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A Guide to the Belgian
Water Treatment Sector
With the help of IWT, the Institute for the
Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology
in Flanders
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Key-members ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Aaqua ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Aquitec-Cofido ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Bayard Europe . ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
BESIX Sanotec ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Desotec . ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 20
Ecodis .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
Enprotech ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Geo-engineering ................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
Global Water Engineering ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
Keppel Seghers Belgium ............................................................................................................................................................ 37
Metis ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41
Trevi .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Veolia Water Belgium . ................................................................................................................................................................. 49
Visser & Smit Hanab ........................................................................................................................................................................ 52
Waterleau .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 55
Associate & Extraordinary Members ............................................................................................................... 61
3
Introduction
A lot to offer
TNAV1 is a cluster of Belgian technology providers in the area of (waste)water treatment and
water reuse, created in 2003 and supported by IWT, the Institute for the Promotion of
Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders.
The member companies have a lot to offer: an exceptional expertise – both at home and
abroad - for you to benefit from and covering the whole range of water treatment technologies. From physical-chemical treatment and (an)aerobics, to sand and membrane filtration,
and use of activated carbon.
Several companies have also extended their operations to cover the complete water cycle. Some
concentrate on process water production, the re-use of the treated wastewater effluent and on
drinking water production.
For sludge processing, TNAV companies developed drying and incineration techniques of their
own.
In the last few years and in a context of skyrocketing fuel prices, several, if not most companies
have turned to the generation of renewable energy and energy recovery.
Flow of technology
Actively involved in research programmes with engineering and biochemistry departments of
leading universities and institutes, the TNAV companies are well-positioned to suggest you
a wide range of science-based solutions and the best available technologies to solve your
wastewater problem.
The TNAV companies are used to work with and for practically any industrial sector. They will
treat manure and wastewater from slaughterhouses alike, they are used to treat large volumes
of effluent from car plants, from food processing, chemical or textiles factories, from public
swimming pools and municipal wastewater.
Flexibility is key and the solutions offered by the TNAV members are always tailor-made to suit
your or your company’s needs.
Having gathered a considerable amount of experience throughout Europe and beyond, the
TNAV members are fully prepared to work as subcontractors or to form ad hoc alliances with
local building contractors.
4
A strongly developed network
From the start it has been TNAV’s mission to build a strong network. Members, be they technology providers, suppliers, engineering companies, general contractors or knowledge centres,
all contribute to and benefit from what we call the flow of technology. Innovation is TNAV’s
‘raison d’être’. Our network provides the context for innovation through common research
programmes, willingness to share new insights and findings in workshops and seminars. Our
members are keen to apply technological findings in their work as professional problemsolvers. They have to if they want to maintain or improve their competitiveness.
So, at the end of the day it is you, the customer and/or industrial partner, who benefits most
from this technology flow.
I am sure that this booklet will help you find the water-treatment partner(s) you’ve been looking for !
Luc Geuens
TNAV Chairman
Luc Geuens is professor and researcher at the Karel de
Grote-Hogeschool in Antwerp (Belgium)
1 TNAV: a Dutch acronym for: “Thematisch Netwerk Afvalwaterzuiveringstechnologie Vlaanderen”, i.e. Wastewater Technology Network of
Flanders
5
Tank terminal Aaqua
6
Aaqua Waste Water Technology nv
Kievitlaan 6
B 2820 Bonheiden
Phone:+32 (0) 15 33 17 58
Fax: + 32 15 33 17 57
E-mail: info@aaqua.com
URL: www.aaqua.com
Common sense and technological know how
In short
AAQUA is a small and dynamic company, based near Mechelen (northern part
of Belgium) with annual sales of EUR 2 million: nothing much when compared
with multinational companies such as General Electric or Siemens, but the five
highly skilled and experienced engineers of AAQUA are extremely busy and
have earned themselves an enviable reputation in the design, engineering
and construction of wastewater treatment plants. They also strongly believe
that small is beautiful and do not want to grow at all costs.
Marc Feyten,
General Manager
A closer look
The AAQUA team may be small, but its constituent members have more than 25 years of experience in all water treatment technologies as well as in the design of the water treatment tools.
Being typical technology providers, the AAQUA team very much favours a hands on approach. If
at all possible, they will prefer practical solutions to sophisticated technologies. They want to see,
feel, experience on the spot and are not afraid of dirtying their hands. They will discuss at length
with the customer to see what his/her real needs are and will go for the best possible solution. Of
course, AAQUA has to work with subcontractors: construction workers, welders, electro-technicians,
etc…but the company is the customer’s one stop shop and ensures that his water and/or sludgerelated problem is solved efficiently. Needless to say: AAQUA remains available after delivery.
“We are doing very well”, CEO Marc Feyten says, “We feel that there is a growing awareness
among our and our competitors’ customers that water treatment is a necessity. They feel that the
reuse of wastewater as process water makes sense, both in terms of sustainability as well as costeffectiveness”.
One of the more rewarding AAQUA specialties is the wastewater treatment of trankcleaning facilities. A very challenging job as these are complex types of
wastewater, submitted to stringent health and environ“Not long ago a small slaughtermental regulations.
house asked us to take care of its
Even if the company does not want to conquer the
wastewater problem: it produced …
market, let alone the world, it is ambitious and eager to
5 cubic metres of wastewater a day.
come to grips with new problems. The newest challenges
Still, they gave us carte blanche. We
are the bio-ethanol plant in the harbour area of Ghent
developed an affordable solution
(Belgium) and a biodiesel plant in Rotterdam. AAQUA is
and everybody was happy with the
currently designing the wastewater installations for both
result.”
plants.
7
When we ask what AAQUA’s Unique Selling proposition might be, Marc Feyten replies: “We try to
keep it simple and at the same time to be creative in order to work out the most efficient and affordable solution for our customers. For us, every single job is a new challenge, just as important as
the previous or the next one”.
The AAQUA team is fully aware that service is vitally important today. “Simple software on my PC
at home”, Marc Feyten explains, “ allows me to monitor
Unique Selling Proposition:
all the computer controlled water treatment facilities, to
We try to keep it simple and at the
for example start up or turn off the pumps, whenever it is
same time to be creative in order to
necessary. In case of emergency I receive a warning SMS on
work out the most efficient and afmy mobile phone, and can act at once. If they want it, we
fordable solution for our customers.
propose exactly the same service to our customers. ”
Technologies
AAQUA focuses on the following techniques, all of their own design:
1.Mechanical sieves such as screw screens, curved screens, AAQUA-RS rotary screens with internal
and external feeding
2.Sedimentation with plate pack
3.Physical-chemical treatment through addition of coagulants and flocculants.
4.Flotation with Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)
- The AAQUA-DAF flotation-unit as pre-treatment
- The AAQUA-DAF flotation-unit as a separator of activated sludge. This is a compact and more
reliable alternative to the traditional clarifier.
5.Biological treatment with hyperbolic-aeration and fully automated with PLC-controller, SCADA
supervision; data-registration of important process variables.
6.Sludge treatment such as mineralization, gravitational dewatering, centrifuge, belt filter press,
dewatering bags.
DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION (DAF)
Dissolved air flotation systems are designed to remove fats, oils and grease (FOG), suspended
solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), food/animal production/processing wastes, industrial wastes, hydrocarbon oils/emulsions and many other contaminants. Clarification rates as high
as 97% or more can be achieved using these systems.
DAF is the process of removing suspended solids, oils and other contaminants via the use of air
bubble flotation. Air is dissolved into water, mixed with the waste stream and released from
solution while in intimate contact with the contaminants. Air bubbles form, attach to the solids,
increase their buoyancy and float the solids to the water’s surface where they are mechanically
skimmed and removed into an internal hopper for further handling. This handling may include a
belt filter press or decanter. A percentage of the clean effluent is recycled and supersaturated with
air, mixed with the wastewater influent and injected into the DAF separation chamber.
8
The AAQUA-DAF is a fairly new combination of aerobic treatment with a SBR (Sequencing Batch
Reactor).
1.Physical-chemical pre-treatment
2.Pre-thickening of biological drain sludge
3.Effluent polishing (elimination of volatile compounds and recalcitrant COD
Those three processes are executed successively.
Selected references
• Slaughterhouses (more than 30 references):
Westvlees, Westrozebeke, Belgium: biggest pig abattoir in Belgium
Lintor, Olen, Belgium: biggest poultry abattoir in Belgium
• Aquaculture:
Vitafish, Mouscron, Belgium: biggest closed-loop fish farm in Europe
• Tank Cleaning & Chemicals: (more than 20 references)
Van Moer, Beveren, Belgium
Hoyer, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Pfizer, Puurs; Belgium
Ecolab, Tessenderlo, Belgium
“ For us, every single job is a new
challenge, just as important as
the previous or the next one”.
• New energy:
Alco-Biofuel Gent, Belgium: bio-ethanol facility
Dutch Biodiesel, Rotterdam, The Netherlands: biodiesel facility
Electrawinds, Ostend, Belgium: green power production
Expur, Slobozia, Romania: biodiesel
More than 40 references in different food industries. (see extended list on www.aaqua.com).
Hyperbolic aeration in SBR-tank
9
Aquitec: (Charleroi, Belgium): wastewatertreatment installation for Belgian Rail, 1000 p.e.
10
Aquitec bvba/Cofido nv
Rupelweg 10, I.Z. Krekelenberg
B- 2850 Boom
Aquitec:phone + 32 (0) 3 877 97 16
fax: + 32 (0) 3 877 90 34
E-mail: info@aquitec.be - URL: www.aquitec.be
Cofido: phone: + 32 (0) 877 35 45
fax +32 (0) 3 877 90 34
E-mail: cofido@cofido.be - URL: www.cofido.be
Our major asset is our network
In short
Aquitec, a small water treatment technology provider and components
supplier, based in Boom, in an industrial area between Brussels and Antwerp, was created about eight years ago. Over the years, it has developed
a mutually beneficial relationship with Cofido, consolidated by means of a
cross shareholdership. Cofido, a small but equally dynamic company based
at Chaudfontaine near Liège, in the Walloon part of Belgium, basically is a
project developer and proved to be a perfect match for Aquitec. Both small
Ronny Van Hee,
companies, employing 15, so far have no reason to regret having joined their General Manager
forces: their revenues have been growing steadily from EUR 1 million in 2005
to approximately EUR 3 million in 2007. By 2010, the EUR 5 million target should be within reach, says
Ronny Van Hee, General Manager of Aquitec.
A closer look
“True, Aquitec is going its own way. In the near future the company intends to start up an activity best
described as steel framed construction for private homes and industrial purposes. It is probably the
most innovative, resource-efficient housing technique currently available”, Van Hee asserts: “Because
of their faster construction, strength, versatility, and reduced costs, steel buildings offer an attractive
alternative to traditional wood or concrete”.
Anyhow, water treatment activities will remain the core
Unique Selling Proposition:
activity of the joint companies: “Our order book is quite
Our network is our strength. And we
full. Aquitec and Cofido combined are currently supervising
also work until we find the best poseighteen different projects both in Belgium and abroad.
sible solution for the customer, also
We are fully booked for almost one year from now,” says
where others tend to give up.
Van Hee.
Contrary to most TNAV-members, however, Aquitec-Cofido
does not want to be the best in say: membrane technology.
“No, it is not our priority as yet. Several of our colleagues are dealing with water reuse and reversed
osmosis, and they are doing an excellent job, so why should we try to duplicate them ?” Van Hee
wonders. “If one of our customers wants advanced filtration, we will – for the time being - be happy
to outsource this part of the job to our colleagues”.
The company continues to concentrate on environmental and sustainable water treatment technologies, civil works and the industry.
11
Among the main customers we unsurprisingly
find Aquafin, the company building and
operating all supra-municipal wastewater
treatment infrastructure in Flanders. Most of
Aquafin’s larger wwtps (wastewater treatment
plants) have been completed by now, and Aquitec
contributes to the building of small-scale plants
and to the modernisation and extension of
sewerage systems for Aquafin. Aquitec also builds
wwtps for hospitals, office buildings and for the
industry.
For the Belgian army, Aquitec equipped two
containers with moveable biorotors for a military
mission to Chad (Africa). They will be used to
treat the wastewater produced by 200 men.
“Biorotors are one of our specialties”, Van Hee
says, “they continue to be tremendously
successful, probably because they are quite simple
to handle and require little maintenance”.
“A biorotor is a slowly rotating cylinder
which is horizontally positioned and partly
immersed in the water to be treated. As the
rotor rotates slowly, a number of discs alternately sink in the water/waste water so as to
get the bacteria moist and rises up in the air
wherein there is plenty of oxygen available
for an efficient bacterial activity to take
place in a thin film of water. This promotes
the interchange of water and air into the
biomass carrying out the oxidation as well as
the decomposition of organic waste matter
taking place under natural conditions. The
internal structure of the cylinder is intended
to provide the widest possible area for the
bacteria to get attached to”.
(www.wipo.org, the site of the World
Intellectual Property Organisation)
Another reference is the SAF wastewater treatment unit built for the brand new terminal of rapidly
expanding Charleroi (or Brussels-South) airport (3000 i.e.).
