Background Industrial waste streams contain both harmful and valuable components, and separation technologies are vital for preventing environmental pollution and valuable elements being spoiled. The most common separation technologies are settling, filtration, centrifuging and decanting. Each of these techniques has their advantages and disadvantages, and as a result their application must be limited. A new gravitational separation technology, however, offers particular benefits for liquid-solid waste streams. Objectives The project planned to demonstrate a new gravitational separation technology – Rotating Filter Technology, ROFITEC – for liquid-solid waste streams. The ROFITEC device is a new type of centrifuge, which offers greater separation efficiency and requiring significantly less space compared to conventional systems. The project planned to: - Construct a ROFITEC separator - Demonstrate this technology in seven industrial environments - Disseminate information about the new technology among the industries for which the application was to be tested, as well as among other related industries. The following environmental benefits were expected for several industrial sectors: • Food processing: reduction of the required reactor capacity for wastewater treatment by 80-90 %. • Glass industries: reduction in use of freshwater by more than 90% and the recycling of glass instead of its disposal. • Textile: unacceptable sludge no longer being disposed of, and in many cases recycling of the fibres. • Paper: less water consumption and recycling of water, as well as the prevention of fibres and chemicals entering into the environment. If the loop could not be completely closed, however, a reduction in the needed bioreactor was to result in lower energy consumption and CO2 production, and the reuse of collected paper fibres. • Potable water: ROFITEC was to perform dewatering of the sludge in one step while conventional technologies require many different processes. One-step performance was to reduce costs by at least 50%. • Biopolymers: transport volumes to the biopolymer producer were to decrease by 80 % (thanks to a better dewatering of the raw material), and the drying of polymers was to require 40% less energy. • Chemical industry: chemical were to be reused and waste-increasing aid products were to be avoided. Results The beneficiary suffered financial difficulties in 2004 and the LIFE project did not progress as planned. A letter was sent to the Commission requesting a postponement of the project. At the time of the termination of the project, approximately 10-20% of the engineering activities had been completed.