- Email: [email protected]
Market for sea-water desalination plants set for high growth
NEWS ‘Establishing this design and operations centre in Malaysia demonstrates our commitment to serving the South-East Asia market and our numerous customers there,’ said Carlos Cabrera, President and Chief Executive Officer of UOP, noting that gas production for this region is expected to grow to more than 340 billion m3 (12 trillion ft3) by 2015, according to the US Energy Information Administration. UOP, based in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, is an international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, process plants and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Incorporated and is part of Honeywell’s Specialty Materials strategic business group. Contact: UOP Llc, 25 East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000, www.uop.com
KMS receives first municipal order from Spain for Puron modules
S
eparation and filtration products company Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) of Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA, has announced that it has received its first municipal order from Spain for its Puron submerged membrane modules. Sited at Ontígola in the province of Toledo, in the central region of the country, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant is being built by Aqualia Infraestructuras to process wastewater from a local business park for use in both an agricultural irrigation scheme and a nearby nature reserve. The plant will process 1200 m3 (317 000 gallons) of wastewater per day after it is commissioned during May 2008. Ontígola Business Park consists of a mix of office and light industrial units. This scheme is part of a growing trend to increase water reuse and make the most of this limited resource in the semi-arid areas of Southern Europe. The Reserva del Regajal-Mar de Ontígola was granted nature reserve status during 1994. Its 635 ha (1570 acres) of wetland are home to a number of important species, including rare butterflies that are in danger of extinction. The importance of making the most of central Spain’s water is clear, given the generally held belief that traditionally dry areas are
May 2008
going to become drier in the future. But the investment in MBR technology is also a demonstration of the local authority’s commitment to dealing with the situation in an environmentally sensitive manner by assisting local farmers and the environment at the same time. According to KMS, the adoption of Puron technology by a number of major European original equipment manufacturers is evidence of its growing acceptance in the European market place. Puron already has a track record in Spain where it is in operation at reference sites that involve landfill leachate treatment and food industry applications. Aqualia Infraestructuras is an Aqualia company that specialises in the design and construction of all types of water-processing facilities. Its plants are used for water purification, processing urban sewage water, reclamation and desalination, and channelling both fresh and sewage water. Contact: Koch Membrane Systems, 850 Main Street, Wilmington, MA 01887-3388, USA. Tel: +1 978 694 7000, www.kochmembrane.com
Market for sea-water desalination plants set for high growth
A
technical market research report now available from BCC Research Co of Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA, predicts that the market worldwide for sea-water and brackish water desalination plants is set to grow substantially over the next four years. According to the report, entitled ‘Seawater and Brackish Water Desalination’ the global market for this technology was worth US$1.9 billion in 2007. This is expected to increase to over US$3.6 billion by 2012, which represents a compound average annual growth rate of 13.4%. The Earth’s finite fresh water reserves are dwindling – a situation that will place the challenge of developing new sources at the forefront of global sustainability concerns for decades to come, says BCC Research. Because of the potentially unlimited availability of sea water, there have been numerous efforts to develop cheap and effective desalting technologies for converting saline water into fresh water. Currently, less than 1% of the world’s water supply is produced through desalination, but that percentage is changing rapidly, says the firm. Global capacity has risen by about 45% in the past five years, and is slated to increase at about the same rate during the next five
In Brief ECN selected by Technip KTI to deliver hydrogen purification module The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has been selected by Italian process engineering company Technip KTI SpA to deliver a hydrogen purification module for the Fondo Integrativo Speciale per la Ricerca (FISR) project. Under this project, which is funded by the Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) – the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research – seven chemical engineering institutes in Italy are cooperating with Technip KTI on the development of a process for producing hydrogen for refineries. To ensure that the technology is economically competitive, ECN’s approach is to use extremely thin (a few micrometres) layers of palladium. The project provides an opportunity to demonstrate the use of high-temperature membranes for producing hydrogen for the petrochemical industry. The cooperation will also result in the development of a pilot hydrogen plant. Millipore plans new facility in Singapore Millipore Corporation is planning to open an applications and training facility in Singapore. The US-based company says that it is making the investment to meet the growing needs of its biotechnology customers that have operations in Asia. ‘Many of our large multinational customers and local manufacturers have made significant investments in Asia and this facility continues and enhances the local support that we have provided over the past 25 years we have been in Singapore,’ commented Martin Madaus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Millipore. The facility will be located in Science Park, and is scheduled to open in early 2009. Symposium covers environmental and related sciences The ‘Blacksea International Environmental Symposium’ (BIES’08) is scheduled to be held in Giresun, Turkey on 25–29 August 2008. Among other topics the symposium will cover new approaches in water pollution control, drinking and wastewater treatment, membrane techniques and environmental modelling. Along with the scientific part of the programme, there will also be an exhibition. More information: www.jieas.com/bies08 WSC secures US$250 million in funding Water Standard Company (WSC) of Houston, Texas, USA, has received commitments of up to US$250 million in equity to develop its Seawater Desalination Vessels, whose environmentally focused technology has the potential to help ease the world’s growing water crisis and bring needed water to disaster-stricken areas. This pledge of equity, believed to be the largest initial funding of a start-up in the water industry, is unprecedented in the desalination sector.
