- Email: [email protected]
H2O Innovation awarded contracts amounting to C$3.1 million
NEWS Commenting on the system, Arun Mittal, Director, Wastewater Treatment Applications, Aquatech, said: ‘Aqua-EMBR enhances Aquatech’s robust portfolio of wastewater treatment systems. Scarce fresh-water resources and the rapidly deteriorating quality of water resources, through the discharge of untreated or noncompliant treated wastewater, are compelling reasons for industries to adopt new and advanced technologies for treating their effluent.’ ‘Many industries require huge quantities of water in their operations – potentially releasing large quantities of wastewater that can create pollution problems unless properly treated. Since environmental regulations are becoming stricter every day it is sensible to treat wastewater not only to meet environmental norms for discharge, but also make the wastewater suitable for reuse as process water in the same industry.’ Contact: Aquatech International Corp, One Four Coins Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317, USA. Tel: +1 724 746 5300, www.aquatech.com
LiqTech signs supply agreement for its SiC membranes with China’s Denovo
L
iqTech International Inc, a cleantech company based in Ballerup, Denmark, has entered into an OEM supply agreement for its silicon carbide (SiC) membranes with Chinese industrial wastewater firm Shanghai Denovo Environment Protection Co Ltd. This agreement is based on progressive, minimum order quantities for the period 2013–2016. China is one of the fastest-growing markets for industrial wastewater treatment technology. Denovo says that with increasingly stringent discharge limits set by the country’s environmental legislation for water treatment, it will be able to supply products and systems – based on its biological treatment systems and LiqTech International’s SiC membrane technology – to the industrial sectors. Dr Chen Yegang, Chairman, Denovo, explained: ‘Through our comprehensive experience and partnership with LiqTech International I believe the collaboration will expand the boundaries in the water treatment industry.’ ‘We have near-term projects at hand where we will use the SiC membrane as a key process component. LiqTech International’s membrane technology is superior in its field, and will add value for our customers.’ 4
Membrane Technology
Lasse Andreassen, Chief Executive Officer, LiqTech International, added: ‘Denovo is a leading Chinese EPC contractor of wastewater treatment plants, and the company has shown remarkable growth in a strategic market to LiqTech. This agreement with Denovo is a milestone for LiqTech in our efforts to penetrate the Chinese market for water treatment with our SiC membranes.’ Contacts: LiqTech International A/s, Industriparken 22C, DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark. Tel: +45 4498 6000, www.liqtech.com Shanghai Denovo Environment Protection Co Ltd, 487 Tianlin Road, Unit 20-1109, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200233, China. Tel: +86 21 3126 9579, www.denovogroup.com.cn
Photovoltaic-powered RO-desalination programme is accepted
I
n China, a photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis (RO) sea-water desalination facility research programme, chaired by Professor Zhang Xijian of Hangzhou Water Treatment Technology Development Center Co Ltd, was approved at the Oceanic Non-Profit Scientific Research Projects Acceptance Meeting, which was recently organised by the State Oceanic Administration Science and Technology Department. This programme focuses on coupling RO desalination of sea water with solar power, and on the photovoltaic (PV) sea-water desalination equipment that can be used on remote islands. During 2010, a PV RO desalination demonstration project – the nation’s first – was set up on Dayushan Island, Zhejiang Province. Tests conducted by a third party showed that the energy consumption of the RO system was 2.56 kWh/m3 and the daily water produced, per unit solar power panel, reached 150 l/m2. The programme owns six national patents and seven academic papers covering the associated technology have appeared in academic journals and magazines. By supplying fresh water, the systems developed have the potential to serve isolated islands, coastal villages and tourist resorts, offshore drilling platforms, ships, fishing boats and islandbased troops. They may also play an important role in promoting the use of small-scale, integrated sea-water desalination equipment on remote islands.
