Job losses at Hercules The US chemicals group
million by the end of the second
competitiveness
Hercules lnc, which makes
quarter of 2002. In addition to
businesses.
chemicals for the treatment of
the initial staff reductions, the
water, has announced it is to cut
company said it also plans job
of its
Early last year, the company looked at its heavy debt load and
3% of its non-European
cuts in Europe, after consulting
a number of unrelated chemicals
workforce, as part of an ongoing
with employees and their
businesses and set out to divest
effort to sell off its businesses or
representatives.
It will also
those units, i.e. resins and fibres,
arrange a merger.
release noncritical external
to enable it to focus on chemical
contractors.
treatments for water heavy
The company plans to lay-off
Redundancies are
300 employees from a
expected to come from all of
industries. Last November,
worldwide workforce of 9600.
Hercules’ business divisions and
Hercules said it would consider
The job cuts are the initial phase
functions around the world.
a sale or a merger.
of a plan announced in June to
According to chairman and chief
improve financial performance
executive officer, William Joyce,
Contact: Hercules Inc, 1313 North
through an extensive cost
the plan is vital to lower its
Market Street, Wilmington,
DE
reduction and work process
operating costs and restore
J 9894,
594
improvement programme. The
Hercules to a sound financial
5000;
company aims to save US$ 100
position and ensure the
Website: www. hexcorn
USA. TeJ: +1 302 Fax: +1 302
594 5400;
Multi-million dollar water treatment contract Osmonics Inc has been awarded
effectively treat water for the
demand for municipal water
a US$3.8 million contract for a
removal of dissolved minerals,
treatment systems. The 1996
reverse osmosis (RO) system to
arsenic, hardness, colour,
Safe Drinking Water Act is
desalt and purify Brazes river
radium, nitrates and sulphates.
beginning to be enforced,
water from the Granbury
According to Osmonics’
Reservoir inTexas, USA.
Process Water Group, advances
small and medium-size
in system design and energy
municipal water treatment
contracted Osmonics to reduce
efficiency have now made RO
facilities in the USA will need to
dissolved minerals in the Brazes
membrane technology a
improve water treatment to
river to meet the World Health
competitive alternative to
comply with the regulations. As
Organization’s standards for
traditional water treatment.
a result, many municipalities
drinking water. The system will
Osmonics is expecting
will need to invest in better
consist of four Osmo MUNI
continued growth in the
water treatment equipment.
Series RO units, containing over
municipal market as US
The Brazes River Authority
meaning that more than 25 000
1200 replaceable membrane
Environmental Protection
elements, and will purify and
Agency (EPA) regulations,
Clearwater
desalt 2 3 million litres of water
consumers’ heightened
55343.8995,
daily. Its MUNI Series line of
awareness of water quality and
Tel: + J 952 933 2277;
energy-efficient
diminishing potable water
Fax: +f
sources continue to drive
Website: www.osmonics.com
water treatment
systems are said to be able to
Contact: Osmonics Inc, 5951 Drive, Minnetonka,
MN
USA.
953 933 0141;
Middle Eastern desalination project fuelled power plant and a 455 million litres per day
Authority. The plant is expected
Power Plc has won a contract to
desalination facility. CMS and
to be fully operational by the summer of 2004.
operate Abu Dhabi’s US$ 1.6
International Power will operate
billion Shuweuhat S 1 power and
the facility under a 20.year
desalination project.
operations and maintenance
Contact: CMS Energy, FairJane Plaza
agreement. CMS Energy and
South, Suite 1100,
Abu Dhabi’s largest independent
International Power will jointly
Drive, Dearborn,
water and power plant and
own 40% of the project, with
7’eJ: fl
includes a 1500 megawatt gas
the other 60% owned by the
Website: www.cmsenergy.com
The project is claimed to be
6
October
2001
Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity
CMS Energy Corp’s joint venture with International
313 436
330 7&n Center
MI 48126,
USA.
9200;
Filtration+Separation