Guimarães, Portugal: The European LIFE ANHIDRA project marks a milestone in sustainability with the unveiling of its innovative closed-loop system for treating and reusing textile wastewater. During the event held at the Pizarro facility in Guimarães (Portugal), ANHIDRA was introduced as a revolutionary solution transforming water management in the textile industry. The event brought together the project’s key partners: Jeanologia, the Spanish company responsible for designing and building ANHIDRA and a global leader in sustainable technologies for the textile sector; AITEX, the Textile Industry Research Association; and Portuguese textile company Pizarro, accompanied by representatives from the European Commission.
A key solution to reduce the textile industry’s water footprint: The textile industry consumes an estimated 93 billion m³ of water annually, accounting for 4% of global water use. ANHIDRA addresses this critical challenge by regenerating up to 95% of the water used in textile washing and finishing processes, returning it in optimal conditions for reuse.
With zero discharges, zero contamination, and no complex treatments, ANHIDRA stands out with exceptional results:
- 92% reduction in water consumption
- 98% reduction in wastewater generation
- Up to 15% reduction in energy consumption
ANHIDRA not only minimizes environmental impact but also reduces the operational costs associated with traditional water management, making it a competitive and eco-friendly solution.
Innovation and circular economy: Beyond water regeneration, ANHIDRA focuses on reusing textile waste. In collaboration with AITEX, the project is exploring how to transform fibrous fragments collected during water treatment into new textile products, reinforcing the project’s commitment to the circular economy.
"ANHIDRA not only transforms water management in the textile industry but also proves that sustainability and competitiveness can go hand in hand. This system sets a new global benchmark," said Vicent Albert, Jeanologia’s Product and Technology Director.
Launch and demonstration of the ANHIDRA system: During the event, attendees observed the various stages of the system in action at the Pizarro pilot plant. Following the demonstration, a coffee-networking session allowed project partners to exchange ideas about the technical, environmental, and economic impact of the technology.
"ANHIDRA represents a radical shift in how we address environmental challenges in a resource-intensive industry like textiles. It is a sustainable, efficient, and essential solution," emphasized Manuel Pizarro, CEO of Pizarro.
Scalability and future of the project: The project plans to implement ANHIDRA in at least 36 industrial facilities over the next three years, aiming to expand to 100 systems internationally within five years. This is expected to save up to 12.34 million m³ of water annually.
Funded by the European Union's LIFE program, LIFE ANHIDRA demonstrates how business cooperation and technological innovation can provide effective solutions to major environmental challenges. "Our goal is to make this technology accessible to the entire textile industry, contributing to a more sustainable future for fashion and the planet," concluded Vicent Albert, project coordinator.
This project has received funding from the European Union's LIFE program (grant agreement no. 101074372).
About Jeanologia: Since 1994, Jeanologia's mission has been to create an ethical, sustainable, and eco-efficient textile industry. The company collaborates closely with brands, retailers, and their suppliers on their transformative journey, providing disruptive technologies, innovative software, and a new operating model. Revolutionary solutions such as laser technology, G2 ozone, Dancing Box, e-flow, and H2Zero have reshaped the textile sector, offering limitless design and garment finishing possibilities. These advancements reduce costs while saving water, energy, and chemicals, ensuring zero contamination.
About Pizarro: Founded in 1983, Pizarro SA has in its DNA the mission of being a reference for good social and environmental practices. At the forefront of circularity, it embraces the commitment to contribute to the transformation of the Textile and Clothing Industry on a global scale, continually investing in the development of eco-efficient technologies and production models. Pizarro SA offers a vertical solution to its customers: from research, design, modeling, and production of samples/productions, to dyeing, laundry, and printing on manufactured pieces, whilst also ensuring logistics services. With the aim of being the largest global player in its segment, Pizarro SA has global solutions for all the challenges raised by its customers.
About AITEX: The Textile and Cosmetic Industry Research Association – AITEX, is a research & innovation center which performs characterisation trials and certification of textile materials and articles for a wide range of sectors including interior design, fashion, work wear, healthcare, sports and leisure, land and sea transport, aerospace, and sports surfaces. The AITEX’s core objective is to create and transfer knowledge of textiles to the private sector, making the textile industry more competitive and opening up doors to new opportunities with a high added-value factor. The center promotes modernisation and the introduction of emerging technologies through its on-going R+D activities and other projects which contribute to the evolution of the textile industry and issues the most appropriate product certifications to allow an article to compete in the international marketplace and facilitate its introduction into high-end niche markets.