Contact: Hangzhou Water Treatment Technology Development Center Co Ltd, 50 Wenyi West Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Tel: +86 571 8893 5386, www.chinawatertech.com/hzsclen
H2O Innovation awarded contracts amounting to C$3.1 million
C
anada’s H2O Innovation Inc, which designs and supplies custom-built and integrated water treatment systems, has been awarded new contracts totalling C$3.1 million. These new contracts bring the firm’s order backlog for water treatment projects to C$21.3 million as of 5 December 2012. The first contract will see H2O Innovation design, assemble, deliver and commission a water reuse expansion plant for the Leo J. Vander Lans Water Treatment Facility in California, USA. The system, based on reverse osmosis technology, will have a finished water capacity of 14 000 m3 (3.7 million gallons) a day. As part of another contract, the company will, for the first time in its history, lease a water purification unit to a village municipality in Northern Quebec, Canada. Based on conventional nanofiltration (NF) technology, the mobile container – an insulated and heated unit with a capacity of 150 m3 (39 625 gallons) a day – will treat groundwater to produce drinking water. H2O Innovation has signed a one-year leasing agreement, which is renewable upon request by the municipality. ‘For us, this leasing agreement is the first of its kind. There is a strong demand for such a service, and we are definitely willing to develop it and offer it more and more to communities and workers’ camps – enhancing our services, broadening our market reach, and offering a more comprehensive range of services and products,’ commented Frédéric Dugré, President and Chief Executive Officer, H2O Innovation. Another contract will see the company manufacture and deliver a drinking-water production unit for a mining camp that is also located in Northern Quebec. The insulated container will use NF technology to treat surface water. The firm has also announced that it will be responsible for start-up and operation assistance services for a drinking-water production unit and a wastewater treatment plant in Northern Alberta, Canada. It delivered two turn-key systems last summer to a customer operating
February 2013
NEWS in the oil and gas sector, for use in a camp that accommodates 1000 workers. Based on the trust established during the initial phase of the project the client asked H2O Innovation’s field service team to work with its members of staff for the first six months of operation while they became familiar with the technologies. Contact: H2O Innovation Inc, 330 rue St-Vallier Est, Suite 340, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada G1K 9C5. Tel: +1 418 688 0170, www.h2oinnovation.com
UF device is designed for fast sample concentration
S
artorius Ag of Goettingen, Germany, reports that it is introducing to the market a new generation of ultrafiltration (UF) device. The disposable Vivaspin Turbo 15 is optimally suited for protein, virus or nano-particle concentration, and desalting, dialysis and buffer exchange. It is available in a range of volumes, from 4–15 ml and, claims the company, permits easy and complete recovery of the concentrate, yet is one of the fastest UF devices on the market. According to Sartorius, by using Vivaspin Turbo 15, laboratory technicians can concentrate biological samples within 10–30 minutes and obtain macromolecular recoveries of more than 95%. In a single spin, 15-ml solutions can be concentrated up to 150 times, says the company. High flow-rates are achieved by using twin vertical membranes, which minimise protein polarisation and subsequent fouling. The optimised design and sleek internal profile ensure maximum process speeds down to the last few micro-litres. The 100-μl dead stop pocket is easy to access with standard 200-μl pipette tips because of the device’s patent-pending angular design. It eliminates the risk of the sample ‘‘running to dryness’’ while maximising recovery of the concentrate. The use of chemically resistant plastic materials, such as polystyrene and polypropylene, guarantee a stable shelf life, even in humid environments, says the company. Polyethersulfone membranes are preferred for their low-fouling characteristics, exceptional flux and broad pH compatibility. The combination of polyethersulfone, polystyrene and polypropylene also enables Vivaspin Turbo 15 units to be readily sterilised and depyrogenated.
Contact: Sartorius Ag, Weender Landstr. 94–108, 37075 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +49 551 3080, www.sartorius.com
February 2013
Eshmuno CPX media supports productive downstream bio-processing
E
MD Millipore, the life science division of Germany’s Merck KgaA, has launched Eshmuno CPX media – a strong cation exchanger optimised for intermediate or polishing purification of monoclonal antibodies. Based on the company’s Eshmuno resin technology, the new media offers high aggregate removal efficiency and dynamic binding capacity, supporting highly productive downstream bio-processing. The primary challenge for intermediate purification and polishing is selectivity – removal of impurities similar to the target molecule, such as aggregates and host cell proteins, even at high loading levels. Eshmuno CPX meets this challenge for different types of bio-molecule, says the company. It was specifically built on EMD Millipore’s proven tentacle technology, allowing for a multi-point interaction. This technology, in combination with the hydrophilic polyvinylether base bead, enables binding of the target molecule and impurity removal to be accomplished over a wide range of process conditions. Eshmuno CPX media is compatible over a wide range of pH conditions, providing excellent process stability against alkalis and acids. It is available in pre-packed, ready-touse, disposable columns – the ideal tool for performing initial media screening, scaling and optimisation studies. The columns can be used with any chromatography system. ‘High titres in upstream processing create a bottleneck in downstream processing, slowing down the production process,’ said Dr Jonas Anders, Global Marketing Director, Purification Chromatography, EMD Millipore. ‘As a result, there is a need for highly productive and reliable purification technologies. Eshmuno CPX media is the first member of an expanded, novel, high-resolution platform designed to meet the needs for highly productive downstream bio-processing applications.’