But the Aquitec-Cofido alliance clearly looks beyond the borders of the small country that is Belgium.
In the recent past, Aquitec has been building two wwtps for cooperative farms in the Champagne
region in France. “We are the only company to use concrete aeration tanks over there (of considerable dimensions: 5 meter high and with a diameter of 50 meters). Even so, the system is compact when
you compare it with the stabilisation ponds the French winegrowers still use and it is much easier to
monitor the aeration process,” says Van Hee.
That is not all. Aquitec/Cofido
is building a wastewater
treatment unit in Morocco and
recently, Cofido Mali has been
created. The Sahel republic of
Mali is not yet ready for wastewater treatment and would be
happy to provide its population with potable water in the
first place. Cofido Mali does
not want to suggest it can
Champagne Region, France, active sludge installation, wwtp
winegrowers’ cooperative
12
solve this problem all by itself, but the company is negotiating a contract with the Malinese authorities for the drilling of some 5000 wells. By April 2008, more than 70 wells had been delivered.
Through business-connections, and we all know now that networking can be useful, in creating business, Aquitec-Cofido is also preparing to enter the Brazilian market, but it would be premature at
this stage , so we are told, to go into further detail about this.
Technologies
“Aquitec equipped two containers
with moveable biorotors for a miliAquitec offers products for different market sectors:
tary mission to Chad (Africa). They
1.equipment for wastewater treatment plants: pre-treatwill be used to treat the wastewater
ment, aeration systems and mixers, sandfilters, sludge
produced by 200 men.”
and sand treatment, fibreglass, thermoplastic, glasslined
and stainless steel tanks.
2.Small scale wastewater treatment plants: biodiscs, activated sludge systems, fixed bed systems, wetlands
3.Water treatment: filtration (ultrafiltration, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, Bio Membrane reactors, activated carbon filters, UV and ozone disinfection
4.Gas treatment: gas washers, odour treatment by biofilters and air stripping systems.
5.In energy related areas, Aquitec-Cofido can take care of chimneys and piping systems in glass-fibre
reinforced plastics, valves and, more generally, in energy saving projects
Selected references
2002
2003 2004
2005 2006 2007 - Dortmund, Germany: glass fibre reinforced ‘anti-odour’ covering of wastewater treatment
plant
- Ford New Holland-Antwerp, Belgium -SBR reactor-50 m3/day- Werbomont-Wallonia, Belgium: water treatment for tank storage company: 3.000 p.e. - Fixed bed system (submerged aerated filter, SAF)
- Small wwtp at Crenwick - prov. of Liège, Belgium - biorotor - 300 p.e.
- Wachtebeke- province of East-Flanders, Belgium- glassfibre pipes DN 1200 for aeration of
swimming pool Puyenbroek-2003
- Orafti sugar plant, Oreye, prov. of Liège, Belgium - storage tank in glass lined tank with
pumping installation, 3000 m3
- ADPO-Antwerp, Belgium-storage of chemicals-delivery and construction of 7 HDPE tanks
30 m3, HDPE piping and electricity-2004
- Gent (Belgium) – wwtp Ossemeersen: glass fibre reinforced plastic pipes DN 900-2005 supply piping for water treatment installation
- Schilde, Antwerp, Belgium – Rinkven Golf club - biorotor with paddle wheel – 125 p.e. for
clubhouse
- Blamont (Dép. Doubs, near Montbéliard, France): water treatment installation for dairy
plant – increased buffering capacity to 3000 m3
- Arpent Pierrot (nr. Epernay, Champagne region France): water treatment installation for
winegrowers‘ cooperative – active sludge system
- NMBS/SNCB (Belgian national railways): vacuum installation and water treatment for trains
- water treatment in containers – 1000 p.e.
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Bayard Europe Industrial Solutions
Oudenaardsesteenweg 275b
B- 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
phone: + 32 (0)56 20 62 35
fax: + 32 (0)56/513381
E-mail: info@bayard-europe.be
URL:
www.bayard-europe.be
Dedicated customer service
In short
Bayard was created 45 years ago. At the time, the company exclusively dealt
with water softening. Even today, water softening both for industrial and
domestic applications is Bayard’s major activity: 70% in terms of sales. Over
the years, the 30 people employed by Bayard have sold and installed some
40,000 water softening units in Belgium, Luxemburg and Northern France.
Today, they still sell about 2000 annually. The management though is
diversifying its activities as it does not want to put all eggs in one basket. It
Herman Bastiaenssens,
is fully aware that drinking water companies for example tend to take water General Manager
softening into their own hands. The last few years, Bayard Europe has taken
an interest in wastewater and process water treatment, in water reuse and membrane technology. That
was the reason why Bayard Europe became a TNAV-member in the first place.
A closer look
Unique Selling Proposition:
“In the 5 or so years that we have been developing our
Bayard provides practical advice,
activities in the industrial sector we accumulated quite some
develops and designs the solution to
experience, especially in process water treatment”, says
your problem and warrants a swift
Herman Bastiaenssens, the no-nonsense General Manager
return on investment
of Bayard Europe. “We started carefully, just tackling the
easy to solve problems and working on a no cure no pay
basis. Sometimes we helped the customer to save energy, or
time, or money, or all of these three…. Slowly we became the preferred partner to quite some of these
customers. But we are still learning and will not accept an assignment when we are not absolutely sure
we can actually deliver. So even if we can cope, for example with the design and engineering of very
ambitious water treatment installations, we are happy to leave this part of the market to the bigger
TNAV-members, at least for the time being (smiles).”
The company decided to focus on interesting niches and so far does not deplore to have made this
choice. “Currently we have more than enough on our hands”, Bastiaenssens says, “but as in any other
business it is necessary to look ahead.”
As a company specialised in water purification and water softeners, it shouldn’t come as a surprise
that Bayard turned to reverse osmosis (RO). “We have become sole representatives for Belgium and
Luxemburg of Herco membranes, made in Germany. We install the RO-purification systems, whereas the
construction part of the work is outsourced”.
Last year, Bayard installed about 90 ROs. Among its customers we find Gent and Leuven University.
14
In Leuven one of the ROs purifies the water
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a separation process
of basins where fish are grown to be used in
that uses pressure to force a solution through
DNA-testings. It is a good example of how the
a membrane that retains the solute on one
company customises RO-installations in order to
side and allows the pure solvent to pass to the
provide the effluent best meeting the client’s
other side. More formally, it is the process of
specific needs.
forcing a solvent from a region of high solute
“We are certainly not the only ones to pretend
concentration through a membrane to a region
that we are typical problem solvers, but this is
of low solute concentration by applying a
exactly what we are doing” Bastiaenssens
pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure. This
comments.
is the reverse of the normal osmosis process,
A customer had a double-sided stainless centriwhich is the natural movement of solvent from
fuge that suffered corrosion. “The corrosion was
an area of low solute concentration, through a
really bad” , says Bastiaenssens, “the centrifuge
membrane, to an area of high solute concentrahad to be replaced year after year at an extra antion when no external pressure is applied. The
nual cost of EUR 9800. Our analysis provided the
membrane here is semipermeable, meaning it
answer: the corrosion was due to carbonic acid
allows the passage of solvent but not of solute.
and too high a pH level. The solution was to
Although reverse osmosis seems like a complex
provide a duplex softener, RO-installation,
system, it is really a simple and straightforward
holding tanks equipped with pumps and a
water filtration process
plate-cooler”. At start-up, steam is propulsed to
the centrifuge. The condensate returns to the
holding tank. When the water level is low, the steam generator will automatically be filled up with
water from the holding tank. The cooling water is pumped into the centrifuge and once its temperature
reaches 65° C, it is driven to the holding tank via the plate-cooler.
Bayard also earned itself a reputation in carwash systems where the effluent treated with RO is used for
the last phase rinsing water. It looks as if this is the right answer to rigorous wastewater quality
regulations in this area of activity.
Interesting customers are also to be found in the food industry. A farmer, growing organic poultry and
eggs, wanted to diversify and to start growing hops, rhubarb and beetroot. Unfortunately, his well
water contained an extremely complex combination of iron with organic material. “We accepted to look
into it”, says Bastiaenssens, “again on a no cure, no pay basis, and it took us 23 days before we found
the right configuration whereby the RO could effectively be used”. The farmer’s installation now uses
strictly controlled quantities of chlorine and is equipped with tanks, a juraperl filter, a sand filter and
an activated carbon filter. Sure, the solution was not the cheapest, but the water is of the best possible
quality, the system works, and the farmer can be confident that his investment will pay itself back in less
than two years.
This is the type of achievement on which Bayard Europe is thriving. The last few years it has been extending its activities, mainly through word of mouth marketing.
Technologies
- water softening: also required for production of process water and RO-water
- de-ironing: free iron analysis and filtration tests
- sandfilters: in all sizes; can be fully automated
- activated carbon: vast array of activated coal filters
15
- demineralisation: all demi –installations are customised, with stainless steel frame, best components
and competitive prices
- reverse osmosis: Bayard RO-installations provide high quality water; automated and uninterrupted;
Also for brackish and seawater applications
- UV-disinfection: complete UV-systems for application in hotels and restaurants, food, agriculture and
horticulture, distribution sector, etc.
- aeration systems by means of oxygen can be necessary if you want your industrial installation to
function well
- dosage: dosage of chlorine and pH-adjusting in swimming-pools; biocide and anti-corrosion dosage
in hot water pipes and cooling-towers; chlorine dioxide dosage for full disinfection; floculant and coagulant dosage in physical/chemical wastewater treatment; an adequate dosage installation requires
a consistent follow-up, possibly on PC.
- Filters: Bayard provides a vast array of filters and separation equipment.
Selected references
” If we believe we can really find
a solution to the problem of the
customer, we go ahead. Solutions
are very often quite simple. ”
2007 - CRC Industries Europe, Zele, Belgium - manufacturer of spray-cans, process water treatment, water
softener + reverse osmosis and UV-treatment. 3m3/hour
- Eau de Paradis, soft drinks Ottignies, Brabant Wallon, Belgium – water softener,
pretreatment + reverse osmosis and UV-treatment, 12m3/h
- Soft drinks manufacturer UK, softening, reverse osmosis, UV, capacity 12m3/hour
- Natural Foods, Roeselare, Belgium, food industry - Pre-treatment of boiler feed water –
prevention of corrosion in double-sided stainless centrifuge - capacity 5m3/day Duplex softener, RO installation, buffer tanks equipped with pump and a plate-cooler
2007-2008 - Silvertop towers (blocks of flats), Antwerp, Belgium - central water softeners, 15m3/hour
2008 - Trafford shopping centre – Manchester, UK– iron removal, disinfection of well water – 60m3/h
- Herba – Stabroek, Belgium – herb grower – iron
removal, from well water – 20m3/ h
With mobile Birm iron removal installation, 2 x 600
litres (parallel) for sprinkling installation
- Geldhof - Eeklo, Belgium – tropical fish breeding
station - pre-treatment of well water – 4m3/day
- NATO, Evere -Brussels, Belgium – central water
softener – triplex 3 x 400 litres - resin in duplex –
40 m3/h
- Chinese Embassy, Brussels, Belgium - central
softener, duplex 2 x 125 litres, resin – capacity
10m3/h
Natural Foods, Roeselare (B), pre-treatment of boiler feed water
16
BESIX Sanotec nv / s.a.
Gemeenschappenlaan 100, Avenue des Communautés
B-1200 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0)2 402 62 11
Fax: +32 (0) 2 402 65 11
E-mail: info@besixsanotec.com
URL: www.besixsanotec.com
Fast growing global player
In short
After a slow start, BESIX Sanotec has become a fast grower among environmental technology companies in Europe. BESIX Sanotec, a full subsidiary
of the BESIX Group, profiles itself as an EPC (Engineering, Procurement,
Construction) Contractor in the water sector, and more particularly in the
treatment of municipal and industrial waste water and sewage, and in water
production. Whereas the 1998 sales amounted to some EUR 500,000, the
participation of BESIX Sanotec in ambitious water related programmes in the Paul Callebaut,
United Arab Emirates delivered sales of up to EUR 22 million in 2007. Today,
General Manager
the company employs about 50 people. For the civil and building works, BESIX
Sanotec can rely on the BESIX group, a large multinational construction company, lately developed into
a multi service group, with operations in many countries around the globe. The electromechanical part
of the installation is in good hands with BESIX Sanotec.
A closer look
BESIX Sanotec is understandably proud of its progressively ever more impressive achievements in the
Middle East. “85 % of the company revenue is currently created in the Emirates”, says Paul Callebaut,
General Manager. With some EUR 300 million of offerings mostly for projects in the Middle East, BESIX
Sanotec closed the year 2007 with an order book of EUR 140 million. On the other hand, BESIX Sanotec
fully benefits from the synergies with Six Construct, a BESIX subsidiary in the Gulf region.
BESIX Sanotec saw a market niche to be taken in EPC-projects for medium-sized water desalination and
wastewater purification plants.
