Business cases
When each % saves millions of Euros
Closed loop food production
Mars and lunar missions pose unique challenges in providing a
sustainable food system. Due to resource constraints and food acceptability issues, relying solely on Earth resupply missions is impractical. In situ food production is essential for sustained human space travel.
Currently, there are technological gaps in macro-nutrient-rich crop production, post-harvest management, and cohesive bioeconomic strategies. To address these challenges, Hydromars develops a closed-loop water management system with the potential to interlink with all major food production functions.
Water for humans presence in space
Advanced Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for sustainable habitation on the lunar and Mars surfaces are crucial to optimize the safety, health, and performance of humans in space. A closed system that can reclaim and recycle all water and other waste alongside the water quality is vital both for long and short-duration manned space trips.
Hydromars aims to solve the following pain points in the domain of technology development for space infrastructure and specifically for space-based water purification and recovery technology:
- Low recovery rate
- High system complexity, mass, and footprint
- High energy consumption and ineffective energy sourcing
- Reduced/no capability of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)
Hydromar solution can be scaled up or down to any size (even to a shoebox similar to Hydro4M2). It can be retrofitted into an existing spacecraft water system or function as a standalone unit.
Transition to commercially-owned and operated platforms in LEO
Following the conclusion of the International Space Station Program (ISS), operations will transition from low Earth orbit to commercially owned and operated destinations to foster economic growth, ensure strategic presence, support continued access to technology development, and pave the way for future human exploration.
Hydromars is preparing to supply closed water systems to the world's first commercial space stations in 2027.
UPW for science and manufacturing
The global Ultrapure Water (UPW) market is witnessing significant growth due to its crucial role in critical industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, power generation, and laboratory applications where even the slightest impurities have detrimental effects on product quality and performance.
Existing proprietary solutions for yield optimization does not generate the efficiency required to keep pace with the ever-increasing worldwide demand for output and speed. A 1% improvement in yield leads to billions of euros in improved ROI.
Utilizing innovative membrane modules developed by a sister company, Hydromars technology can remove nanoparticles from the rinsing water better than state-of-the-art, driving higher yields in manufacturing both in space and on Earth.
Ship wastewater treatment
New regulations are being put into effect and the Baltic Sea is becoming a special area, which means that all ships must have onboard treatment possibilities from 2023. Hydromars has carried out market studies that showed a huge potential for Hydromars technology in the shipping sector.
MARPOL Annex IV is the regulation for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships. It states that discharge of sewage is prohibited if less than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land, or 12 nautical miles if sewage is untreated. It also states that ships cannot travel at more than 4 knots while discharging sewage. Sewage in this case refers to grey and black water created by various processes such as food waste and toilets on board.
There is a big market potential for Hydromars in the shipping industry to run a circular water system, clean polluted water, and provide drinking water, given the context of new regulations in combination with large amounts of waste heat (up to 64% of the energy is lost in the combustion engines).