Contacts: EMD Millipore, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com Merck KgaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany. Tel: +49 6151 720, www.merck.de
In Brief KMS appoints EMEA commercial director Martin Awe has been named Commercial Director, Industrial & Life Sciences (ILS), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) of the Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) division of Koch Chemical Technology Group Ltd. Awe, who is based in Aachen, Germany, will be responsible for continuing the growth of KMS’ ILS business while developing market expansion plans throughout the territories that constitute this key region. ‘Over the past several years this territory has accounted for an ever increasing percentage of our global ILS business and a good portion of the profitability. It is our intention to build upon this success with Martin’s leadership,’ commented John Morrison, Senior Vice President, KMS. Modern Water opens laboratory facilities for Europe and Asia Modern Water Plc, which owns, installs and operates systems based on membranes, and also develops technology for monitoring the quality of water, has officially opened its new offices and laboratory facilities in Cambridge, UK. This city is now the central hub for the firm’s laboratory requirements across Europe and Asia. Modern Water’s monitoring and desalination divisions each have a separate laboratory at the new site. PWN Technologies wins award PWN Technologies of Velserbroek, The Netherlands, which specialises in technology for treating drinking water, has won the Dutch Water Innovator Award 2012. During the WaterVisie 2012 congress, which was held recently in Rotterdam, it received the award for its suspended ion-exchange process (referred to as SIX) and ceramic membranes (CeraMac). A combination of these technologies produces high-quality water, and lowers environmental load and energy consumption during its production. Nicholas Colisto joins Xylem as its CIO Nicholas Colisto has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Xylem Inc – a water technology company based in White Plains, New York, USA. Reporting directly to Gretchen McClain, President and Chief Executive Officer, Xylem, he will be responsible for all information technology (IT) strategy and staffing to support the global business. ‘As a company doing business in more than 150 countries we have seen the growing strategic importance of IT in enabling efficient operations and business processes, and we are elevating the IT functional leadership to reflect that importance,’ commented McClain.
Membrane Technology
5
LiqTech signs supply agreement for its SiC membranes with China’s Denovo
L
iqTech International Inc, a cleantech company based in Ballerup, Denmark, has entered into an OEM supply agreement for its silicon carbide (SiC) membranes with Chinese industrial wastewater firm Shanghai Denovo Environment Protection Co Ltd. This agreement is based on progressive, minimum order quantities for the period 2013–2016. China is one of the fastest-growing markets for industrial wastewater treatment technology. Denovo says that with increasingly stringent discharge limits set by the country’s environmental legislation for water treatment, it will be able to supply products and systems – based on its biological treatment systems and LiqTech International’s SiC membrane technology – to the industrial sectors. Dr Chen Yegang, Chairman, Denovo, explained: ‘Through our comprehensive experience and partnership with LiqTech International I believe the collaboration will expand the boundaries in the water treatment industry.’ ‘We have near-term projects at hand where we will use the SiC membrane as a key process component. LiqTech International’s membrane technology is superior in its field, and will add value for our customers.’ 4
Membrane Technology
Lasse Andreassen, Chief Executive Officer, LiqTech International, added: ‘Denovo is a leading Chinese EPC contractor of wastewater treatment plants, and the company has shown remarkable growth in a strategic market to LiqTech. This agreement with Denovo is a milestone for LiqTech in our efforts to penetrate the Chinese market for water treatment with our SiC membranes.’ Contacts: LiqTech International A/s, Industriparken 22C, DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark. Tel: +45 4498 6000, www.liqtech.com Shanghai Denovo Environment Protection Co Ltd, 487 Tianlin Road, Unit 20-1109, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200233, China. Tel: +86 21 3126 9579, www.denovogroup.com.cn
Photovoltaic-powered RO-desalination programme is accepted
I
n China, a photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis (RO) sea-water desalination facility research programme, chaired by Professor Zhang Xijian of Hangzhou Water Treatment Technology Development Center Co Ltd, was approved at the Oceanic Non-Profit Scientific Research Projects Acceptance Meeting, which was recently organised by the State Oceanic Administration Science and Technology Department. This programme focuses on coupling RO desalination of sea water with solar power, and on the photovoltaic (PV) sea-water desalination equipment that can be used on remote islands. During 2010, a PV RO desalination demonstration project – the nation’s first – was set up on Dayushan Island, Zhejiang Province. Tests conducted by a third party showed that the energy consumption of the RO system was 2.56 kWh/m3 and the daily water produced, per unit solar power panel, reached 150 l/m2. The programme owns six national patents and seven academic papers covering the associated technology have appeared in academic journals and magazines. By supplying fresh water, the systems developed have the potential to serve isolated islands, coastal villages and tourist resorts, offshore drilling platforms, ships, fishing boats and islandbased troops. They may also play an important role in promoting the use of small-scale, integrated sea-water desalination equipment on remote islands.
