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Industry news
Filtration+Separation May/June 2016
Porvair relocates US HQ to larger facility Ashland, Virginia-based Porvair Filtration Group Inc has moved its US headquarters to a bigger facility located a short distance from its previous site. The new facility doubles the size of Porvair's manufacturing floor in Ashland and provides larger office and meeting space for growth in research & development, engineering, sales and marketing, and finance. The Ashland expansion will help Porvair to develop its product line, and comes nearly three years after the filtration company acquired Chand Eisenmann Metallurgical (CEM), and just months after the acquisition of TEM Filter Co, which is now Porvair’s Boise Division. Both of these acquisitions have been merged with Porvair’s Ashland operations, and are integrated with the group’s
strategy to grow its US division into a major filtration organisation.
Valmet to supply white liquor filter for Swedish pulp mill
Kevin Nelson, president of Porvair Inc, said that the relocation and expansion reaffirmed the company’s commitment to investing in its operations. “We are certain that this key investment in our Ashland HQ will ensure that Porvair remains at the forefront of industry demand, while forging new avenues of growth,” said Nelson. “It is hugely important to Porvair that we remain dedicated to investment in ground-breaking technology and exemplary customer service. There is no doubt that 301 Business Lane will be a facility that Porvair employees in the US and UK will be very proud of.” www.porvairfiltration.com
Rottneros’s Vallvik pulp mill. Image courtesy of Rottneros AB.
Valmet is to provide a white liquor filter for the Rottneros Vallvik pulp mill on the east coast of Sweden. The new white liquor filter will replace an existing filter delivered by Valmet in 1990. A larger filter is needed to handle a capacity increase at the mill. Start-up of the new filter is scheduled for autumn 2016.
Porvair’s new US headquarters in Ashland, Virginia.
The Valmet delivery includes a new PDW-type white liquor filter,
erection, start-up services, and basic engineering for piping, instrument and electrical and process control. The investment is part of Rottneros AB’s larger Agenda 500 rebuild project which aims to increase availability and the total production volume at its Rottneros and Vallvik pulp mills. www.valmet.com
Dow invests in Irish MABR technology company OxyMem The Dow Chemical Co has invested in OxyMem Ltd, a University College Dublin spinout company based in Athlone, Ireland, that has been commercialising a membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) for wastewater treatment. The Dow investment will accelerate the commercialisation of OxyMem’s MABR technology, which the company says reduces energy consumption for aeration by up to 75%. www.filtsep.com
Commenting on the investment, Snehal Desai, global business director for Dow Water and Process Solutions, said: “Global water demand trends are making wastewater infrastructure a major challenge for populations and industries across the globe. OxyMem’s MABR technology shows excellent promise in lowering operational costs for the wastewater treatment process due to reduced energy demand. This also makes the technology a
strong sustainability value proposition – it can help encourage greater adoption of water reuse and as a result, advance a circular economy that makes water a well-managed resource, sustained by advances in science and technology.” “I believe that we have an important technology that can make a sizeable contribution in the wastewater market where there is a significant need for more
efficient infrastructure solutions," said Wayne Byrne, managing director of OxyMem. "Securing the investment from Dow, an innovation leader augurs well for the future of the company. We look forward to an exciting journey with Dow Water & Process Solutions business on board," added Byrne. www.oxymem.com www.dow.com