POST-PURPLE consortium meets in Kozani for second General Assembly
Kozani, Greece, 8 September 2026
The POST-PURPLE consortium will gather in Kozani, Greece, for its second General Assembly on 9 September. CluBE, a partner in the EU funded project, will host the meeting together with the University of Western Macedonia and DIADYMA SA. The following day, partners will visit local waste treatment facilities to see the region’s circular economy work in action.
POST-PURPLE brings together 15 partners from 9 countries. The project develops zero waste urban biorefineries that use purple phototrophic bacteria to recover energy and valuable materials from organic waste streams.
Reviewing progress across six work packages
The General Assembly opens with a welcome from the University of Western Macedonia, CluBE and URJC, the Project Coordinator. Throughout the day, partners present progress across the project’s six work packages, covering data analysis and mass balance, biobased solutions for emissions and solid waste, biobased solutions for wastewater treatment plants, digital tools for technology integration, communication and impact, and administrative management. Every work package presentation has time built in for discussion after each session.
Visiting Kozani’s waste treatment facilities
On 10 September, the consortium travels to DIADYMA’s Mechanical and Biological Treatment facilities in Kozani. The visit includes stops at the waste processing plant and the local waste management unit, followed by lab visits at the University of Western Macedonia. The facility offers a working example of the circular approach POST-PURPLE promotes. Key figures:
- Processes around 120,000 tonnes of waste per year
- 35% of solid rejects go to landfill
- Mechanical sorting separates recyclables and organics
- Organic waste is composted aerobically in closed boxes
- Residues are converted into biochar and renewable energy
The plant separates recyclables, composts organic material and turns what remains into biochar and energy, closing the loop on urban waste.
"We see POST-PURPLE as a flagship initiative for our region. It lays the groundwork for our first biorefinery and supports our transition beyond coal."
About POST PURPLE
POST-PURPLE is a Horizon Europe funded project that develops zero waste urban biorefineries. The project uses purple phototrophic bacteria to recover energy and valuable materials from organic waste streams, supporting the transition to a circular economy.
Funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101181162). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Media contact
Sara Leska
European Science Communication Institute
sl@esci.eu
Jürgen Kleinig
European Science Communication Institute
jk@esci.eu
On the pictures: DIADYMA Office, its Mechanical and Biological Treatment (MBT) and the Local Waste Management Unit (LWMU) in Kozani, Greece.