BESIX Sanotec has its offices in the brand new
office block of BESIX in Brussels. In the entrance
hall we cannot help noticing a giant poster
with the Burj Dubai-tower, currently, with its
800 metres, the highest building in the world.
Built by an association of three construction
companies including BESIX, the project kind of
symbolises the high aspirations of the BESIX
Group and to a certain extent also those of
BESIX Sanotec
In the Emirate of Sharjah BESIX Sanotec in
partnership with Six Construct won the turnkey
contract related to the extension (Phase VII) of
the sewage treatment plant of Sharjah-city. The
customer apparently had taken the company in
high esteem after it had delivered the earlier
phases of the project. The extended water treatment plant will have to cope with an additional
80,000 cubic metres of effluent a day (500,000
P.E).
17
End 2007, BESIX Sanotec won the huge project of Jumeirah Golf Estates, in the Emirate of Dubai, in
partnership with Six Construct and Dégremont. It represents a treatment capacity of 220,000 cubic
metres a day (900,000 P.E); the fully treated effluent will be reused for irrigation. No wonder in a region
such as the Arab peninsula where one litre of potable water costs as much as one litre of petrol in
Europe.
This plant will be the biggest in the world and will be using MBR (Membrane Biological Reactor) technology. After delivery of the project, the company will also act as O&M (Operation and Maintenance)
contractor for ten years.
Unique Selling Proposition:
Even if overseas markets are a major focus, BESIX Sanotec
A company with important internamaintains a solid anchoring on its national market. “We
tional expertise making pragmatic
have built a dozen major WWTPs for Aquafin in Belgium”,
use of available technologies in
Paul Callebaut explains, “now this part of the market will be
order to best serve the customer.
saturated sooner or later, especially for a company like ours
which is basically a general contractor, rather than a technology provider. That’s why we are now concentrating on industries, especially the chemical, petrochemical
and pharmaceutical sector. In these industries there is a growing need for sustainable water use and
reuse”. Recent industry customers include Pfizer, Ineos Phenol, Monsanto, Janssen Pharmaceutica and
the Belgian Refining Company (BRC) in Antwerp.
For additional growth, the company turns to countries such as France and the Benelux and, outside
Europe, also to Northern Africa, from Morocco to Egypt. The strategy is simple: BESIX Sanotec wants to
benefit to the maximum from the local presence of BESIX.
Solid experience, an elaborate commercial network and technical support from its internationally
known partners in the construction sector are some of the main assets of BESIX Sanotec.
Technologies
We have it from the horse’s mouth: BESIX Sanotec is a general contractor, not a ‘mere’ technology
provider. However, the company does not shy away from the newest technologies. It only chooses the
technologies most suitable for specific projects. Over the years the company has gathered experience in
the following techniques and technologies:
• biorotors (Rotating Biological Contactor)
• aerobic and anaerobic treatment
• physical-chemical pre-treatment
• sludge digestion
• microfiltration
• reverse osmosis, nanofiltration,
ultrafiltration
• flotation (DAF technology)
• sludge dewatering
Selected references
Palm Water (Dubai, united Arab Emirates (900 000 p.e. - MBR Sewage Treatment Plant - 220,000 m3/day)
18
• New Belgium Brewing, wastewater treatment plant, Fort Collins (Colorado, U.S.A.)
• Janssen Pharmaceutica, expansion production recuperation water WWTP, Beerse, Belgium
• Ineos Phenol, modification waste water treatment plant phase 1, Doel, Belgium
• Igretec, construction wastewater treatment plant with biorotor, Erpion province of Hainaut, Belgium
• Belgian Refining Corporation, modification waste water treatment plant, Antwerp, Belgium
• Aquafin, renovation and extension WWTP, Morkhoven, Belgium, 60 000 PE
• Janssen Pharmaceutica, renovation and extension WWTP Geel, Belgium
• Pfizer Global Manufacturing, construction of an industrial WWTP Puurs, Belgium
• Sharjah Municipality, extension wastewater treatment plant, Sharjah (U.A.E.), 500,000 PE
• Belgian Army, mobile purification plant
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Palm Water (900 000 PE) EPC
- MBR Sewage Treatment Plant – 220,000 m3/day
Operating and Maintenance MBR Sewage Treatment Plant
and Sewer Network - Temporary Treatment plant (SBR) –
3 phases of 5,000 m_/day = 15,000 m3/day in total
• IDEA, construction wastewater treatment, Erbisoeul
(Hainaut province, Belgium) , 5 000 PE
“We are now concentrating on industries, especially the chemical and
petrochemical as well as the pharmaceutical industry, where there is a
growing need for sustainable water
use and reuse.”
• Mazagan, wastewater treatment plant for hotel resort,
Morocco.
BRC oil refinery (Antwerp,
Belgium) - wastewater treatment plant, 1922 m3/day
19
DESOTEC nv
Regenbeekstraat 44
B-8800 Roeselare - Rumbeke (Belgium)
Phone: +32 (0)51 24 60 57
Fax: + 32 (0)51 24 59 16
E-mail: desotec@desotec.com
URL: www.desotec.com
Desotec: Powerful activated carbon solutions
In short
Desotec, founded in 1990 and based at Roeselare (in the West of Belgium), is
an innovative company specialised in the production and supply of activated
carbon, a high quality adsorption product for the purification of liquids and
gases and the removal of organic impurities. With a workforce of 40, of whom
6 are working in Poland, the company’s turnover amounted to EUR 10 million
in 2007.
A closer look
Rikie Seynaeve,
project engineer
In a not too distant past, Desotec focused on wastewater and sludge treatment. After a while, however, the company found itself a lucrative niche called ‘activated carbon’. As a
true niche player Desotec has no competitors within TNAV (and is not too worried about the competitors outside our network either) and this was certainly helpful. Progressively, Desotec expanded its
activities and began to sell or rent its products and services not only in its home base but also in neighbouring countries and later also in countries like Spain and Poland.
“The activities of Desotec are threefold”, Rikie Seynaeve, the company’s project engineer explains.
“First, we take care of the production and delivery of activated carbon. Desotec’s capability and
readiness to offer our customers the most suitable type of activated carbon for any application might
very well be our unique selling proposition”.
In order to meet all customers’ demands, the company constantly develops new products and has
acquired five warehouses throughout Europe, to ensure swift delivery at any time.
Seynaeve goes on: “Second: almost naturally, and at a very early stage, we started designing and renting
activated carbon-based filters. For the treatment of liquids and gases the company develops and builds
tailor-made filters”.
Another particular feature is Desotec’s impressive fleet of
“Another particular feature is
mobile filters, the largest in Europe. “For many customers
Desotec’s impressive fleet of mobile
renting a filter from Desotec is the most comfortable and
filters, the largest in Europe. For
least expensive solution,” Seynaeve asserts.
many customers renting a filter
from Desotec is the most comfort“Third, we make sure that the spent carbon is returned to us
able and least expensive solution”.
so that we can reactivate it.” This has proved to be very suc20
cessful, and it is our contribution to sustainability.
To a large extent, Desotec owes its success to its thorough understanding of the business and to the
quality of services offered. Perhaps the most conspicuous is the return of spent activated carbon. Desotec has the necessary permits for this type of activity as well as for the international transport of the
materials if required. The company built a state-of-the-art reactivation facility at Roeselare, its homebase, especially for this purpose.
Activated carbon is a microporous and inert carbon with a large internal surface area (up to
1500m²/gramme). This surface area is capable of adsorbing organic molecules from liquids and
gases: the contaminated molecules adhere to this surface The carbon (coal-based, coconut shellbased, wood-based etc.) is activated in three steps:
1.The water is removed (dehydration)
2.The organic matter is converted into elementary carbon (carbonisation) and non-carbon elements are discarded;
3.The tar is burnt off and the pores are extended (the latter process is actually the ‘activation’
part).
Technologies
Desotec offers efficient and sustainable solutions for all your water and air treatment applications.
Its mobile activated carbon filters, such as the Mobicon®, have proved to be immensely successful and
are one of the company’s main assets. Available on a rental base, without investment cost and applicable anywhere, the mobile container can be used on-site in any application such as tertiary water
purification, water recycling, groundwater sanitation, treatment of leachate….
Once the activated carbon is saturated, the entire Mobicon® is replaced by another unit, filled with new
activated carbon. This eliminates the need for spent activated carbon disposal by the customer.
Besides the standard packages, Desotec’s engineering services design and manufacture tailor-made
activated carbon adsorbers for liquids (Filtrafix®-L).
They also offer advice and engineering services for the development and construction of fixed activated
carbon air filters (Filtrafix®-A), and mobile activated carbon filters for air treatment (Aircon®) are available on rental base.
Services
Services include strong logistics, a huge stock of the most
common types of activated carbon, a company lab for testing
and quality-control, etc.
For the replacement of small quantities of activated carbon,
the company offers a full service. Its vacuum truck comes
along to empty fixed filters and after that, it takes care of the
refill. Fast and efficient. What more could one want ?
Another Desotec showpiece is OXYCON®, an aerated
activated carbon filter-system. The Oxycon®-system is based
“At the latest IFEST environmental
technology fair in Gent, we offered
our visitors French fries, made
on the spot. It was a tremendous
success. And people wondered
why we could do this completely
odour-free. It was evidence of the
efficiency of activated carbon in
adsorbing unwanted odours.”
21
on the efficient aeration of activated carbon filters, used in
wastewater treatment. In addition to adsorption processes,
the chemical and biological oxidation of contaminants is
stimulated. The system considerably increases the lifetime of
the carbon filter and improves the reduction of recalcitrant,
non bio-degradable molecules.
Unique selling proposition: Our
capability and readiness to offer
our customers the most suitable
type of activated carbon for any
application.”.
VOC3PLUS®
Last, but certainly not least, the VOC3PLUS®-technology for air treatment applications has been developed to reactivate periodically the activated carbon in a compartmentalized air filtration unit (regeneration in situ). This technique is a combination of the Desotec air filtration units with a small after burner
unit, and combines 1) adsorption 2) desorption and 3) an autothermic catalytic oxidation of the VOC.
That is why this technology is called “VOC-3-PLUS”.
Activated carbon is used in water and liquid applications ranging from municipal drinking water
treatment (taste, odour and micro pollutant removal e.g. pesticides, …), to domestic water treatment (in-line and cartridge filters), process water (de-chlorination and de-ozonisation), groundwater
remediation, and wastewater treatment – tertiary treatment (trace organics and COD-removal,
deodourisation and decolourisation, powdered as bio-flock improvement in an aerobic or anaerobic
biological wastewater treatment plant, as an additive for physical-chemical treatments), raw material
purification (purification of oils and fats, alcoholic and softdrinks, dyestuffs, …), decolourisation of
sugar and glucose, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals) and catalytic processes.
Regeneration unit
22
Ecodis nv
Brechtsebaan 30
B-2900 Schoten (Antwerp)
Phone: +32 (0) 3 641.91.00
Fax:
+32 (0) 3 641.91.09
E-mail: info@ecodis.eu
URL: www.ecodis.eu
Ecodis, soon the European standard for water disinfection
In short
Created in the Antwerp area in 2002, Ecodis has been developing ecological
chemical-free or low-chemical alternatives to existing chemical water
treatment and disinfection techniques. Today, over 30 highly skilled scientists
and engineers are working for Ecodis, a number that is expected to double
in the near future, now that the company has also started operations in the
Netherlands and in the U.K. Ecodis is listed on the Alternext Brussels Stock
Exchange. Revenues in 2007 were only € 800,000, but by 2010 should be
around € 22 million. The long-awaited certification of the technology by the
Flanders Ministry of Health, now very imminent , will probably act as a
catalyst. By the year 2011, Ecodis is expected to become profitable.
Elmar Peters, founder
& General Manager of
Ecodis.
A closer look
The ecodis® system sure is a remarkable invention. The disinfecting cell of the Ecodis® contains specially
coated permanent electrodes. A direct current with at a low voltage level sees to it that oxygen and
chlorine radicals are formed from the water resulting in immediate disinfection. It destroys the bacteria,
viruses, algae and micro-organisms in the water, without the addition of chemicals and without radiation. Additionally, hardly any undesirable trihalomethanes are produced. Harmful components such as
cyanides, ammonia and humic acids are oxidised to their maximum. The system meets the rigorous European health and safety standards and guarantees
a long operating life.
“I started doing research at home in my gaPractical tests show that the disinfecting power
rage back in 1997. At the time, UV-technology
of the ecodis® is much higher than that of the
was on the rise, but I preferred electrolysis.
same
disinfectant level using NaOCl (bleach or
In traditional cleaning techniques salt is used,
bleaching
agents).
but that is a nuisance as saline water should
From
an
economic
perspective, the ecodis®
not be drained. So I looked for a different
contributes to an efficient solution with regard
solution and contacted PIDPA, the company
to water hygiene. No losses occur, as the oxidants
providing my home with drinking water. They
are produced directly in the water. The use of
were interested and followed my work with
electric current per m³ of water to be treated is
growing enthusiasm.“
very low (typically 20 - 50 Watt per m³ of treated
Elmar Peters in ‘Forward’, Feb. 2008
water). The use of permanent, long-lasting electrodes also contributes to low operational costs.