Contact: Hangzhou Water Treatment Technology Development Center Co Ltd, 50 Wenyi West Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Tel: +86 571 8893 5386, www.chinawatertech.com/hzsclen
H2O Innovation awarded contracts amounting to C$3.1 million
C
anada’s H2O Innovation Inc, which designs and supplies custom-built and integrated water treatment systems, has been awarded new contracts totalling C$3.1 million. These new contracts bring the firm’s order backlog for water treatment projects to C$21.3 million as of 5 December 2012. The first contract will see H2O Innovation design, assemble, deliver and commission a water reuse expansion plant for the Leo J. Vander Lans Water Treatment Facility in California, USA. The system, based on reverse osmosis technology, will have a finished water capacity of 14 000 m3 (3.7 million gallons) a day. As part of another contract, the company will, for the first time in its history, lease a water purification unit to a village municipality in Northern Quebec, Canada. Based on conventional nanofiltration (NF) technology, the mobile container – an insulated and heated unit with a capacity of 150 m3 (39 625 gallons) a day – will treat groundwater to produce drinking water. H2O Innovation has signed a one-year leasing agreement, which is renewable upon request by the municipality. ‘For us, this leasing agreement is the first of its kind. There is a strong demand for such a service, and we are definitely willing to develop it and offer it more and more to communities and workers’ camps – enhancing our services, broadening our market reach, and offering a more comprehensive range of services and products,’ commented Frédéric Dugré, President and Chief Executive Officer, H2O Innovation. Another contract will see the company manufacture and deliver a drinking-water production unit for a mining camp that is also located in Northern Quebec. The insulated container will use NF technology to treat surface water. The firm has also announced that it will be responsible for start-up and operation assistance services for a drinking-water production unit and a wastewater treatment plant in Northern Alberta, Canada. It delivered two turn-key systems last summer to a customer operating
February 2013
NEWS in the oil and gas sector, for use in a camp that accommodates 1000 workers. Based on the trust established during the initial phase of the project the client asked H2O Innovation’s field service team to work with its members of staff for the first six months of operation while they became familiar with the technologies. Contact: H2O Innovation Inc, 330 rue St-Vallier Est, Suite 340, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada G1K 9C5. Tel: +1 418 688 0170, www.h2oinnovation.com
UF device is designed for fast sample concentration
S
artorius Ag of Goettingen, Germany, reports that it is introducing to the market a new generation of ultrafiltration (UF) device. The disposable Vivaspin Turbo 15 is optimally suited for protein, virus or nano-particle concentration, and desalting, dialysis and buffer exchange. It is available in a range of volumes, from 4–15 ml and, claims the company, permits easy and complete recovery of the concentrate, yet is one of the fastest UF devices on the market. According to Sartorius, by using Vivaspin Turbo 15, laboratory technicians can concentrate biological samples within 10–30 minutes and obtain macromolecular recoveries of more than 95%. In a single spin, 15-ml solutions can be concentrated up to 150 times, says the company. High flow-rates are achieved by using twin vertical membranes, which minimise protein polarisation and subsequent fouling. The optimised design and sleek internal profile ensure maximum process speeds down to the last few micro-litres. The 100-μl dead stop pocket is easy to access with standard 200-μl pipette tips because of the device’s patent-pending angular design. It eliminates the risk of the sample ‘‘running to dryness’’ while maximising recovery of the concentrate. The use of chemically resistant plastic materials, such as polystyrene and polypropylene, guarantee a stable shelf life, even in humid environments, says the company. Polyethersulfone membranes are preferred for their low-fouling characteristics, exceptional flux and broad pH compatibility. The combination of polyethersulfone, polystyrene and polypropylene also enables Vivaspin Turbo 15 units to be readily sterilised and depyrogenated.
