high-value commodities such as keratin, antioxidants, and amino acids from the waste and wastewater stream will be expanded. Upcycling of resources will enable sewage treatment integration into the economic ecosystem as a supplier rather than a cost center, bolstering its long-term sustainability, especially in developing nations.
Tomorrow Water, as a private company, will fund the initial investment to complete early technology development work ourselves. Crucially, the individual technologies developed in TWP will also enable us to earn profits throughout the environmental engineering industry, thereby promoting the long-term financial health of the project. Tomorrow Water is already experiencing exponential growth in the commercial sector thanks to the success of our technology development efforts based on TWP 1.0. This growth gives us room to re-invest capital into the R&D required for TWP 2.0, wherein value chain innovation and Water AI/automation will be developed. We believe this is an effective way to build the capacity of this project and expand its scope while simultaneously enabling Tomorrow Water to grow as an organization.
In TWP 2.0, we are not only pursuing scale expansion, but also scope expansion. Bench scale technologies will be scaled up to pilot scale and demonstration scale, and finally to full industry scale. As an organization we have significant experience scaling up innovative environmental technologies in the water and wastewater space. However, it is beyond the scope of our core competencies to develop and deploy data centers in TWP 2.0. Therefore, we will seek partnerships to enable the implementation of data centers at TWP facilities in TWP 2.0.
To support the expanded scope and scale of TWP 2.0, we will apply for grants from international sustainability-focused foundations to collaborate with other technologies and services providers in areas of IT and engineering. Grants will be critical for the successful implementation of demonstration pilots in the field.
The UN SDG’s slogan of ‘Leave No One Behind’ is well-aligned with Tomorrow Water’s own organizational vision and strategic trajectory. We believe our sustainable environmental engineering solutions can benefit developed nations and developing nations alike because minimization of wasted resources is critical to environmental stewardship and long-term economic health, regardless of where a nation is in its lifecycle. We are purposefully targeting our wastewater treatment technologies for use in developing nations who need sewage system retrofitting, as our technologies are an effective solution for countries looking to adopt modern best practices in an affordable and environmentally sustainable way.
Tomorrow Water will share certain intellectual property (IP) with the global community with the goal of implementing TWP around the world.
TWP is best understood visually – please visit ¬http://bit.ly/twp-datacenter for a diagram that helps explain how it is interconnected. As shown in the diagram, TWP has many complex components and requires significant coordination efforts between systems.
Once grant funding is secured, a separate non-profit organization (NPO) will be established to drive action. An advisory board will be formed to include industry experts and financial professionals to govern, oversee, approve and guide the TWP into the future. The established NPO will be the acting entity interfacing with TWP partners such as the foundations and agencies involved that help fund the deployment of TWP facilities, as well as the local governments under whose jurisdiction the TWP facilities will reside.
Once suitable grant funding is secured and the advisory board is created, Tomorrow Water (through the NPO established for TWP) will be able to determine the location, scope, and scale of its first demonstration pilots where the first TWP facilities can be built and tested in developing nations.
We hope to bring value to society not by the size, but by the impact of our solutions We hope to bring value to society not by the size, but by impact. In aligning our business to ESG management principles, we believe TWP will launch successfully, with technological advancements, strong governance, and collaborative partnerships that fall in line with our mission of making the world a clean and beautiful world beyond waste.
In aligning our business to ESG management principles, we believe TWP will launch successfully, with technological advancements, strong governance, and collaborative partnerships that fall in line with our mission of making the world a clean and beautiful world beyond waste.
BKT, Tomorrow Water, Korean Association for Supporting SDGs (ASD)
SDGS & Targets
Goal 7
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
7.1
By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
7.1.1
Proportion of population with access to electricity
7.1.2
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology
7.2
7.2.1
Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption
7.3
7.3.1
Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDP
7.a
7.a.1
International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy research and development and renewable energy production, including in hybrid systems
7.b
By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support
7.b.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
Goal 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
9.1
9.1.1
Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
9.1.2
Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
9.2
Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
9.2.1
Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita
9.2.2
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment
9.3
9.3.1
Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
9.3.2
Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
9.4
By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
9.4.1
CO2 emission per unit of value added
9.5
9.5.1
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
9.5.2
Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants
9.a
9.a.1
Total official international support (official development assistance plus other official flows) to infrastructure
9.b
9.b.1
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total value added
9.c
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020
9.c.1
Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology
Goal 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
6.2
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.2.1
Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water
6.3
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.3.1
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
6.3.2
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4
6.4.1
Change in water-use efficiency over time
6.4.2
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.5.1
Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5.2
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6
6.6.1
Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time
6.a
6.a.1
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
6.b
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
6.b.1
Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management
Goal 11
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
11.1
By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
11.1.1
Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing
11.2
11.2.1
Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.3
11.3.1
Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate
11.3.2
Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically
11.4
Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
11.4.1
Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)
11.5
By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
11.5.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
11.5.2
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global domestic product (GDP)
11.5.3
(a) Damage to critical infrastructure and (b) number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters
11.6
By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
11.6.1
Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities
11.6.2
Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
11.7
11.7.1
Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.7.2
Proportion of persons victim of non-sexual or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months
11.a
Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
11.a.1
Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space
11.b
By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
11.b.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
11.b.2
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
11.c
Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Goal 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1
Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.1.1
Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production
12.2
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
12.2.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
12.3
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1
(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.4.1
12.4.2
(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment
12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1
National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1
12.7
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.7.1
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans
12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.8.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
12.a
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
12.a.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
12.b
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
12.b.1
Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability
12.c
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
12.c.1
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Establishment of first TWP installation/commissioning at the pilot scale
Successful operation of a pilot-scale TWP with coordinated technical research & refinement
Establish both public & private funding support for construction and successful operation of the first full-scale TWP facility
Transfer TWP technology to developing nations in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia through community education supported by local governments and policy supported by representative National Assemblies
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
| Title | Progress Status | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| BKT Tomorrow Water Project - Thu, 07/27/2023 - 13:40 | On track | |
| BKT Tomorrow Water Project - Fri, 09/23/2022 - 10:04 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2021-03-12 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2020-04-30 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2019-04-29 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2018-04-29 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2017-02-15 | On track |
Feedback
Share
Timeline
Entity
Geographical coverage
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Jack Kim, Leader