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RIC Pro-Akademia at UCRA4: water treatment and hydrogen production in a single process
RIC Pro-Akademia’s researcher, Dr Sergii Bespalko, took part in the 4th International Conference on Unconventional Catalysis, Reactors and Applications (UCRA4), which took place on 24–26 June 2026 in Mariehamn on the Åland Islands. The event was organised by Åbo Akademi University and brought together researchers and industry representatives working in areas such as process intensification, plasma technologies and multifunctional reactors.
During the conference, Dr Sergii Bespalko, Eng., presented the results of our research into the CombiSonoPlasma® multifunctional reactor. The technology under development combines ultrasound-assisted plasma electrolysis with the treatment of highly saline formation water generated during oil extraction. The process enables the simultaneous degradation of organic pollutants and the production of hydrogen.
In laboratory tests, all samples subjected to the process became clear within 24 hours of the treatment being completed. In the best-performing variant tested, the total organic carbon content decreased by 43.3%, whilst the hydrogen content in the cathode gas was 4.29% by volume. The results indicate the potential for combining the treatment of difficult industrial effluents with the production of hydrogen as an energy carrier.
The research was carried out as part of the WASTE4H2 project in collaboration with the German University of Technology in Oman. Further development and scaling-up of the CombiSonoPlasma® process are continuing within the ACE-WATER project. The research team is currently focusing, amongst other things, on improving the process’s energy efficiency and expanding its potential applications to the treatment of various types of industrial wastewater.
Participation in UCRA4 provided an opportunity to present the research findings to the international scientific community and to exchange experiences with experts developing modern process technologies. The meetings held during the conference also laid the foundations for further research collaboration and future implementation projects.
Further information about the conference and its programme can be found on the UCRA4 website.
Photos by: Aminata Kaba Filippone, Éloïse Andres, Margot Deliat and Pasi Tolvanen.