This week we saw a host of activity all around the water world. For details on what companies like Bluewater Bio, MWH Americas, and Pentair are up to, read the stories below:
M&A/ Partnerships
- Wastewater treatment technology company Bluewater Bio has bought FilterClear Ltd’s portfolio of advanced multimedia filtration technologies, including the Spruce Filter, which will be marketed by Bluewater FilterClear Ltd, a newly formed subsidiary.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/20891/bluewater-bio-acquires-filterclear-filtration-technologies/
- Neptune Technology Group and Sprint will combine technologies (Sprint’s wireless network and machine-to-machine expertise with Neptune’s automated metering solutions) to help utilities collect water consumption and diagnostic data.
http://www.waterefficiency.net/the-latest/neptune-sprint-meter.aspx
- Unitywater will work in collaboration with the University of Queensland and Veolia Water Australia to investigate new methods of purifying treated wastewater at its Caboolture sewage treatment plant in Queensland, Australia.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsunitywater-to-research-new-purifying-methods
- Select Energy Services has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Water Rescue Holdings to enhance its services portfolio. Select Energy will have access to a versatile and mobile water treatment and recycling technology through Water Rescue’s electro-coagulation units, while Water Rescue will gain exposure into new markets and geographical areas.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsselect-energy-forms-strategic-alliance-with-water-rescue
- Aqua America and Penn Virginia Resource Partners (PVR) have formed a joint venture, Aqua-PVR Water, to construct and operate a private pipeline system to supply fresh water to natural gas producers drilling in the Marcellus Shale in north-central Pennsylvania, US.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsaqua-america-pvr-to-build-water-pipeline-in-the-us
- Anheuser-Busch InBev and GE announced a strategic alliance to jointly develop innovative manufacturing solutions to drive energy efficiency and water savings in existing and “greenfield” AB InBev facilities across China.
http://www.waterefficiency.net/the-latest/abinbev-ge-initiatives.aspx
Projects
- MWH Americas has received a $28m contract from the US Department of Defense to provide architectural and engineering services for water and wastewater system projects at Marine Corps’ facilities in the US. MWH will deliver the multi-year projects by September 2016.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsmwh-bags-water-contract-from-us-department-of-defense
- Ridgeline Energy Services has signed a development agreement with a North American oil and gas producer to construct a single train commercial installation (STCI) in the Leonard Shale, New Mexico, US. The STCI will test, analyse and treat produced and flowback water from the client’s centralised oil production facility, which will either be reused for hydraulic fracturing or scrapped.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsridgeline-to-build-stci-water-treatment-system-at-new-mexico
- Saudi Arabian utility Marafiq has awarded a $1bn contract to US-based Jacobs Engineering Group for project management consultancy services to a new integrated power and water facility in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The scope of work includes project management, quality assurance, safety assurance, permitting support, engineering review, construction oversight, and start-up and commissioning oversight.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsjacobs-engineering-bags-1bn-contract-from-marafiq
- Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua) awarded a 25-year contract to Spanish industrial groupAbengoa to build a 139-kilometer (86-mile) aqueduct to transport potable water to 2.4 million inhabitants of two states in central and western Mexico.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/09/22/spains-abengoa-wins-aqueduct-contract-in-mexico/
- A consortium of Samsung Engineering, Invest AD and United Utilities has arranged $280m in financing for the Muharraq wastewater treatment plant project in Bahrain. The project includes the development of a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 100,000m3 per day and a 15km deep gravity sewer conveyance system.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newssamsung-consortium-secures-funds-for-bahrain-wastewater-plant
Innovation/ New Products
- The MeurerMBR (originally named MRIBIO-CEL® MBR), a back-pulsable flexible flat-sheet membrane bioreactor from Meurer Research Inc., has been certified to produce effluent suitable for reuse, in compliance with the California Water Recycling Criteria, Title 22. MeurerMBR’s BIO-CEL® membranes are made with a unique, full-sheet permeable bond that reportedly retains flexibility and makes them strong enough to withstand back-flushing without damage, unlike hollow fibre or other flat-plate MBRs.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/21029/meurermbr-certified-for-california-title-22-/
- Pentair X-Flow has introduced the Airlift™ Membrane BioReactor (MBR) Megablock validation plant at the Changi Water Reclamation Plant (CWRP) in Singapore – the first Megablock installation in Asia.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/20906/pentair-xflow-introduces-megablock-in-singapore/
- Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has inaugurated its new production plant for membrane filtration elements (marketed under the brand name Lewabrane) in Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The first RO membrane elements will be available on the market in the beginning of 2012.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/20909/lanxess-adds-membrane-filtration-elements/
- A team of Purdue University researchers has invented a prototype water-disinfection system that uses the sun’s ultraviolet radiation to inactivate waterborne pathogens. Sunlight is captured by a parabolic reflector and focused onto a UV-transparent pipe though which water flows continuously.
http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/article-display.articles.waterworld.drinking-water.treatment.2011.09.Disinfecting-drinking-water-with-solar-UV.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html
Other
- DESMI Ocean Guard A/S has completed a land-based test of its Ballast Water Treatment System at the DHI test facility, Denmark. The system is now undergoing tests on a ship and is expected to be fully approved and certified in early 2012.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/20919/ballast-water-treatment-system-handles-salt-and-fresh-water/
- Japan and Saudi Arabia are to sign a memorandum later this week under an agreement to cooperate on several water-related projects. As part of the memorandum, Japan will provide advanced technology for a seawater desalination project to Saudi Arabia and construct waterworks and sewage systems.
http://www.water-technology.net/news/newsjapan-saudi-arabia-to-jointly-develop-water-projects
- Grundfos Pumps unveiled its Water Technology Center, a new facility for promoting innovative water research and developing sustainable solutions, in Fresno (CA). The center offers a space for government, academic institutions and start-ups to share and gather information on irrigation, water monitoring, wastewater treatment and other water technology.
http://www.waterefficiency.net/the-latest/grudfos-facility-innovative.aspx
Arti Patel is a Research Analyst at Cleantech Group.
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