23
Potential customers:
1)industries wanting to decontaminate their water mains, to combat legionella in their sanitary installations, to disinfect their pre-treated wastewater and treat their industrial cooling and process water.
2)Ecodis is also extremely efficient in preventing the formation of biofilm, or in physically breaking
down biofilm in water pipes of homes for the elderly or hospitals. Biofilm is potentially dangerous as
it provides shelter to micro-organisms. In addition, the presence of nutrients can induce an explosive
growth. Legionella pneumophila (the originator of the highly feared legionnaires’ disease) is, besides
many other micro-organisms, a typical resident of biofilm.
3)Individuals wishing water treatment for their swimming-pool and who want to avoid the use of
chlorine.
Needless to say the verification of the efficiency
Unique selling proposition: Disinfecting with
of the ecodis® solution in its various forms is
ecodis® is extremely efficient, environmentcrucial to Ecodis.
friendly and is not harmful to your health.
For more than 10 years now, Ecodis has had the
results of its research double-checked by the
research centres of the Universities of Gent and
Leuven, and other water-related knowledge centres. In Lyon (France) legionella-expert Prof. Etienne has
studied the ecodis® solution and in Holland the KIWA has also ascertained Ecodis’ major progress and
achievements in the field of wastewater disinfection.
The Belgian Red Cross is one of Ecodis’ customers: the Red Cross fills the plastic waterbags they provide
in emergency situations with drinking water treated with Ecodis.
Product differentiation is part of Ecodis’ business strategy but the company will not really prioritize
biofilm breakdown in hospitals or swimming pool water treatment. They are both equally important.
As far as legionella prevention is concerned, the company wants to expand its activities from the
Benelux countries to include the British and French markets. Installations will be equipped with an
online monitoring system, informing Ecodis whether an installation is working properly and whether
the water is safe. It is part of the after sales the company wants to provide to its customers.
Technologies
- The ecodis® mobile unit is effective whenever a legionella or other micro-organism breakout has
taken place. The mobile unit allows for on-the-spot decontamination as long as required. The followup then takes place through on-line measurements and/or analysis in certified labs.
Performing pilot tests, either semi- or full-scale, for customer-specific problems
for all cycles where the microbiology may adversely affect an efficient exploitation, or where
oxidizing the problem substances, which are present, may offer a solution.
24
Possible applications may include:
Food industry and food packaging industry
Breweries
Dairy
Cooling machines in general
Disinfection of waterflows for membrane technologies
All applications of the ecodis® mobile can be supervised and adjusted remotely through data-logging
and on-line monitoring. This is a valuable tool for carefully documenting the performed tests.
- The ecodis® cell: long-term disinfection
The ecodis® cell sees to a preventive (drinking)-water decontamination and keeps sanitary and industrial installations germ-free.
The size of the cell is variable and determined after a custom audit in combination with data-logging
the waterflow. A permanent installation often follows a performed decontamination or a test with
an ecodis® mobile unit.
The ecodis® can be applied to drinking water, rainwater, process-water, wastewater, swimming and
cooling water.
- The ecodis® comfort + service plan
The ecodis® comfort and service plan has as its objective a significant reduction of operational costs.
With a permanent check from the Ecodis office (via modem), the company monitors the functioning
of the customer’s ecodis® and manages the production of free oxidants by remote control.
Selected references
“The system meets the rigorBelgium
ous European health and safety
2004
standards and guarantees a long
• St-Augustinus Academic Hospital Wilrijk, Antwerp:
operating life”.
sanitary disinfection
• St-Rafaël, Academic Hospital, Leuven: sanitary disinfection
2005
• Danone, Rotselaar (near Leuven): food, rinsing
• Vlevico Colruyt Halle (Vlaams-Brabant province): supermarket - food, sanitary and process water
• Panasonic, Tessenderlo (Limburg province): electronics industry, showers
• Management-office of publicly owned real estate (Régie des Bâtiments-Regie der Gebouwen),
Merksplas (province of Antwerp): showers
2007
Psychiatric clinic Sint Jozef, Kortenberg (Vlaams-Brabant): sanitary disinfection, 2007
Sea-preventorium, Den Haan (Province West-Flanders): sanitary disinfection,
The Netherlands
2005
Nutricia, Zoetermeer, Food – rinsing water Tetra
Police station Amsterdam/Amstelland, Public sector, showers
2007
Holiday Inn, Schiphol Airport, hotel, sanitary installations.
25
Sobelgra, Anwerp (Belgium), MBR Enprotech
26
ENPROTECH nv
Stationsstraat 164
B-3110 ROTSELAAR
Phone: + 32 (0)16 61 72 50
Fax: + 32 (0)16 61 72 59
E-mail: enprotech@enprotech.be
URL: www.enprotech.be
Enprotech helps you to choose the right technology
whilst reducing operational costs
In short
Enprotech, or ‘Environmental Protection Technologies’ started small in 1996
but has been steadily growing ever since. The company, centrally located in
the province of Vlaams-Brabant, not far from Brussels, is a turnkey contractor
for water-, sludge-, air-, and wastewater treatment technologies and has built Enprotech’s Hans van
for over 2 million P.E. for all types of industries.
Soest & Marc Feyaerts
This is a typically Flemish SME, meaning that it is small, with minimal overhead, flexible, preferring a hands-on approach, is open to innovation and seeking carefully prepared
expansion, at home and, why not ?, abroad. I should add: it owes its excellent performance to a limited
workforce of 20 hard working, highly skilled and experienced people. 2008 sales are estimated to reach
EUR 7 million.
A closer look
Enprotech provides the overall design, a pilot installation if required, the engineering, the electromechanical aspects of the wastewater treatment plant, the piping systems, pumps and valves. But there is
more:
“After delivery we like to assume responsibility for the technical follow-up and operation and maintenance. Many of our clients in industry like it that way and it kind of reassures them. Furthermore,
this involvement is not only rewarding in terms of business, but above all, it is an excellent opportunity
to learn and to increase our awareness and knowledge of the total treatment process. This helps us in
becoming an even better and ever more efficient company. We have learned a lot from these activities
and we feel that we are well placed to advise companies on how to reduce energy or sludge treatment
costs , says Marc Feyaerts, Process and Sales Manager with Enprotech.
Hans van Soest, General Manager nods: “Our
Unique selling proposition: We go for the
(potential) customers usually think of a water
simplest solution that best suits the customer.
treatment installation in terms of an important
investment, which it certainly is. But they tend
to underestimate the operational cost, once the
installation has been commissioned: over the years I have seen quite some companies overspending literally two, three thousand EUR a day, on energy-consumption and use of chemical additives that could
have been avoided.”
27
Soaring energy prices also have an important impact on our business. When wastewater installations
provide renewable energy out of sludge and with the system of renewable energy certificates as we
know it over here, we believe that owners can expect an interesting ROI. But it is of vital importance to
choose the right technology and to reduce operational cost: we as technology providers can help our
customers in saving lots of money.
Problem solving has made us a better, more innovative company. Even as a rather small SME we have
our own Research and Development, of course focused on specific issues and problems we , or rather
our customers are facing.
Our experience is paying off now: it happens that companies contact us for urgent assistance because
the building company in charge of the water treatment project got itself into problems and basically
could not manage the problem. We then will do whatever possible to stand by our reputation as
problem solvers and manage to finish the job successfully within the required deadline. A recent example: Holliday Pigments (HP) in Comines (on the French side of the border between Belgium and France),
leading supplier of ultramarine and manganese violet pigments. The French company that got the
assignment for the construction of a physical-chemical installation for HP was not able to deliver,
because it made the wrong choices. Quite frequently, contractors will prefer a sophisticated installation,
whereas customers most of the time can do with a cheaper, more efficient and less expensive alternative. The importance of correct process choice and technical choices can hardly be overestimated.
Enprotech prefers the KISS-approach, “Keep it simple and stupid. It is important to find the simplest
solution that best suits the customer”, Van Soest says.
“Big companies now approach us and ask us to deal with their problems, companies that only a few
years ago wouldn’t have worked with us because we are small, and they would not believe we could
provide them with adequate solutions for their problems. Progressively, however, this perception has
changed: potential customers see our growing reference list, and they see the sheer size of the projects
we are involved in and the complexity of the problems solved by us”.
So, Enprotech is doing well and after a successful first with a WWTP delivered at La Réunion, the French
overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, the company has acquired a taste for distant shores and is aware
of the many opportunities in the emerging countries. However, the company clearly prefers slow growth
to being overdependent on borrowed money. “Why should we hurry ?” , Hans van Soest wonders, “as
things stand today, we are more than busy right here in Belgium and its neighbours. But in business it is
always wise to keep your options open.”
Technologies
As a typical solution-provider, Enprotech will never promote one specific technology. It uses the technologies and processes that best meet the real needs of the customer.
Over the years though, Enprotech has acquired an impressive experience in the following technologies:
- Pretreatment: neutralisation, settling, filtration, buffering. Enprotech promises decreased operational
and investment costs, through a simplified treatment process providing increased stability and reliability, based on lab or pilot scale tests.
- Physical-chemical treatment: coagulation, neutralisation, precipitation detoxication, floculation, sedimentation, flotation, oxidation, adsorption: separately controlled process steps and a correct technical
choice based on test results.
- Membrane technology, biomembrane reactors: compact, efficient, economical, advanced treatment.
28
-
-
-
-
Requiring no settling tank, nor sludge recycling, or sludge
“We have learned a lot from operaraking bridge, these compact reactors ((3-5 times smaller
tions & maintenance and we feel
volume) are suited for water reuse, provide better effluent
that we are well-placed to advise
quality and lower sludge production, whereas the memcompanies on how to reduce enbranes have a considerable lifetime.
ergy or sludge treatment costs.”
Water reuse: ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis
Aerobic processes: effective for both industrial and municipal wastewaters; biological denitrification and phosphorus
removal, surface water quality , effluent reuse
Anaerobic processes (wastewater and organic waste): compact installation, stable and simple, biogas
production for electrical and thermic co-generation, highly productive at no extra energy cost, with a
low sludge production.
Sludge treatment: stabilisation (biological, chemical ); thickening (gravity, dewatering tables / drums);
dewatering (filter press, membrane filter press, centrifuge, belt filter).
Selected references
2002 Cappelle pigments, Halluin (France): physical-chemical treatment with sludge dewatering (filter
press), 2200 m³/day
2004 Alpro, Wevelgem (Belgium): UASB anaerobic bio-actor with combined heat and power, aerobic
bio-actor with N & P-removal and sand filtration, 120,000 p.e.
2004 Dicogel, Mouscron (Belgium) , UASB-anaerobic bio-actor with biogas burner, 240,000 p.e.
2006 Sobelgra, Antwerp (Belgium): aerobic bio-actor with internal membranes, 50,000 p.e.
2006 Duvel Moortgat, Puurs (Province of Antwerp, Belgium): aerobic bio-actor with internal membranes and N & P-removal, 100,000 p.e.
2006 CTG, La Réunion (France): plaster treatment and dewatering, 80 m³/hour
2006 Westfro, Staden (West Flanders, Belgium): UASB anaerobic bio-actor with combined heat-power,
aerobic bio-actor with N-removal and water reuse, 240,000 p.e.
2007 Agristo , Harelbeke ( West Flanders, Belgium): aerobic bio-actor with internal membranes and
N& P-removal , 75,000 p.e., 60 m³/hour
2007 Schering Plough laboratories, Heist-op-den-Berg (Antwerp province): concept, design and detailed engineering, project management, aerobic bio-actor, physical-chemical, sludge and odour
treatment, plant operation, 3000 p.e., 5 m³/hour
2007 Roger & Roger, Mouscron (Hainaut province, Belgium): UASB anaerobic bio-actor with combined
heat-power, N-removal and sludge dewatering, 85,000 p.e.
2008 Alken-Maes, Alken (Limburg, Belgium): UASB anaerobic bio-actor, aerobic bio-actor with N- &
P-removal, 80 m³/hour, 8000 kg COD
2008 Holliday Pigments, Comines (France), physical-chemical treatment with sludge dewatering (filter press) ,
1200 m³/day.
Holliday Pigments, Comines (France),
physical-chemical treatment with sludge
dewatering (filter press)
29
Geo-engineering nv
Goormansdijk 64, B-2480 Dessel (Belgium)
(will be moving to Lammerdries 18, B-2440 Geel towards the end of 2008)
ENGINEERING
Phone: Fax: E-mail: URL: +32(0)14 37 32 98
+32(0)14 37 32 99
info@geo-groep.com
http://www.geo-groep.com
A dynamic new player on the water treatment market
In short
The Geo-groep, created as recently as 2002, is made up of 5 autonomous
subsidiaries, and is based in the Kempen region in the north of Belgium, at
some 40 miles from Antwerp. Geo-engineering, the subsidiary which is of
prime concern to us, it being the TNAV-member, employs about 10 and in
2007, its sales amounted to €12.5 million. Its specialty: mobile containers
equipped with a complete MBR-reactor with a capacity varying from 1 to 10
cubic metres/hour.
