A project that turns a conventional wastewater treatment plant into an integrated urban resource recovery hub has won the Grand Innovation Award 2026 at the IWA Project Innovation Awards, presented at a Gala event in Glasgow, UK.
The entry, ‘Transforming Wastewater into Value: A Megacity-Scale Water-Energy Nexus Model’, from Zhongyuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou Xinqu Wastewater Treatment Plant in China, was announced as the overall winner at the Gala.
Entries for the 15th edition
The 15th IWA Project Innovation Awards attracted 320 entries from 65 countries. The Gala brought together 23 finalists across six award categories, with Gold awards going to projects in China, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and Kenya.
An independent panel of expert judges evaluated each project on its innovative qualities and key outcomes, also considering the circumstances of its development and its potential for broader impact. The awards are presented biennially at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, which H2O Global News reported opened in Glasgow on 4 October. IWA launched the awards in 2006.
Inside the Grand Innovation Award winner
The winning project integrates advanced water treatment, recycled water utilisation, sludge pyrolysis and gasification, renewable energy generation and multi-resource utilisation to address challenges in urban water security and low-carbon development.
Activated coke technology enables effective removal of emerging contaminants and supports high-quality recycled water production. The sludge pyrolysis and gasification system recovers energy from pyrolysis gas while converting residual slag into recycled construction materials. Wastewater thermal energy is also recovered and used through multiple pathways. H2O Global News has previously covered sludge gasification in the UK through the Yorkshire Water ATC Gasification Project.
Gold winners by category
- Market-changing Water Technology and Infrastructure: Transforming Wastewater into Value: A Megacity-Scale Water-Energy Nexus Model, Zhongyuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou Xinqu Wastewater Treatment Plant, China
- Performance Improvement and Operational Solutions: From Waste to Roof Tiles: a Circular Economy Approach in the Portuguese Water Sector, Águas do Douro e Paiva, S.A., Portugal
- Breakthroughs in Research and Development: Innovative anaerobic|oxic|anoxic (AOA) biological wastewater treatment technology at Shenzhen Binhe Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant, Beijing University of Technology and Shenzhen Water and Environment Group Co., Ltd., China
- Exceptional Project Execution and Delivery: Hassyan 180 MIGD SWRO Independent Water Project, Power Construction Corporation of China, SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. and ACWA Power International, United Arab Emirates
- Governance, Institutions and Social Enterprise: Kiunga Solar Desalination and Water-for-Peace Initiative, Lamu County Government, Kenya
- Smart Systems and the Digital Water Economy: The Digital Reservoir: a new paradigm for integrated water cycle management based on cyber-physical systems, EMASESA, Sevilla Water Utility, Spain
Silver and Bronze highlights
Silver awards included IDE Water Technologies for the Cherokee Metropolitan District TDS Reduction and Water Reuse Project, KWR Water Research Institute for AI Enabled Strategies for Future Proof Water Systems, VA Tech Wabag for the 150 MLD Digha and Kankarbagh Integrated Wastewater Infrastructure Project in Patna, India, and LIS-Water with the Inter-American Development Bank for WaterGov.
Bronze winners included Sweco Belgium and Aquafin for the first quaternary micropollutant treatment plant in Flanders, Scottish Water for Winchburgh Wastewater Treatment Works, Singapore’s PUB for what it describes as the world’s lowest energy MBR integrating MABR and AGS technologies, and the City of North Miami Beach for its AI-enabled Smart Utilities Ecosystem. Earlier in the week IWA also announced its 2026 water award winners.
About the International Water Association
The International Water Association (IWA) is a global network of water professionals, researchers and practitioners committed to achieving sustainable water solutions. IWA connects people and organisations to drive innovation, knowledge and best practices in water management.
Frequently asked questions
‘Transforming Wastewater into Value: A Megacity-Scale Water-Energy Nexus Model’ from Zhongyuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou Xinqu Wastewater Treatment Plant, China, won the Grand Innovation Award 2026.
The 15th edition received 320 entries from 65 countries, with 23 finalists across six categories.
It transforms a conventional wastewater treatment plant into an urban resource recovery hub, combining advanced treatment with activated coke, recycled water, sludge pyrolysis and gasification, and wastewater thermal energy recovery.
Gold awards went to projects in China, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and Kenya.
They are awarded biennially at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition and were launched by IWA in 2006.
