Waterweg

The challenge

Every year many waterways in the Netherlands get dredged. With this activity a lot of sediment gets dug up and transported to depots, where it’s stored and dried to eventually be used as e.g. filling on industrial areas. This process is time, CO2 consuming and above all very costly. All paid with taxpayer money. Moreover: nowhere in the value chain value gets added to the dredged sediment.

Meanwhile the world’s urban areas are rapidly growing and cope with rising resource scarcity (sand and clay).

Waterweg wants to connect these two challenges by using dredged sediment as a resource to make applications for urban areas, like: (water permeable) tiles, building blocks etc.

What we did so far

With our help Waterweg conducted a feasibility study for their water permeable tile made of dredged sediment, funded by the water authority of Delfland. During this study Waterweg also participated in the Circular Innovation Challenge at the Unie van Waterschappen, in which they ended second and won an investment.

Now Waterweg is planning a pilot project with two water authorities: Delfland and Rijnland. During this pilot Waterweg will develop a prototype for a mobile sediment factory that can produce water permeable tiles made from dredge and potentially other applications as well. In order to make a set of requirements for this mobile sediment factory Waterweg will plan two co-creation sessions with Noorderwind, inviting several experts.