Tony Borgmans,
General Manager
A closer look
“We welcome both small and bigger companies looking for a solution for their process water and
wastewater problems”, says Tony Borgmans, CEO and owner of Geo-engineering. “We are currently
competing for three tenders for wastewater treatment plants. Of course, the more important assignments are more rewarding. At present we are building a WWTP at Tervuren (in the wider Brussels
area), with a 11,000 p.e. that will have to be delivered towards the end of this year”.
Geo-engineering does not want to focus on specific market segments. The company has gained the
necessary experience in, for example, wastewater treatment for breweries, textile factories, laundries
and dumping grounds (for percolate water treatment).
The company based at Dessel, north of Antwerp (before the end of 2008, Geo-engineering will move
to Geel, just a few miles from there) will not shy away from challenges which are quite out of the
ordinary. Geo-engineering has been asked to take care of the wastewater produced by some 3000
EU-officials in the brand new Covent Garden office building in downtown Brussels. The customer, the
European Commission, wants the treated wastewater to be reused. A service Geo-engineering was
only too happy to provide by means of a so-called ecomachine or ecological wastewater treatment
system. In the underground car park Geo-Engineering has built settling ponds, and larger ponds filled
with all types of aquatic plant life. A number of Kubota plate-membranes will be finishing the job.
“It’s a nice showpiece, and we were happy to
contribute to meeting this challenge”, says
Unique selling proposition:
Borgmans, “but from the start, back in the year
“Our mobile containers equipped with a
2000, we believed we would have to diversify
compact MBR can either be rented or bought
our activities That is why we focus on all types
and can handle from one to ten cubic metres
of water treatment technologies.”
of effluent in one hour”
30
Technologies
The Geo-groep success story started with Hydrostab®, a mixture of wastewater treatment sludge, polluted sands, fly ash and water glass (natrium silicate) which has proved to be very effective in covering
waste disposals and brownfields. This mixture, some sort of artificial clay, is as efficient as natural clay
but allows for a really sustainable use of waste material for which it is hard to find an alternative
application. The process has been recognized as being a useful application of waste by the Belgian environmental authorities. Their counterparts from countries like France, Britain and Hungary also have
shown interest.
In 2002 the Geo-groep entered into a new development phase. Its subsidiary Geo-Milieu West (“Geo
Environment West”) started operating a huge sewage sludge incinerator in Bruges (in the West of
Belgium). About 100,000 tons of sewage sludge are delivered there annually for further processing:
the sludge is dewatered, processed in centrifuges, dried and incinerated. The remaining fly-ashes
then are mixed with other waste materials at the Antwerp production plant for the artificial clay or
Hydrostab®.
In the mean time, Geo-engineering has sys“Together with other companies belonging to
tematically been developing its skills in water
the Geo-groep, Geo-engineering is perfectly
treatment at a high pace, and apparently has
capable of delivering turnkey water treatment
become quite successful in this area.
installations”.
The company certainly owes part of its success
to its obtaining the sole rights for Belgium of
the Kubota plate membranes. But Tony Borgmans is a pragmatist and perfectly willing to apply more conventional water treatment techniques,
be they big or small: “From 1 to 300,000 p.e”, he says smilingly. “However, even if we do not swear by
membrane technology, we can confirm that MBRs can be very practical, their installation is quite simple, they are cost-effective and they do not take much space”. And that is where the mobile container
comes in, easily Geo-engineering’s unique selling proposition:. “These mobile containers equipped
with a compact MBR are extremely practical. They can be either rented or bought and can handle
from one to ten cubic metres of effluent in one hour”, Borgmans explains. “They are quite handy for
temporary use and helpful for so-called P-companies (as companies in Belgium are designated when
they produce effluents with a heavy environmental impact). We help these companies to comply with
wastewater drainage norms. If the mobile MBRs fail to do the job as expected, the customer will owe
us nothing “. It certainly looks like an attractive business proposal, wouldn’t you think?
“Smaller companies simply cannot afford an environmental, let alone water treatment specialist on
their payroll”, says Borgmans.”However, they can rely on Geo–engineering as we monitor the treatment process. Our maintenance people (7/7; 24/24!) will automatically be warned by mobile phone
should anything go wrong and they can practically always solve the problem through a very effective
remote control system”.
Geo-engineering, although the name may suggest otherwise, focuses not just on design and engineering, but will also be taking care of construction, financing and maintenance of installations. Borgmans confirms that Geo-engineering, together with other companies belonging to the Geo-groep, is
perfectly capable of delivering turnkey water treatment installations.
31
Selected references
2006
• ILVA, dumping site at Vlierzele (Belgium): percolate water treatment using MBR technology, 80m3/
day)
2008
• De Koninck Breweries Antwerp (Belgium): UASB 15,000 p.e.
• Initial Textiles, Laundry facility at Lokeren Belgium): water treatment using MBR technology 6.500
p.e.
• Mireille, laundry facility at Heusden-Zolder (Belgium): water treatment using MBR technology 4.000
p.e.
• Covent Garden, Office building, Brussels (Belgium) water treatment using MBR technology – water
reuse 750 p.e.
• Top’s Foods, Olen (Belgium): physical-chemical treatment & Dissolved Air Flotation 7.000 p.e.
• Waste water treatment plant at Tervuren (near Brussels), MBR; 14,000 m2 membrane surface
• Small water treatment plants at Sint-Laureins & Lummen (both Belgium) , resp. 330 and 220 p.e.
Laundry water treatment station, Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, MBR
32
Global Water Engineering nv
Autobaan 22. box 01.01 - B- 8210 Loppem
phone: Fax: E-mail: URL: +32 (0)50 54 64 44
32 (0)50 54 64 46
mail.belgium@globalwe.com
www.globalwe.com
Anaerobic technologies and sustainable energy production
In short
The Belgian branch of Global Water Engineering is a full subsidiary of an
international environmental group, headquartered in Hong Kong (China),
employing 90 and with a 2007 order book worth EUR 25 million. Other
subsidiaries are located in Karlsruhe in Germany, Manila in the Philippines and
Bangkok in Thailand. GWE’s know how is backed up by more than 250 operating plants in more than 50 countries worldwide. Water related
activities represent about 80 % of sales and continue their growth, even if
Pascal Pipyn,
solid waste treatment activities are growing faster. GWE-Belgium based at
VP Process & Technology
Loppem (near Bruges, in the West of Belgium) is the centre of excellence and
source of innovation for the mother company and its operations in virtually every corner of the world.
A closer look
GWE’s main focus of attention is and remains the biological treatment of wastewater without the
use of air or oxygen. The organic pollutants are converted by anaerobic micro-organisms into a gas
containing methane and carbon dioxide, known as “biogas”. Anaerobic digestion is the spearhead of
GWE-activities, even if the company will also take care of the other stages of water and sludge treatment. Currently, GWE is building more than 40 anaerobic projects at the same time.
“The GWE corporate headquarters in Hong Kong counts on us for the solution of the liquid and solid
waste problems of our customers. So it should not come as a surprise that GWE invests money and
manpower in research, be it solution-oriented research”, asserts Pascal Pipyn, Executive Vice-President
Process & Technology. “Currently, we are building an AOP (Advanced Oxidation Process) pilot installation working on hydrogen peroxide and UV, for a pulp and paper plant in Vietnam in order to meet
the very low final effluent COD standard of 40
ppm”.
Unique selling proposition: Certain foreign
Pipyn, an experienced and enthusiastic bio-engicompanies will not hesitate to sell their own
neer, and his team mates travel frequently.
proprietary technologies without bother“Of course, in terms of design and engineering,
ing too much about the real needs of the
a lot can be done here in the Belgium office,
customer. For us the absolute priority is the
but we want to have a full understanding of
solution of the problem the customer is facing.
the customer’s problem and that is the reason
In other words: our unique selling proposition
why we want to be in touch with him, listen
is our absolute flexibility.
to him, reassure him and answer his questions.
33
We need to see with our own eyes how best to implement a solution that meets the specific needs of
the customer. We have to be within easy reach, should a problem arise and in the interest of process
optimization. “
As the Belgian office is the service centre for the GWE group as a whole, the workload is increasing
now that the company is expanding. GWE recently set up new subsidiary companies in India and
China, and the USA and South-America will follow. The company works with local partners and the
actual construction work is outsourced to local subcontractors.
Areas GWE is working on are:
- granular sludge technology: GWE is a partner of a collective research program in this domain,
sponsored by IWT (Flanders Agency for the promotion of science and technology in industry with
all TNAV core members as partners),
- digestion (fermentation) of bio-ethanol and bio-diesel wastes (bench scale),
- sludge hydrolysis by thermophilic biological treatment.
That GWE wants to be a key partner in the biomass-related industry should not come as a surprise
considering its preference for and experience in anaerobic digestion. The biomass industry is a
G.W.E.: Compania Licoreria Nicaragua, Alcohol distillery, Flotamet™
34
window of opportunity, says Pipyn. GWE focuses primarily on waste from bio-ethanol and bio-diesel
production: “Over time, bio-refineries will be making literally almost anything from anything: this is
really a sustainable use of waste materials, in fact when you put waste to use, it is no longer waste”,
says Pipyn.
GWE is also focusing on the treatment of organic waste streams (the organic fraction of mixed or
residual municipal waste, bio-waste, market and food waste), allowing the company to put its anaerobic expertise to full use. Many South-East Asian customers
have already shown interest as the technology provides
“We want to see with our own
renewable energy, reducing CO2-emissions from fossil
eyes how best to implement a solufuel. Several potential partners are eager to be involved in
tion and meet the specific needs of
the pre-treatment phase (sorting, fractioning of garbage,
the customer”
removal of metals,…).
Technologies
The range of reactors available from GWE comprises
- The Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (ANUBIX™ B),. GWE’s “work horse”, medium to high
loading rate UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed) reactor, with incorporated plate separator, used
for most low to medium strength mainly soluble carbohydrate containing effluents. Attained
amazing COD removal efficiencies, in some cases up to 99%.
The Upflow Anaerobic Contact Reactor (ANUBIX™ C) is a kind of hybrid between a UASB and an
Anaerobic Contact Reactor for wastewaters with a moderate suspended solids content such as the
ones from fruit and vegetable processing plants for example.
- The very high loaded upflow “tower like” EGSB reactor (ANUBIX™ T), working with granular
sludge for specific wastewater and space limited sites.
- The Mesophilic or Thermophilic Completely Stirred Reactor (ANAMIX™ M and T) with special shredder and mixing device for wastewaters containing a very high amount of suspended solids or for
slurries and sludge.
- The Anaerobic Filter Reactor (ANAFIX™) using a carrier material for the biomass, e.g. for wastewaters from the fermentation industry, the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, where
suboptimal conditions prevail.
- The Downflow Anaerobic Contact Reactor with biogas induced flotation (FLOTAMET™) in a proprietary Dissolved Biogas Flotation tank (DBF™ tank) for wastewaters containing significant amounts
of fats, oils and greases or with a high salt content.
- The High Rate Anaerobic lagoon (COHRAL™) for some applications where space is not an issue.
Other products and processes:
- Aerobic wastewater treatment: conventional and cascaded activated sludge systems, SBR,
ASTEROX™ (a multistage activated sludge system), CYCLOX™ (a continuous SBR), trickling filters,
containerised mini-plants, nitrification and denitrification, biological phosphate removal.
- Sludge treatment: mechanical thickening and dewatering, sludge drying but also the THEAREX™
process for primary and waste activated sludge (WAS) being a combination of a chemical pre-treatment with a two stage fermentation process.
- Agricultural residues: the Rapid Transformation of Organic Residues or RAPTOR™ process being an
enzymatic pre-treatment followed by a two stage thermophilic fermentation process.
35
The 1993 movie (and novel) Jurassic Park have been a source of inspiration for GWE’s, as shown
by the Thea-rex process for waste activated sludge.Thea –rex of course refers to the Tyrannosaurus
Rex or T. Rex. And the Raptor Process (‘Rapid Transformation of Organic Residues) is being
commercialised by means of a logo showing dinosaurs (‘raptor’ is also an informal term to refer
to certain dinosaurs). The metaphor makes sense: the monster’s mouth takes care of waste
pre-treatment, whereas saliva and stomach juices can be seen as equivalent to the use of enzymes.
The stomach also takes care of fermentation and acidogen hydrolysis. Finally, methane gas is
generated in the bowels….
