PATRIC will lead the ENAI – Energy Optimization of Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Artificial Intelligence project, which aims to develop and validate an intelligent system for active energy consumption management and predictive maintenance of technological equipment at wastewater treatment plants. The solution will integrate operational and energy data with artificial intelligence methods and expand the existing EnKey energy management platform with tools for prediction, optimization, and early detection of operational anomalies.
From Energy Monitoring to Active Management
Wastewater treatment plants are energy-intensive facilities, with blowers, pumps, and other related technologies accounting for a significant share of overall energy consumption. ENAI will therefore focus not only on monitoring their energy use, but primarily on actively optimizing it.
The artificial intelligence models developed within the project will use operational and process data together with external inputs such as electricity prices and weather forecasts. Based on the data provided, the system will be able to predict the energy demands of plant operations and recommend suitable control strategies for individual technologies. At the same time, it will monitor changes in the energy profiles of equipment and identify deviations that may indicate wear or an emerging fault.
Expected Benefits for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations
- reduced energy consumption and operating costs,
- more accurate planning of energy-intensive equipment operation,
- earlier detection of operational anomalies and emerging faults,
- support for the transition from reactive to predictive maintenance,
- improved operational reliability and safety,
- potential deployment of the solution at other wastewater treatment plants.
The project also assumes that AI-generated recommendations will comply with the technological and safety constraints of the wastewater treatment process and will remain understandable and controllable for plant operators. Development will also include the use of a digital twin, allowing new control strategies to be tested safely before they are validated under real operating conditions.
Connecting Research with Operational Practice
PATRIC will cooparete on the project with Pražské vodovody a kanalizace, a.s., VDT Technology a.s., and Brno University of Technology.
Within the project, PATRIC will focus primarily on the development of artificial intelligence algorithms and optimization methods. Cooperation among the project partners will combine the development of advanced digital tools with expertise in water and wastewater technologies and practical experience from real-world operations.
The ENAI – Energy Optimization of Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Artificial Intelligence project, registration number FY02010199, is implemented under the TWIST programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. The project is scheduled to run from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2028.
