Stuttgart-based startup Variolytics Wins the 2027 German Sustainability Award
Technology for the Targeted Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Wastewater Treatment Plants Receives Award
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Variolytics GmbH is the winner of the 2027 German Sustainability Award for Products in the “Climate” transformation category. The award goes to EmiCo lite, a compact measurement system that continuously monitors nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) in wastewater treatment plants and analyzes the data using cloud-based software. EmiCo lite impressed the independent expert jury in a highly competitive field of 23 finalists. The award will be presented on December 3, 2026, at the Maritim Hotel Düsseldorf as part of the 19th German Sustainability Award.
An Underestimated Climate Factor: Wastewater Treatment Plants
According to estimates, wastewater treatment plants are responsible for about two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In European municipalities, wastewater treatment can account for up to 15 percent of municipal emissions. The main driver is nitrous oxide from the biological treatment stage—a gas that has a climate impact roughly 270 times greater than that of CO2. Because it has rarely been measured to date and is usually estimated using blanket emission factors, it remains a major unknown in many carbon footprint calculations.
Measure, Understand, Reduce
This is exactly where EmiCo lite comes in. The off-gas analyzer continuously measures N2O and CH4 in the exhaust gas from the biological treatment stage. Unlike estimation methods based on default emission factors, EmiCo lite provides plant-specific measurement data in real time. This reveals emission dynamics that are not reflected in average values. The cloud-based software analyzes the data and shows operators when and why emissions occur.
Based on this measurement data, operators in documented projects adjusted their process control, thereby reducing nitrous oxide emissions by 70 to 99 percent. EmiCo lite can be easily integrated into existing wastewater treatment plants. Installation typically takes less than two hours. As of June 2026, the system was already in use at 75 wastewater treatment plants in eight countries.
With the amended EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the systematic tracking of greenhouse gas emissions is becoming increasingly important. This presents wastewater treatment plant operators with the challenge of not only quantifying emissions but also understanding their actual causes and deriving effective mitigation measures. Continuous measurement data provides an important foundation for this.
The Jury’s Verdict
The jury commended “in particular the combination of precise real-time measurements with concrete options for action to reduce emissions.” It views the retrofitability of existing systems and the documented savings positively. “The system thus also opens up opportunities for smaller municipalities to identify and specifically reduce emissions that were previously difficult to track,” the expert jury stated in its rationale.
A Statement from the Company
“The greatest potential for climate protection often lies where emissions have remained invisible until now. With EmiCo lite, we are creating the data foundation to not only capture these emissions but also reduce them in a targeted manner. The German Sustainability Award validates our approach of making effective climate protection in wastewater treatment measurable and accessible to as many wastewater treatment plants as possible,” says Johann Barlach, CEO of Variolytics GmbH.
About the German Sustainability Award for Products
The German Sustainability Award for Products honors products and solutions that make a measurable contribution to sustainable development in the areas of climate, nature, resources, the value chain, and society. Independent expert juries from the business community, academia, and civil society evaluate the submissions in a two-stage process.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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