Selected references
2002
- Baltika Samara, Russia: Brewery, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 10,000 kg COD/d
- Choke Chai Starch, Thailand: Tapioca Starch, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 55,800 kg COD/d
- Compania Licorera de Nicaragua , Nicaragua: Alcohol distillery, FLOTAMET, plant capacity
102,154 kg COD/d
- South-African Breweries, Ibhayi, South-Africa: Brewery, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 12,340 kg
COD/d
2003
- AB-Miller Newlands, South-Africa: Brewery, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 18,000 kg COD/d
- Alpina Productos Lacteos, Columbia: Dairy, ANAMIX™, plant capacity 4,800 kg COD/d
2007
- Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Belgium: Brewery, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 2,
190 kg COD/d
- Beam Global España, Spain: Winery and Wine Distillery, FLOTAMET™,
plant capacity 21,364 kg COD/d
- Vinakraft Paper, Vietnam: Recycle paper, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 57,400 kg COD/d
- Carlsberg Srbja, Serbia: Brewery, ANUBIX™-B, plant capacity 15,000 kg COD/d
- Sahasinwattana Cogeneration, Thailand: RAPTOR™, plant capacity 305,426 kg COD/d
36
Keppel Seghers Belgium nv
Hoofd 1
B-2830 Willebroek (Belgium)
Phone: +32 (0)3 880 77 00
Fax: +32 (0) 3 880 77 99
E-mail: info@keppelseghers.com
URL: www.keppelseghers.com
In short
Keppel Seghers is the environmental technology arm of Keppel Corporation,
a multinational conglomerate listed in Singapore and focusing on three key
business activities –Offshore & Marine, Infrastructure & Environment and
Property Development.
Keppel Seghers’ scope of activities includes consultancy, design, engineering, technology developments, construction, operations and maintenance
of plants and facilities as well as investments in large environmental projects
(DBOO, Design, Build, Own and Operate – DBO, Design, Build, Operate – or
BOT, Build, Operate and Transfer and PPP, public private partnerships).
The solutions the company offers address a wide spectrum of environmental
Werner Van Peteghem,
issues such as solid waste, wastewater, drinking and process water, biosolids head Water Division
and sludge.
Keppel Seghers Belgium, based at Willebroek (half way between Brussels
and Antwerp) employs about 110 people and is actively involved in operations throughout the world,
especially in the European Union, North-Africa (the Maghreb countries), China and South-America.
A closer look
Unique selling proposition: The company
“Keppel Seghers today combines the best of
can provide all technical and management
two worlds”, says Werner van Peteghem, head
skills needed to successfully complete turnkey
of KSBE’s water division. “On the one hand the
projects, supply technology packages or hanbetter than average know how of the former
dle large investment projects.
Belgian company Seghers Better Technology,
from which it inherited a solid portfolio and
state-of-the-art environmental technologies.
On the other hand the vision, the global network and the strong financial resources of the Keppel
Corporation”.
This combination gives Keppel Seghers a unique position in Belgium.
As such it is also different from other TNAV-members and does not focus on typically smaller industrial
wastewater projects. Instead, it is actively pursuing contracts for large municipal wastewater treatment plants, with ongoing projects in Doha North, Qatar (United Arab Emirates) (900,000 p.e.,
a contract with a value of € 711 million) and similar though smaller WWTPs in Ain Beda and
Laghouat, Algeria (200,000 and 170,000 p.e. respectively).
Keppel Seghers has also built and currently owns and operates Asia’s largest water reuse plant,
located in Singapore. The treatment of municipal water, industrial wastewater, seawater, surface and
37
brackish water for re-use as industrial, process and potable water is a growing market segment.
With the support of human as well as financial resources of Keppel Corporation, Keppel Seghers not
only focuses on water treatment, but also on Waste-to-Energy (WtE) projects, both for municipal and
specific industrial solid waste. (WtE, is one solution to actively tackle green house gas emissions and
combines waste and energy solutions).
Keppel Seghers is also focussing on O&M (Operation and Maintenance) for its large projects.
“Operational responsibility and process-assistance are increasingly important”, Van Peteghem comments, “they provide recurrent income whilst contributing to a close relationship with the customer.
In large projects such as its Integrated Waste Management Centre in Qatar, scheduled to become
operational in 2010, Keppel Seghers is not only charged with design and construction, but also with
O&M for a period of 20 years.”.
Also in the vast area of water treatment Keppel Seghers favours integrated solutions, from soiled
influent to cleaned effluent, sustainable sludge treatment and energy recovery. The above-mentioned
Doha North municipal wastewater treatment plant provides reused water for irrigations and sludge
treatment for a perios of 10 years.
Technologies
(Only water and sludge related technologies are mentioned here)
- As the first Belgian provider of biological wastewater treatment, Keppel Seghers’ experience dates
back as far as 1981, when the first UNITANK® installation was developed. This technology adds
the advantages of an SBR (Sequencing Batch reactor)-system to the conventional activated sludge
water treatment station. The result is one compact, efficient and continuous biological wastewater
treatment plant. Keppel Seghers has over 350 UNITANK® references worlwide.
- Advanced water treatment:
By adding an extra step to either conventional or cyclic (UNITANK®) activated sludge wastewater
treatment, excess nitrogen and phosphorus are removed by specific nitrifying, denitrifying and
phosphate accumulating bacteria. This additional treatment can be integrated in the total water
treatment solution either during the activated sludge treatment or afterwards as tertiary treatment
step.
Newater Plant Ulu Pandan,
Singapore
38
- Sludge treatment solutions that save energy
The company offers solutions varying from biological treatment such as digestion (with or without
biogas production and energy recuperation) , composting and sludge cracking to artificial
techniques as drying/pelletizing and incineration
By recuperating the energy from the treatment of sludge (the inevitable side-product of
wastewater treatment) Keppel Seghers’ wastewater plants are capable of running up to 95%
energy (fossil fuel)-independent.
- Creating new sources of water
AzuRO™ is the brand name for Keppel Seghers’ combined
and extended (tertiary) water treatment technologies for
water re-use. The combination of microfiltration/
ultrafiltration with reverse osmosis and UV-disinfection
allows for wastewater to be upgraded to meet the most
quality demanding needs.
“With the financial backup of
Keppel Corporation and its vast
experience and advanced environmental technologies, Keppel
Seghers Belgium is set to grow to
become one of the leading players
offering solutions for water, sludge,
solid waste and energy”.
- Combined biological and membrane treatment
Keppel Seghers’ proprietary UNIBRANE® Membrane
Bioreactor technology combines an activated sludge treatmernt with highly efficient separation
by ultra-filtration or micro-filtration membranes. It offers an extremely performing MBR-system in
terms of effluent quality, low capital and operation costs and small footprint. The UNIBRANE® can
be applied for both industrial and municipal wastewaters. By adding a Reverse Osmosis (RO) option
the treated water can easily be further purified for industrial processes and potable use.
- Desalination
Together with TNO and six industrial partners, Keppel Seghers has developed a membrane-based
distillation concept called MEMSTILL®, a technology that offers a much more economic alternative
to the existing desalination technologies for seawater and brackish water. It uses low-grade waste
steam and heat of power stations, refuse incineration plants etc. to produce desalinated water
using a membrane barrier.
Selected references
Water reuse:
• Ulu Pandan, Singapore
AzuRO™ membrane installation for drinking & industrial water, reclaimed from wastewater [microfiltration + reversed osmosis] 148,000 m³ per day reversed osmosis permeate (NEWaterTM, brand of
PUB, the Singaporean Water Agency).
• IWVA, Koksijde, Belgium
AzuRO™ membrane installation for drinking water, reclaimed from wastewater [microfiltration +
reversed osmosis] ; 6,200 m³ per day reversed osmosis permeate , 720 m³ per day microfiltration
filtrate.
Municipal wastewater projects:
• Melchior, Brasilia, Brazil
39
UNITANK® advanced [activated sludge system with biological N/P removal] , 130,000 m³ per day ,
900,000 p.e.
• Liede, Guangzhou, China
[activated sludge system with biological N/P removal] , 220,000 m³ per day , 490,000 p.e.
• Rousselot - Buenos Aires, Argentina
UNITANK® advanced [activated sludge system with biological N/P removal] , 4,800 m³ per day ,
90,000 p.e.
Industrial wastewater treatment:
• CP KELCO - Oklahoma, USA - Pharmaceutical industry, UNITANK® Comet
[UASB reactor] - 33,000 kg COD per day -, 252,000 p.e.
Ongoing projects
• Doha North, Qatar
The largest greenfield wastewater and sludge treatment plant and water reuse facility in the Middle East, 439,000 m3/day , 900;000 p.e. To be operational in 2010.
• Ain Beda, Algeria
Wastewater treatment and reuse plant will treat 25,260 m3/day of wastewater for a population of
210,000. Effluent will be used for irrigation purposes. To be completed in 2009.
• Laghouat, Algeria
Fully integrated wastewater treatment. Once operational (2008) this wwtp will treat 26,700 m3/day
of wastewater, generated by 167,000 people. The effluent will be used for irrigation..
• Torquay-Breamlea, Australia
Biosolids thermal drying facility for Barwon Water, one of the largest water corporations in the
State of Victoria.
Liede, Guangzhou, China;
wastewater plant with UNITANK®
advanced
40
Metis nv (Benvitec Group)
Koolmijnlaan 20
B-3582 Beringen (Belgium)
Phone: +32 (0)11 450 750
Fax +32 (0)11 450 759
E-mail: info@metisnv.be
URL: www.group-benvitec.be
An excellent and dynamic partner for any company
with a water treatment problem
In short
They love acronyms over there at Beringen, where Metis is based. Metis is an
acronym for ‘Milieu’ (Environment), ‘Engineering’, ‘Technology’, ‘Innovation’
and ‘Service’. Companies offering all this cannot but succeed!
With a workforce of ten and with an annual turnover of EU 2,5 million in
2007, the company specialised in wastewater and air treatment. Created in
1993, it joined the Benvitec (Belgian Environmental Technology-group) in
Erwin Berghmans,
2002.
Managing Director
Benvitec’s acquisition of Metis made sense. Whereas the member companies of the Benvitec Group focus on activities such as soil protection, piping, sprinkler installations
and plastic storage tanks, the new partner was a specialist in wastewater and air treatment and this
allowed Benvitec to develop a number of profitable synergies. Benvitec employs more than 130 and
expects 2008 sales of approximately EUR 30 million.
A closer look
To be sure, ‘small is beautiful’, the well-known piece of advice by E.F. Schumacher, the British economist, was not lost on the Metis people. The company, however, has been and still is growing, it is gaining experience, and prefers to invest in lasting customer relationships based on mutual trust.
These last few years, the company has undeniably found a place of its own in the competitive arena
of water and sludge treatment.
Its limited overhead allows Metis to operate cost-effectively and to be very competitive. At the same
time and whenever this seems necessary, Metis can always count on helping hands from the other
Benvitec partners.
The chemical industry has become an important customer of Metis, but lately, the company has also
been focusing on the concrete sector. The latter
is known to need large amounts of water for
Unique selling proposition:
the concrete production as such, for the treatThe flexible service the company can offer its
ment of silex-panels requiring high-pressure
customers and the creative application and
aqueous cleaning systems and finally for the
combination of different technologies by
cleansing of installations. These wastewaters
Metis are quite remarkable.
contain cement particles, sand and all kinds of
41
dyes making their treatment difficult. Far too often, this means that these waters are hardly treated.
The wastewater is only allowed to pass slowly through large primary clarifiers or sedimentation tanks.
These tanks should be emptied regularly: a labour-intensive and therefore costly job. Customers these
days are fully aware that water consumption and drainage costs should be reduced. That’s where the
Metis filter press container comes in, dividing the waste stream, a mixture of water and masonry or
cement particles, into different and useful raw materials: the water can be reused as process water
and the residues can usually be redirected to the production of concrete. Even when reuse is not
possible, the method is cost-effective and will help the customer to reduce labour, drainage and
dumping costs. The Metis filter press has been built in a mobile container and is fully automated. It is
quite simple to handle and operating costs are low. Both residues and water can be reused. It is a
simple solution, but that could precisely be the major reason for its success in countries such as
Belgium and Germany.
Metis is perfectly capable of delivering turnkey projects and to assume full responsibility of projects
from design to operations and maintenance. But the company will be happy to revamp or extend
existing water treatment installations as well. Although quite busy, Metis does not want to rush
things and grow too fast.
“For the time being, we prefer to tackle at most 5 to 6 major projects a year,” says Erwin Berghmans,
Managing Director of Metis. “When, in addition to that, we manage to bring in a few small-scale
projects, in maintenance and/or as subcontractors, we have more than enough to keep us busy.
“Maximum customer satisfaction is our absolute priority. We want to make it clear to our customers
that their needs come first”, Erwin Berghmans continues. “Their problem is carefully analysed and
extensively discussed. Only then will we come forward with a solution compatible with our client’s
needs and means. Nor does our responsibility end right after completion. We are always available for
maintenance and for all kinds of advice and prepared to provide solutions for ad hoc problems.”
As things stand, Metis finds its share of challenging projects in Belgium and is not actively looking for
projects abroad as yet. It is perfectly willing, however, to contribute to projects in third countries as a
subcontractor, should such opportunities present themselves.
Technologies
Among the technologies in which Metis has gained more than average expertise, we mention:
- Mechanical separation techniques
- Physical & chemical treatment
- Flocculation, settling, dissolved Air Flotation, oil-water
“We carefully analyse and extenseparation.
sively discuss the problems our
- Vacuum evaporation
clients want to see solved. Only
- Biological treatments
then will we come forward with
a solution compatible with their
A striking example of an installation combining different of
needs and means”
these technologies has been built for VAR (Veterinary and
Agrochemical Research Centre) at Machelen (Province of
Vlaams-Brabant). Here Metis provided a large-scale installation for thermal disinfection, in combination with biological treatment. With the help of its partners, Metis took care of this state-of-the artproject which is quite unique in Europe. A similar project will be delivered in 2008.