Membrane Technology
3
NEWS years. Current global brackish water and seawater desalination capacity is approximately 42 000 000 m3 (11.1 billion gallons) a day. About 2 000 000 m3 (528.3 million gallons) a day of that was added during 2007. There are currently more than 24 000 000 m3 (6.3 billion gallons) per day of desalination capacity on the ‘drawing board’ worldwide, slated for construction in the next 5–10 years. The company anticipates that during the next five years 40–50% of this plant capacity will be constructed, depending on the region. Market sizes and growth rates vary widely in different parts of the world, but issues of water stress and shortage are driving all markets. Growing populations, increased demand for water by individuals and industry, and diminishing fresh water sources because of degradation and drought have created water scarcity in many regions. In this environment, municipal users may compete with industry for vital water resources. More seriously, states and nations may fight with their more ‘water-prosperous’ neighbours. Brackish water and sea-water represent a potentially unlimited supply of high-quality water when desalination technology is considered as a means of transforming it into a usable resource. Contact: BCC Research Company, 40 Washington Street, Suite 110, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA. Tel: +1 781 489 7301, www.bccresearch.com
Millipore launches MAP kit and adds to ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative
M
illipore Corporation, a US-based life science firm that provides technologies, tools and services for the bio-science research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, has launched a multi-analyte profiling (MAP) kit. It has also added to its ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative. Millipore says that Milliplex MAP combines two major product lines – Beadlyte and Lincoplex – to create a single, comprehensive kit that is capable of displaying excellent lotto-lot consistency with uniform analyte profiles irrespective of plex size. To verify this consistency Millipore provides quality controls with each kit. The company’s standards validation process results in consistent standard curves across lots and across analytes. 4
Membrane Technology
This is especially important for long-term studies. Standard curve ranges are fixed for the analytes in a panel. Consequently, template set-up for one analyte can be used with other analytes in the same panel and across different lots, making data analysis much easier. Milliplex MAP makes multiplexing faster and more convenient than previously possible, says the firm. It provides all the reagents that are needed, including serum matrix, in an all-one-box format. Customers can choose from an analytically validated panel of analytes to create a custom kit, or they can select a pre-mixed kit. According to Millipore, it offers the broadest selection of analytes across a wide range of therapeutic areas. For the first time, a single catalogue number provides a product that satisfies multiplexing needs in oncology, endocrinology, bone metabolism, metabolic syndrome, cell signalling and other areas. In other news, Millipore has introduced the Millicell 1-µm 24-well filter plate as part of its ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative. Many of the firm’s filter products will be validated for use on stem cells. Its Stericup – with the Millipore Express Plus membrane – was the first product to be made available under this initiative, while this Millicell plate is the second. Millicell filter plates are optimised to support suspension and adherent cell growth and differentiation. In addition, the platform design enhances usability in a range of laboratory environments. The plates incorporate track-etched thin-film membranes for reliable monolayer formation, microscopically transparent membranes to make it easy for users to visualise cells, and fluorescent-compatible plastics. The 24-well plate is designed for maximum user convenience and includes features that maintain assay integrity. Compared with other 24-well plates that are available this product has twice the membrane surface area. This allows researchers to use greater cell mass, which more closely models cell behaviour, says Millipore. They are compatible with automated systems, and reduce the risk of monolayer contamination by using a ‘footed’ membrane plate that remains elevated when disassembled from the feeder tray, and raised-well edges for better tape seating. Teardrop-shaped receiver wells eliminate air bubbles as plates are assembled. Millipore was established during 1954 as a high performance filtration products and services company. It says that it has grown into a partner for life science customers through research and development investment, organic growth and acquisitions. Companies acquired include Chemicon, Upstate, Linco, Newport Biosystems and NovaSeptic AB.
Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com
Technologies combined for simplified carbon measurement
O
.I. Corporation, dba OI Analytical and Picarro Incorporated recently announced a joint agreement to pursue the development and marketing of a package of technologies for measuring carbon isotopes in environmental water and solid samples, according to reports in the US trade and technical press. The carbon detection package will integrate OI Analytical’s total organic carbon (TOC) technology with Picarro’s carbon-isotope detectors to measure isotopes in various samples. Picarro claims that its detectors are emerging as the preferred system for measuring close to the point of sample origin because they are exceptionally simple to run and inexpensive to operate. ‘This agreement combines best-of-breed technologies – Picarro’s detector and OI Analytical’s TOC technology. But most importantly, it is another step closer to greater ease-of-use and simplicity for scientists throughout the world requiring a fast response and continuous measurement in carbon studies,’ commented Michael Woelk, President and Chief Executive Officer of Picarro. Donald Segers, President and Chief Operating Officer of OI Analytical, added: ‘This is truly a customer-focused approach. Researchers want to spend their time analysing data, not operating and maintaining a complicated measurement system. By combining our technologies in one package, we can free more of the researcher’s time for analysis.’ During April, OI Analytical ran a Webbased seminar, or ‘Webinar’, that covered TOC analysis. Entitled ‘The Regulatory Methods and Analytical Technologies of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analysis’ it focused on TOC analysis regulatory methods; different TOC analysis technologies and the principles on which these are based and the way in which they operate. OI Analytical develops, manufactures, sells and services analytical instrumentation that detects, measures, analyses and monitors chemicals in liquids, solids and gases. Its headquarters are based in College Station, Texas. Picarro is a privately owned company dedicated to developing instrumentation for
May 2008
KMS receives first municipal order from Spain for Puron modules
S
eparation and filtration products company Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) of Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA, has announced that it has received its first municipal order from Spain for its Puron submerged membrane modules. Sited at Ontígola in the province of Toledo, in the central region of the country, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant is being built by Aqualia Infraestructuras to process wastewater from a local business park for use in both an agricultural irrigation scheme and a nearby nature reserve. The plant will process 1200 m3 (317 000 gallons) of wastewater per day after it is commissioned during May 2008. Ontígola Business Park consists of a mix of office and light industrial units. This scheme is part of a growing trend to increase water reuse and make the most of this limited resource in the semi-arid areas of Southern Europe. The Reserva del Regajal-Mar de Ontígola was granted nature reserve status during 1994. Its 635 ha (1570 acres) of wetland are home to a number of important species, including rare butterflies that are in danger of extinction. The importance of making the most of central Spain’s water is clear, given the generally held belief that traditionally dry areas are
May 2008
going to become drier in the future. But the investment in MBR technology is also a demonstration of the local authority’s commitment to dealing with the situation in an environmentally sensitive manner by assisting local farmers and the environment at the same time. According to KMS, the adoption of Puron technology by a number of major European original equipment manufacturers is evidence of its growing acceptance in the European market place. Puron already has a track record in Spain where it is in operation at reference sites that involve landfill leachate treatment and food industry applications. Aqualia Infraestructuras is an Aqualia company that specialises in the design and construction of all types of water-processing facilities. Its plants are used for water purification, processing urban sewage water, reclamation and desalination, and channelling both fresh and sewage water. Contact: Koch Membrane Systems, 850 Main Street, Wilmington, MA 01887-3388, USA. Tel: +1 978 694 7000, www.kochmembrane.com
Market for sea-water desalination plants set for high growth
A