Contact: Sartorius Ag, Weender Landstr. 94–108, 37075 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +49 551 3080, www.sartorius.com
February 2013
Eshmuno CPX media supports productive downstream bio-processing
E
MD Millipore, the life science division of Germany’s Merck KgaA, has launched Eshmuno CPX media – a strong cation exchanger optimised for intermediate or polishing purification of monoclonal antibodies. Based on the company’s Eshmuno resin technology, the new media offers high aggregate removal efficiency and dynamic binding capacity, supporting highly productive downstream bio-processing. The primary challenge for intermediate purification and polishing is selectivity – removal of impurities similar to the target molecule, such as aggregates and host cell proteins, even at high loading levels. Eshmuno CPX meets this challenge for different types of bio-molecule, says the company. It was specifically built on EMD Millipore’s proven tentacle technology, allowing for a multi-point interaction. This technology, in combination with the hydrophilic polyvinylether base bead, enables binding of the target molecule and impurity removal to be accomplished over a wide range of process conditions. Eshmuno CPX media is compatible over a wide range of pH conditions, providing excellent process stability against alkalis and acids. It is available in pre-packed, ready-touse, disposable columns – the ideal tool for performing initial media screening, scaling and optimisation studies. The columns can be used with any chromatography system. ‘High titres in upstream processing create a bottleneck in downstream processing, slowing down the production process,’ said Dr Jonas Anders, Global Marketing Director, Purification Chromatography, EMD Millipore. ‘As a result, there is a need for highly productive and reliable purification technologies. Eshmuno CPX media is the first member of an expanded, novel, high-resolution platform designed to meet the needs for highly productive downstream bio-processing applications.’
Contacts: EMD Millipore, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com Merck KgaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany. Tel: +49 6151 720, www.merck.de
In Brief KMS appoints EMEA commercial director Martin Awe has been named Commercial Director, Industrial & Life Sciences (ILS), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) of the Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) division of Koch Chemical Technology Group Ltd. Awe, who is based in Aachen, Germany, will be responsible for continuing the growth of KMS’ ILS business while developing market expansion plans throughout the territories that constitute this key region. ‘Over the past several years this territory has accounted for an ever increasing percentage of our global ILS business and a good portion of the profitability. It is our intention to build upon this success with Martin’s leadership,’ commented John Morrison, Senior Vice President, KMS. Modern Water opens laboratory facilities for Europe and Asia Modern Water Plc, which owns, installs and operates systems based on membranes, and also develops technology for monitoring the quality of water, has officially opened its new offices and laboratory facilities in Cambridge, UK. This city is now the central hub for the firm’s laboratory requirements across Europe and Asia. Modern Water’s monitoring and desalination divisions each have a separate laboratory at the new site. PWN Technologies wins award PWN Technologies of Velserbroek, The Netherlands, which specialises in technology for treating drinking water, has won the Dutch Water Innovator Award 2012. During the WaterVisie 2012 congress, which was held recently in Rotterdam, it received the award for its suspended ion-exchange process (referred to as SIX) and ceramic membranes (CeraMac). A combination of these technologies produces high-quality water, and lowers environmental load and energy consumption during its production. Nicholas Colisto joins Xylem as its CIO Nicholas Colisto has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Xylem Inc – a water technology company based in White Plains, New York, USA. Reporting directly to Gretchen McClain, President and Chief Executive Officer, Xylem, he will be responsible for all information technology (IT) strategy and staffing to support the global business. ‘As a company doing business in more than 150 countries we have seen the growing strategic importance of IT in enabling efficient operations and business processes, and we are elevating the IT functional leadership to reflect that importance,’ commented McClain.
Membrane Technology
5