42
Selected references
Benvitec/Metis customers include:
- chemical and pharmaceutical companies such as Rhodia Chemie, Bayer, BASF, Umicore, Tessenderlo
Chemie, Pfizer, Solvay, ADPO, metallurgic companies such as Bekaert, environmental care
companies: SITA, Shanks, energy & transport companies such as Alstom, furniture manufacturers
Ikea and Meubelen Heylen, supermarket chains Colruyt, Hema, a hotel chain: Holiday Inn
2004
- BFV: Fruit Auction – Sint-Truiden, Belgium (collection, filtration and disinfection of process water)
2005
- Essers: Tank cleaner - Tessenderlo, Belgium (physical-chemical and biological wastewater treatment
from tank cleaning installation)
- AWW: Drinking Water Company - Antwerp, Belgium (treatment of rinsing water from sandfilters);
settling and flotation 1,000m³/h
2006
- Watco Oil Service: Chemical industry - Genk, Belgium (physical & chemical treatment of wastewater;
oil-water separation, mixing tanks, DAF, sandfilter and stripper)
2007
- VAR - Machelen, Belgium: thermal disinfection in combination with biological treatment, 3 m³/h
- Ebema - Zutendaal, Belgium: Filterpress container for the treatment of rinsing water from the
concrete industry 5 m³/h
- Siemens/Geldof - Gent, Belgium: biological water treatment 500 p.e.
- Aquafin - Lebbeke, Belgium: Biorotor for 125 p.e.
2008
- VAR - Uccle, Brussels: thermal disinfection 2m³ /day
Thermal disinfection unit
43
Trevi , Environmental Consultancy
and Technology nv
Dulle Grietlaan 17/1
B-9050 Gentbrugge (Gent, Belgium)
phone: + 32 (0) 9 220 05 77
fax: + 32 (0) 9 222 88 89
E-mail: info@trevi-env.com
URL: www.trevi-env.com
Unassuming, though ambitious and quality-driven
In short
Created in 1992 Trevi, environmental consultancy and technology provider,
based in the borough of Gentbrugge (Gent, Belgium), employs 70 people
and has annual sales close to EUR 12 million. Over the years the company
gained itself an enviable reputation in all sorts of wastewater and water reuse
related activities, from manure treatment to the prevention of legionnaire’s
disease. Through its activities in wastewater management and particularly
manure treatment, Trevi has developed an interest in biogas production, a
Stefaan Deboosere,
promising niche in these times of soaring energy prices and greenhouse
General Manager
effects. The company is one of the co-founders of BiogasTec nv, actively
involved in R&D, advice, management and construction of biogas-related projects.
A closer look
The undeniable success of Trevi is largely due to the company’s customized approach of problems in the
area of water treatment, water reuse and manure treatment. This dynamic SME will start with an audit
to understand the nature of your water related problem and will advise you on possible solutions. Trevi
has no less than sixty mobile pilot units to check whether solutions suggested really are effective. The
company closely follows up on the test results. It designs and builds the installation best meeting your
specific requirements (only outsourcing the masonry work). Trevi can be said to take care of your wastewater problems from a to z, so including the start-up operations and the follow-up. At the wish of the
customers Trevi will also run their wastewater treatment installation, as it did at Halle (combined water
treatment facility for Kraft and Colruyt) and Herentals (for a similar facility involving Danone and Kraft).
Trevi prefers slow but steady growth. The comUnique selling proposition:
pany is ambitious but wants to keep full control
ISO 9001-2000 and 14001 quality certifications,
and feels responsible for the ultimate success of
more than 200 references in wastewater and
the project.
manure treatment: so many customers cannot
Only three years ago, it crossed the French
be wrong.
border and started operations from Roncq (not
far from Lille) . Today, the activities in France
account for more than 10% of the company revenue. But Trevi’s CEO and founder Stefaan Deboosere
denies that his company waited too long before opting for geographical expansion. “We have been terribly busy in our own country”, he asserts. “Now everybody knows us, over here in Belgium, as we have
44
been working in very diverse industrial sectors.”
Another wonderful reference is
A major accomplishment for this medium-sized but steadily
that the DuPont de Nemours plant
growing company is that it was granted both ISO 9001-2000
in Mechelen entrusted the design
and 14001 quality certifications, the latter being the interand construction of its new water
national specification for environmental management. “ Far
treatment plant to Trevi after a
better than any commercial campaign”, asserts Deboosere,
very strict selection. Even before
fully aware that well-deserved word-of-mouth advertising has
the job was completed, the HQ of
contributed to the success of his company.
this American multinational comIt is not unlikely that the company owes its latest major chalpany forwarded a congratulatory
lenging assignment to its excellent reputation. The challenge
message to Trevi. “Excellent for the
is called BioWanze (a bio-ethanol plant, supposed to be opmorale of my dedicated technicians
erational towards the end of 2008, near Huy in the province
and engineers ”, Deboosere says.
of Liège and with an annual capacity of 300,000 m3), where
Trevi will be taking part in the aerobic part of the wastewater
treatment installation. It is an ambitious project worth several million EUR.
Technologies
Industrial wastewater treatment with minimal operating costs: Trevi has more than 150 references of
industrial wastewater treatment plants in all sectors. Both the use of fine bubble aeration (Messner)
and Trevi’s many years of experience explain why these plants use considerably less electrical power and
produce 50 to 70 % less sludge than average facilities.
Trevi: Biological water treatment
45
Manure treatment
Towards the end of 2008, Trevi expects it will have designed
and built up to 50 manure treatment installations (some with
a capacity of more than 200,000 m3/year) and doing so, will
have become an undisputed market leader.
“The undeniable success of Trevi is
largely due to the company’s customized approach of problems in
the area of water treatment, water
reuse and manure treatment”.
Trevi developed a manure treating system that starts with
separating the solid fraction from the liquid fraction. The
latter is treated in a biological plant and contains only 10 to 15 % of the original amount of nutrients.
As a result of this, considerably more biological effluent can be spread on farmland (100-150 tonnes/ha)
than would be the case with raw manure. Trevi has also developed a system for discharge in surface
water. A patented solution for the hygienisation of manure, in which the solid fraction is transformed
to a substance, consisting for 90% of dry matter, adds up to the list of achievements. This development
allows for the reduction of the volume to be transported by 80 %.
In the automotive industry, Trevi introduced new ways to minimize the use of water and raw materials:
- until recently, deionized water was used in the wetting sanding lines and polluted with small paint
particles, discharged to the physical-chemical wastewater treatment plant. It is now collected and
separately treated in a recuperation unit (continuously operating sand filters, microfiltration and UVdisinfection) from where it is recycled into the production process as water supply for the humidification of the spraybooths.
- Trevi developed a process to close the loop in the phosphate line. Rinsing water from the phosphate
bath, containing high amounts of nutrient and heavy metals, is treated by a reversed osmosis plant
in two steps, operated at different pH values to avoid membrane fouling. Permeate is recycled to the
rinsing bath; concentrate is partly reused to compensate evaporation losses in the phosphate bath.
Other areas of experience include legionella control and groundwater treatment.
Selected references
Food
- Danone (biscuits), Kraft Foods (chocolates) Herentals : Belgium : 2004
Enlarging of the plant to a capacity of 630 m3/d; COD : 2, 142 kg/d; N:38 kg/d
Fully designed, built and operated by Trevi
- Palm Breweries – Browar Belgia : Poland
Changing of the aeration system, focussing on minimizing electricity and sludge production and
increasing the treatment capacity to 1,000 m3/d. COD:2,000 kg/d
- Drogerij De Ster, Kortemark: industrial dehydration ; air treatment with biofiltration and biowashing.
Textiles
- UCO Gent (clothing) : Belgium : 2003
Design and construction of an extension and optimisation of a wastewater treatment plant (2 stage
treatment) of 3,824 m3/d; COD : 13,750 kg/d
46
- La Lys Halluin (clothing), France : 2006
Design and construction of a biological treatment unit, followed by sand filtration and activated
carbon. Treatment of 600 m3/d; COD : 550 kg/d.
Surface treatment and automotive industry
- Volvo Cars, Gent Belgium and Volvo Cars, Göteborg, Sweden : 1992-2008
Execution several feasibility studies to reduce water consumption and wastewater production.
Discharge value decreased from 2 m3 car to 0.5 m3/car in the period from 1992 to 2006.
Chemical industry
- Du Pont de Nemours, Mechelen (polymers) : 2007
Design and construction of a biological waste water treatment plant : 500 m3/d, with sand filtration
and activated carbon.
Transformation of scrap
- Galloo, Belgium and France : 1995 – 2007
Design and construction of the extension of a biological wastewater treatment plant up to 1000 m3/d,
with organic material- and heavy metals removal.
Manure
- Farmers, Belgium : 2000 – 2008
40 installations on the farm for the treatment of 2.000 to 60,000 m3 manure / year : with spread on
farmland. Separation, nitrification and denitrification.
47
Veolia: iron removal and softening of pit water 40 m3/h
48
Veolia Water Solutions and
Technologies Belgium s.a./nv
Avenue Lavoisier 37,
B- 1300 Wavre (Belgium)
Phone + 32 (0) 10 49 52 60
Fax + 32 (0)10 495 261
E-mail: infovwstb@veoliawater.com
URL: www.veoliawater.com
Veolia: 110 million people served in 60 countries across
the world with water & wastewater services
In short
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Belgium (VWS Belgium), based at
Wavre, in the geographical centre of Belgium, ‘le Brabant wallon’ designs
and builds water treatment works for municipalities and industry. It offers a
complete range of technological solutions based on in-house processes and
including equipment, modular systems and associated services that meet the
water treatment requirements of its municipal and industrial clients. EmKris Lambert, General
ploying 20, its sales amounted to € 5 million in 2007. Veolia Water Belgium Manager Veolia Water
Belgium
claims it is able to leverage the synergies of its company-wide expertise to
provide its clients with solutions that are the most appropriate across all
aspects of its business.
A closer look
VWS Belgium, formerly known as IBTV (itself a merger of IBT and US-Filter), is a small but ambitious
subsidiary of Veolia Water in France, itself one of the four divisions of Veolia Environnement (formerly Vivendi Environnement (until 1999 called Compagnie Générale des Eaux) . This environmental
technologies group is a large multinational company employing more than 298,000 , with operations
in 64 countries and a revenue of € 28.6 billion
in 2006.
Unique selling proposition:
“We are really lucky that henceforth we can
It took the sheer strength and the financial
combine the flexibility of an SME with the
and technological resources of the Paris –based
power, the resources and experience of a truly
mother company for what came to be called
global company.”
VWS Belgium to find a second breath. Veolia
Water headed the consortium that would obtain
the contract for the design, construction, financing and operation of the Brussels North wastewater
treatment plant for a period of 20 years. It was the biggest public private partnership (PPP) contract
ever in the water sector in Belgium.
The huge plant was not even fully operational when, in 2007, VWS started looking for new
challenges. In order to strengthen its position on the Belgian market it acquired See:Water, a small
company from the borough of Tremelo (not far from Leuven), with a considerable expertise in
49
membrane technology and MBRs. The acquisition of See:Water was an indication that VWS-Belgium
wanted its share of the Flanders market as well, and at the same time added membrane technology
and MBRs to its range of technologies.
“We are really lucky that henceforth we can combine the flexibility of the SME with the power, the
resources and experience of a multinational company”, says Kris Lambert, General Manager of what
used to be See: Water, and currently CEO of VWS Belgium: “Veolia does not just want to be the
biggest company in its area of activities (right after Suez), but it certainly has the ambition to be the
best possible partner”.
“Our technological experience is well above average, but unlike some other major international players, we do not develop our own membranes, so we are completely free to decide, together with our
customers, on the best solution in their particular case. This might very well be our unique selling
proposition,” Lambert continues.
“From my See:Water years, I vividly remember that major customers clearly value the creative solutions provided by small companies like ours, but sometimes seemed reluctant to do business with us.
Now that we are part of a greater whole, I can see the difference. These very same customers are
more willing than ever to work with us. I do not blame them: they know that we are strong and can
cope with possible financial problems, delayed payments etc.”
Technologies
One of VWS’ specialties is ultra-pure water, for dialysis units in hospitals and for the pharmaceutical
and chemical industry. The company has the full range of technologies and services. Over the years,
the mother company has invested heavily in its main Anjou R&D Centre near Paris, and it continues to
do so. Veolia Water provides a range of solutions and services to make water treatment as efficient as
possible and guarantees up to 30 % more efficient water usage.
Veolia offers an extraordinary portfolio of differentiating technologies. Furthermore a whole range
of associated services is available on each site to guarantee the technical efficiency and life expectancy
of the installed solutions.
Technologies developed by Veolia water include (this list is by no means exhaustive):
1. physical/chemical treatment
- ACTIFLO®: high-rate lamella clarifier for drinking water production, primary setttlement of
wastewater, storm water treatment or tertiary polishing.