technical market research report now available from BCC Research Co of Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA, predicts that the market worldwide for sea-water and brackish water desalination plants is set to grow substantially over the next four years. According to the report, entitled ‘Seawater and Brackish Water Desalination’ the global market for this technology was worth US$1.9 billion in 2007. This is expected to increase to over US$3.6 billion by 2012, which represents a compound average annual growth rate of 13.4%. The Earth’s finite fresh water reserves are dwindling – a situation that will place the challenge of developing new sources at the forefront of global sustainability concerns for decades to come, says BCC Research. Because of the potentially unlimited availability of sea water, there have been numerous efforts to develop cheap and effective desalting technologies for converting saline water into fresh water. Currently, less than 1% of the world’s water supply is produced through desalination, but that percentage is changing rapidly, says the firm. Global capacity has risen by about 45% in the past five years, and is slated to increase at about the same rate during the next five
In Brief ECN selected by Technip KTI to deliver hydrogen purification module The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has been selected by Italian process engineering company Technip KTI SpA to deliver a hydrogen purification module for the Fondo Integrativo Speciale per la Ricerca (FISR) project. Under this project, which is funded by the Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) – the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research – seven chemical engineering institutes in Italy are cooperating with Technip KTI on the development of a process for producing hydrogen for refineries. To ensure that the technology is economically competitive, ECN’s approach is to use extremely thin (a few micrometres) layers of palladium. The project provides an opportunity to demonstrate the use of high-temperature membranes for producing hydrogen for the petrochemical industry. The cooperation will also result in the development of a pilot hydrogen plant. Millipore plans new facility in Singapore Millipore Corporation is planning to open an applications and training facility in Singapore. The US-based company says that it is making the investment to meet the growing needs of its biotechnology customers that have operations in Asia. ‘Many of our large multinational customers and local manufacturers have made significant investments in Asia and this facility continues and enhances the local support that we have provided over the past 25 years we have been in Singapore,’ commented Martin Madaus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Millipore. The facility will be located in Science Park, and is scheduled to open in early 2009. Symposium covers environmental and related sciences The ‘Blacksea International Environmental Symposium’ (BIES’08) is scheduled to be held in Giresun, Turkey on 25–29 August 2008. Among other topics the symposium will cover new approaches in water pollution control, drinking and wastewater treatment, membrane techniques and environmental modelling. Along with the scientific part of the programme, there will also be an exhibition. More information: www.jieas.com/bies08 WSC secures US$250 million in funding Water Standard Company (WSC) of Houston, Texas, USA, has received commitments of up to US$250 million in equity to develop its Seawater Desalination Vessels, whose environmentally focused technology has the potential to help ease the world’s growing water crisis and bring needed water to disaster-stricken areas. This pledge of equity, believed to be the largest initial funding of a start-up in the water industry, is unprecedented in the desalination sector.
Membrane Technology
3
NEWS years. Current global brackish water and seawater desalination capacity is approximately 42 000 000 m3 (11.1 billion gallons) a day. About 2 000 000 m3 (528.3 million gallons) a day of that was added during 2007. There are currently more than 24 000 000 m3 (6.3 billion gallons) per day of desalination capacity on the ‘drawing board’ worldwide, slated for construction in the next 5–10 years. The company anticipates that during the next five years 40–50% of this plant capacity will be constructed, depending on the region. Market sizes and growth rates vary widely in different parts of the world, but issues of water stress and shortage are driving all markets. Growing populations, increased demand for water by individuals and industry, and diminishing fresh water sources because of degradation and drought have created water scarcity in many regions. In this environment, municipal users may compete with industry for vital water resources. More seriously, states and nations may fight with their more ‘water-prosperous’ neighbours. Brackish water and sea-water represent a potentially unlimited supply of high-quality water when desalination technology is considered as a means of transforming it into a usable resource. Contact: BCC Research Company, 40 Washington Street, Suite 110, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA. Tel: +1 781 489 7301, www.bccresearch.com
Millipore launches MAP kit and adds to ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative
M
illipore Corporation, a US-based life science firm that provides technologies, tools and services for the bio-science research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, has launched a multi-analyte profiling (MAP) kit. It has also added to its ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative. Millipore says that Milliplex MAP combines two major product lines – Beadlyte and Lincoplex – to create a single, comprehensive kit that is capable of displaying excellent lotto-lot consistency with uniform analyte profiles irrespective of plex size. To verify this consistency Millipore provides quality controls with each kit. The company’s standards validation process results in consistent standard curves across lots and across analytes. 4
