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Veolia Environnement to acquire Cleanaway UK
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22/08/2006
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Industry news
Filtration+Separation September 2006
Veolia Environnement to acquire Dow to commercialise ZDD Cleanaway UK technology Veolia Environnement has announced the purchase – via its waste management division (Veolia Environmental Services) – of Cleanaway Holdings Limited (Cleanaway UK) from Brambles Industries ltd and Brambles Industries plc for £595 million (859 million). With a £494 million (684 million) turnover, Cleanaway UK is a major operator in England and Wales in municipal and industrial waste collection and integrated waste management services, supported by a nationwide network of service centres and four landfill sites. It operates a high-temperature hazardous waste incinerator and two advanced materials recycling facilities and employs more than 7,500 people. The acquisition will develop Veolia Environmental Services’ municipal business with the addition of new services and contracts; double the size of its commercial dry waste business
with enhanced geographic coverage; and complement its current portfolio of recycling, treatment and disposal facilities, the company reports. The new Veolia Environmental Services entity in the UK will reportedly have 2006 pro-forma revenues above £1.1 billion (1.6 billion), and employ more than 13,000 employees, and is expected to post strong organic revenue growth in the short and medium term. “The acquisition reinforces our position in the consolidating and fast-growing UK waste sector,” said Henri Proglio, chairman and ceo of Veolia Environnement. “It will allow us to accelerate our organic growth in the PFI and industrial sectors through an additional commercial network as well as a strengthened access to local authorities and major industrial companies.” www.veoliaenvironnement.com
Dow has signed a licensing option and evaluation agreement with South Carolina, USA-based ZDD, Inc, giving Dow exclusive rights to elect an exclusive license to the company’s Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) process technology for the desalination of seawater and brackish water.
cations and anions to form salts that are more soluble in the two streams. Additional pure water is recovered through this process from the separated brine streams and ultimately the concentrates are remixed, and the insoluble salts that precipitate are separated and potentially sold.
The patent-pending ZDD process technology uses reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration membranes and electrodialysis cells that enable water treatment facilities to recover potentially saleable salts and greater amounts of pure filtered water. It also minimises or eliminates the production of concentrated brine, Dow explains.
“Desalination is an extremely efficient and viable process for addressing global water shortages, and this multi-faceted technology brings additional advantages in energy efficiency, low cost and zero or near-zero liquid discharge,” said Karen Dobson, global market manager, Filmtec membranes. “By gaining exclusive rights to this technology, Dow can now provide an enhanced component offering.”
As part of the ZDD process, brine streams containing sparingly soluble salts are treated with electrodialysis to separate the anions and cations of the salts into two separate streams. These ions are then paired with appropriate
ZDD technology was developed by research professor Thomas A Davis at the University of South Carolina and was licensed to ZDD. www.dow.com
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22/08/2006
11:26
Page 7
Industry news
Filtration+Separation September 2006
Veolia Environnement to acquire Dow to commercialise ZDD Cleanaway UK technology Veolia Environnement has announced the purchase – via its waste management division (Veolia Environmental Services) – of Cleanaway Holdings Limited (Cleanaway UK) from Brambles Industries ltd and Brambles Industries plc for £595 million (859 million). With a £494 million (684 million) turnover, Cleanaway UK is a major operator in England and Wales in municipal and industrial waste collection and integrated waste management services, supported by a nationwide network of service centres and four landfill sites. It operates a high-temperature hazardous waste incinerator and two advanced materials recycling facilities and employs more than 7,500 people. The acquisition will develop Veolia Environmental Services’ municipal business with the addition of new services and contracts; double the size of its commercial dry waste business
with enhanced geographic coverage; and complement its current portfolio of recycling, treatment and disposal facilities, the company reports. The new Veolia Environmental Services entity in the UK will reportedly have 2006 pro-forma revenues above £1.1 billion (1.6 billion), and employ more than 13,000 employees, and is expected to post strong organic revenue growth in the short and medium term. “The acquisition reinforces our position in the consolidating and fast-growing UK waste sector,” said Henri Proglio, chairman and ceo of Veolia Environnement. “It will allow us to accelerate our organic growth in the PFI and industrial sectors through an additional commercial network as well as a strengthened access to local authorities and major industrial companies.” www.veoliaenvironnement.com
Dow has signed a licensing option and evaluation agreement with South Carolina, USA-based ZDD, Inc, giving Dow exclusive rights to elect an exclusive license to the company’s Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) process technology for the desalination of seawater and brackish water.
cations and anions to form salts that are more soluble in the two streams. Additional pure water is recovered through this process from the separated brine streams and ultimately the concentrates are remixed, and the insoluble salts that precipitate are separated and potentially sold.
The patent-pending ZDD process technology uses reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration membranes and electrodialysis cells that enable water treatment facilities to recover potentially saleable salts and greater amounts of pure filtered water. It also minimises or eliminates the production of concentrated brine, Dow explains.
“Desalination is an extremely efficient and viable process for addressing global water shortages, and this multi-faceted technology brings additional advantages in energy efficiency, low cost and zero or near-zero liquid discharge,” said Karen Dobson, global market manager, Filmtec membranes. “By gaining exclusive rights to this technology, Dow can now provide an enhanced component offering.”
As part of the ZDD process, brine streams containing sparingly soluble salts are treated with electrodialysis to separate the anions and cations of the salts into two separate streams. These ions are then paired with appropriate
ZDD technology was developed by research professor Thomas A Davis at the University of South Carolina and was licensed to ZDD. www.dow.com
7