Prof. HAO Xiaodi from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture visited IHB on June 20, 2025. (Credit: IHB)

Prof. HAO Xiaodi from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture was invited to the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on June 20, 2025, for an academic exchange. He presented a lecture titled "Blue Water Factory: Technology and Framework" to researchers and graduate students.

Prof. Hao began by highlighting the necessity of developing innovative water treatment processes from the perspective of ecological sustainability, which is essential for supporting sustainable human development.

He then introduced the "Blue Water Factory Framework," detailing its four core components: nutrient management, biomaterial production, thermal/electrical energy recovery, and water recycling. This framework aims to achieve energy savings, reduce resource consumption, and enable low-carbon operation in wastewater treatment plants.

Subsequently, Prof. Hao elaborated on the core technologies integrated within the framework, covering biological treatment, resource recovery, energy utilization, and mathematical modeling. These technologies were evaluated using a 3E assessment system (Energy, Economy, and Environment), demonstrating significant advantages in energy efficiency, economic benefits, and environmental performance compared to conventional wastewater treatment methods.

In conclusion, Prof. Hao summarized the Blue Water Factory Framework and discussed its future prospects. He also addressed the current challenges in practical application and provided targeted recommendations for implementation.

Prof. HAO Xiaodi is now a full professor at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China. He is an editor of Water Research, appointed July 2009. He earned his B.S. at Taiyuan University of Technology, China, his M.S. at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China, and his Ph.D. at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. He worked in The Netherlands (TU Delft and TNO), France (CEMAGREF), Hong Kong (Poly-U and UST), United States (Auburn University), and Japan (Gifu University) for eight years. His research interests focus on sustainable biological wastewater treatment and resource recovery (especially recovery of phosphate and energy). He has written and published six books in Chinese and two books in English as well as more than 120 international and 210 domestic papers.