Membrane Technology
This is especially important for long-term studies. Standard curve ranges are fixed for the analytes in a panel. Consequently, template set-up for one analyte can be used with other analytes in the same panel and across different lots, making data analysis much easier. Milliplex MAP makes multiplexing faster and more convenient than previously possible, says the firm. It provides all the reagents that are needed, including serum matrix, in an all-one-box format. Customers can choose from an analytically validated panel of analytes to create a custom kit, or they can select a pre-mixed kit. According to Millipore, it offers the broadest selection of analytes across a wide range of therapeutic areas. For the first time, a single catalogue number provides a product that satisfies multiplexing needs in oncology, endocrinology, bone metabolism, metabolic syndrome, cell signalling and other areas. In other news, Millipore has introduced the Millicell 1-µm 24-well filter plate as part of its ‘Stem Cell Tested’ initiative. Many of the firm’s filter products will be validated for use on stem cells. Its Stericup – with the Millipore Express Plus membrane – was the first product to be made available under this initiative, while this Millicell plate is the second. Millicell filter plates are optimised to support suspension and adherent cell growth and differentiation. In addition, the platform design enhances usability in a range of laboratory environments. The plates incorporate track-etched thin-film membranes for reliable monolayer formation, microscopically transparent membranes to make it easy for users to visualise cells, and fluorescent-compatible plastics. The 24-well plate is designed for maximum user convenience and includes features that maintain assay integrity. Compared with other 24-well plates that are available this product has twice the membrane surface area. This allows researchers to use greater cell mass, which more closely models cell behaviour, says Millipore. They are compatible with automated systems, and reduce the risk of monolayer contamination by using a ‘footed’ membrane plate that remains elevated when disassembled from the feeder tray, and raised-well edges for better tape seating. Teardrop-shaped receiver wells eliminate air bubbles as plates are assembled. Millipore was established during 1954 as a high performance filtration products and services company. It says that it has grown into a partner for life science customers through research and development investment, organic growth and acquisitions. Companies acquired include Chemicon, Upstate, Linco, Newport Biosystems and NovaSeptic AB.
Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com
Technologies combined for simplified carbon measurement
O
.I. Corporation, dba OI Analytical and Picarro Incorporated recently announced a joint agreement to pursue the development and marketing of a package of technologies for measuring carbon isotopes in environmental water and solid samples, according to reports in the US trade and technical press. The carbon detection package will integrate OI Analytical’s total organic carbon (TOC) technology with Picarro’s carbon-isotope detectors to measure isotopes in various samples. Picarro claims that its detectors are emerging as the preferred system for measuring close to the point of sample origin because they are exceptionally simple to run and inexpensive to operate. ‘This agreement combines best-of-breed technologies – Picarro’s detector and OI Analytical’s TOC technology. But most importantly, it is another step closer to greater ease-of-use and simplicity for scientists throughout the world requiring a fast response and continuous measurement in carbon studies,’ commented Michael Woelk, President and Chief Executive Officer of Picarro. Donald Segers, President and Chief Operating Officer of OI Analytical, added: ‘This is truly a customer-focused approach. Researchers want to spend their time analysing data, not operating and maintaining a complicated measurement system. By combining our technologies in one package, we can free more of the researcher’s time for analysis.’ During April, OI Analytical ran a Webbased seminar, or ‘Webinar’, that covered TOC analysis. Entitled ‘The Regulatory Methods and Analytical Technologies of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analysis’ it focused on TOC analysis regulatory methods; different TOC analysis technologies and the principles on which these are based and the way in which they operate. OI Analytical develops, manufactures, sells and services analytical instrumentation that detects, measures, analyses and monitors chemicals in liquids, solids and gases. Its headquarters are based in College Station, Texas. Picarro is a privately owned company dedicated to developing instrumentation for
May 2008