- HARDTAC®: crystallisation of industrial effluents to remove/recycle metals and minerals from
refinery, steel mill and surface treatment applications.
2.Thermal treatment
- ATHOS®: Hydrothermal oxidation reactor (HTO) enabling total mineralisation of sewage sludge.
- PYROFLUID®: fluidised-bed incinerator to eliminate sewage sludge, including an energy recovery
process.
3.Filtration/Membranes
Micro, ultra, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis: the expertise of an independent integrator and
a privileged access to all membrane technologies. Patented processes and equipment for the pretreatment, backwashing or recycling of permeates.
50
- CEDI: integration of modules for continuous electro“We do not develop our own
deionisation for production of ultra-pure water (micromembranes, so we are completely
electronics, healthcare, etc.)
free to decide, together with our
4.Biological treatment
customers, on the best solution in
- BIOSTYR (R) : compact biological aerated filter with
their particular case.”
immersed media, for nutrients removal and reduction
of suspended solids.
- Anaerobic technologies: solutions for treatment of
organic effluents and digestion of sewage sludge, producing “green energy” (biogas), CSTR
(contact process), anaerobic fixed film reactors, anaerobic granular sludge bed technologies
(UASB, EGSB).
Selected references 2006-2007
• BRC, oil refinery - Antwerp, Belgium : effluent polishing- microfiltration, 1920 m3/day, in collaboration with BESIX-Sanotec
• Pfizer, pharma, Puurs, Belgium: process water production, softening, 240 m3/day
• Air Liquide , cryogenic liquids and gases, Belgium: chemical dosing technology, tailor made
• Inbev, breweries, Leuven, Belgium: revamping studies, reverse osmosis, 4,800 m”/day
• Tensachem, surfactants industry, Liège, Belgium: process water production, reverse osmosis,
240 m3/day
• Hydrometal, recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous, Ehein, Belgium: effluent polishing, sand filtration, 1,600 m3/day
• Boortmalt, malteries, Antwerp, Belgium: MBR revamping, 2,880 m3/day
• Janssen Pharma, Beerse, Belgium: USP water production , RO + CDI, 48m3/day • Desmet Ballestra Group, oleochemicals, Brussels, Belgium: treatment of fatty wastewater, Dissolved
Air Flotation and aerobic treatment, 360 m3/day
• Vivaqua, drinking water company, Brussels, Belgium: off-gas treatment, 500m3/day
• Université Catholique de Louvain, UCL, Belgium: process water production, reverse osmosis and
electro-deionisation(EI), 240 m3/day
• Prutul , oil refinery, Galati, Romania,: treatment of fatty wastewater (DAF + BIO), 360 m3/day
• Sint-Vincentius hospital,
Antwerp, Belgium: reverse
osmosis , 5 m³/day
• Clarebout Potatoes, potato
processing, Nieuwkerke,
Belgium: surface water
treatment for the production
of process water, 1,200 m³/day
Orion, Ultrapure water production
for pharma industry
51
Visser & Smit Hanab nv
Vosselarestraat 73
B 9850 Nevele-Landegem (Belgium)
Phone: +32 (0)9 371 71 71
Fax: +32 (0)9 371 71 80
e-mail: aquavia@vshanab.be
URL: www.vshanab.be
Environmental problems and soaring energy prices:
opportunities rather than challenges
In short
Visser & Smit Hanab nv is a full-fledged subsidiary of the Dutch Visser
& Smit Hanab group, a leading company in the field of surface and
underground pipeline and cabling infrastructure for energy, water
and communication and all associated installations. VSH is part
Marc Handekyn, sales coordinaof the Dutch Volker Wessels group, a leading European building
tor & Wim van den Broeck, head
company.
electromechanical department
In over 100 years, the Company has grown together with the
development of the cable and pipeline networks in the Netherlands, which provided the basis for
its’ present, leading position in the market. The Belgian subsidiary; formerly known as Aquavia, but
taken over by VSH back in the nineties, is a growing company employing currently about 400 and
with 2007 sales of € 44 million approximately. Originally a specialist in water distribution, it started
developing fully integrated water supply-systems, including wastewater main sewerage, sewage systems and water treatment. Sign of the times: these last few years, the focus of V&SH has shifted more
and more to environmental solutions and rational energy use.
A closer look
Unique selling proposition:
Ever heard of OCAP ? It is a shining example of
VS&H can offer complete solutions to its custhe type of projects V&SH wants to develop. On
tomers, a capacity requiring project managethe internet you can read that “OCAP is a joint
ment skills above average.
venture between the Dutch gas supplier Linde
Gas Benelux and [the above-mentioned ] Volker
Wessels firm of contractors. It supplies pure CO2 (carbondioxide) to companies cultivating under
glass. This CO2 is released during the production of hydrogen at Shell in the Botlek industrial area and
would otherwise be expelled into the atmosphere. OCAP supplies this CO2 via an existing pipeline
and a new distribution network. This enables horticulturists to save about 95 million cubic metres
of natural gas per year. It also reduces CO2 emissions by about 170,000 tons per year. It is therefore a
unique form of cooperation, for both the environment and greenhouse horticulture,” (http://www.
ocap.nl/Factsheet_UK.pdf).
“This is exactly the type of project we have in mind”, confirms Marc Handekyn, sales coordinator with
V&SH. Of course, the OCAP project is huge, as it involves some 500 horticulturists. It goes without
saying that we are happy to work on smaller-scale projects just as well. We think, and so do the local
52
authorities, that the heat produced by the industry can be used to heat for example an open air swimming pool. At current prices of natural gas or oil, municipalities simply cannot afford to heat pools,
but we can organise a perfect match: by linking plant to pool we solve the problem by putting the
heat from the industry to use. We can pipe the heat to the swimming-pool, even if the distance to be
covered is easily 2,3 miles or more”.
“Look at it this way”, says Wim van den Broeck, recently appointed head of the electromechanical
department of V&SH, “One of our strengths is that V&SH basically is a transport company: our pipes,
tubes and cable networks transport electricity, water, gas, heat, compressed air, carbon dioxide, you
name it. Making connections that really make sense, organising a perfect match between two parties:
that is what V&SH is about.”
By the way, the installation of swimming-pools still is one of the most successful niches of the company. With considerable succes, Visser & Smit Hanab have developed solutions for water re-use making it
easier to maintain the swimming water at the required temperature at less expense.
“Recently, we have shifted our focus to complete water solutions. In our search for ways to decrease
the cost of operations, we soon realised that all techniques are interrelated. Heating, electricity and
water use all need to be optimised,” Van den Broeck adds.
Over the years, VS&H has acquired an exceptional know how in the design, building, financing,
maintenance and - if the customer so wishes - the operation of both underground and above ground
piping and connections for utilities, energy, water, communications and related equipment. Its
electromechanical department in particular has developed considerable expertise in the construction
of pumping stations, wastewater and sludge treatment, in drinking water purification and swimming
pool water technology. The construction of drinking water supply systems and of water treatment
installations remains a core business.
Even though the company assumes full responsibility for any project (“We want to be a one stop shop
for our customers”), and does deliver turnkey solutions, it outsources the masonry work to a reliable
partner in the construction business.
In this area of activity too, the energetic and environmental aspects are becoming ever more crucial.
“It would be foolish, with our considerable expertise, not to go for the important opportunities in
this area”, Van den Broeck adds. “So, in December 2007, we piped a cooling water installation, using
channel-water for electricity producer SPE in Gent. Together with VMW (a major drinking water company in Flanders), we installed an ultra-filtration unit for Taminco, a chemical plant in the same Gent
area, so that it could also use treated channel-water, this time for its process purposes.”
Technologies
V&SH designs, builds and maintains all projects in the following areas:
- wastewater treatment and purification: of both municipal and industrial wastewater and the purification of leachate.
- drinking water production: in addition to pumping stations for drinking water distribution, V&SH
builds full treatment stations for drinking water treatment or purification. Several water companies
are among its most dedicated customers.
- sludge treatment: V&SH does not ‘just’ treat wastewater, but also offers full sludge treatment
services.
53
- pumping stations: V&SH designs and builds pumping
“We are basically a transport
stations for both drinking water and wastewater
company: our pipes, tubes and
- overground pipes: V&SH has all the know how required
cable networks transport electricity,
to install all piping, in PVC, HDPE, (stainless) steel, etc.
water, gas, heat, compressed air,
- process water: VS&H provides all necessary equipment
carbon dioxide, you name it.
for “grey water” and/or rainwater to be used as process
Making connections that really
water.
make sense, organising a perfect
- small-scale wastewater treatment plants: design and
match between two parties: that is
building small wastewater treatment plants, using reed
what V&SH is about.”
bed technology, bio rotors, etc…
- swimming pool technology: V&SH has all the necessary
know how for the construction and maintenance of large public swimming pools. The company
also takes care of swimming pool renovation, and can inform you about evolving regulations.
Other activities in this field cover water treatment, filtration, surf pools, water chutes, whirlpools,
all related recreational equipment, wild water lanes, salt electrolysis, etc…
Selected references
• Harelbeke, province of West-Vlaanderen, Belgium - VMW: expansion of the drink water plant
–ultrafiltration, capacity 440m³/h
• Gent, Belgium - Taminco chemical plant - process water installation -2 ultra-filtration units and a
two-stages reverse osmosis, cap. 2300 m3 process water/day ‘
• Gent, Belgium - Ossemeersen WWTP - biogas wash installation; removal H2S and silicium 2000m³/h,
capacity can be expanded to 4000m3
• Overijse - Vlaams Brabant, VMW, drinking water company - electromechanical equipment for
deironing installation for drinking water, capacity 50m³/h ; sand filtration and oxidation
• Koksijde, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium - pumping station with filters and clean water basement, cap.
800m³/h; sand filtratie and UV-technology
• Antwerp, Belgium, Veldstraat swimming pool, - water
treatment installation, sand filtration and salt electrolysis
• Ottignies, Brabant Wallon province, Belgium – deironing
installation for groundwater, cap. 8m³/h ; filtration and
oxidation
• Izegem, West-Flanders province, Belgium – heating of
open air swimming-pool, heat-pumps and solar energy
• Kapellen, Antwerp province, Belgium - pressure sewer
system, 184 pumping stations 10m³/h, odour filters, electromechanical equipment
• Brasschaat, Antwerp province, Belgium - two storage tanks
of 10,000 m3 each - Schoten, Antwerp province, Belgiumhigh pressure crane cabin, electromechanical equipment,
cabling and wiring.
Taminco, process water
installation Gent, UF + RO
54
Waterleau nv
Radioweg 18
B-3020 Herent (Leuven, Belgium)
Phone: + 32 (0) 16 650 657
Fax: +32 (0) 16 650 663
E-mail: info@waterleau.com
URL:: www.waterleau.com
One stop shop for customers anywhere in the world
In short
Waterleau is one of the few global players with a complete portfolio
of water, air and waste treatment including energy recovery applications.
The company employs today over 225 environmental engineers and
specialists and has a turnover well beyond € 50 million (2007). Working
Willy Gils, COO en Luc Vriens
from the heart of Europe, with offices near Brussels and Paris, it has
developed an extensive network of local companies and representative CEO Waterleau
offices, from Beijing to Riyadh, from Mumbai to Dubai, and in the 8
years of its existence has compiled an enviable track record.
A closer look
Waterleau was created in 2000 by 5 experienced experts in water and wastewater treatment
technology. The company quickly grew to become a Group with worldwide operations and
ambitions, offering wide range of solutions in the field of water, wastewater, sludge (not to mention
air and solid waste treatment) and waste-to-energy.
Over the years, Waterleau has developed strong relationships with multinationals, especially in the
brewery and beverages sector and this gave a strong impetus to its geographic expansion. The preferred approach is to establish a joint venture with a strong local partner. Whereas the latter provides
its knowledge of the local market and sometimes its own expertise, Waterleau brings its technology
and know how to the joint venture. The result is a true win-win situation, beneficial for both partners but even more so for the JV’s customers.
One of the reasons of its success is that Waterleau is a true solution provider, integrating, combining,
optimising …existing competences. In addition, continuous feedback from projects leads to innovation and improved performance. Waterleau can rightfully claim that it manages to integrate all
disciplines, in contrast to research institutes,
consultants, contractors or operators.
Unique selling proposition:
Waterleau, although a larger player by local,
Our wide range of proprietary technologies
allows us to tackle all water and waste related
i.e. Belgian standards, is small on a global level,
problems and to provide the economically and
compared with for example Veolia, not to menenvironmentally best solutions.
tion General Electric or Siemens.
“No, there is no reason whatsoever to develop
55
an inferiority complex. From the point of view of technology, we are just as good”, says Willy Gils,
chief operating officer, “But experience shows that we are less rigid”. This greater flexibility is of
course typical of smaller organisations with a strictly limited overhead”.
“Whoever you are, any customer will go where he/she perceives added value”, Willy Gils goes on. “It
is up to us to provide it by our mastery of the technologies, by offering a better solution, as compact
and simple as possible and we seem to manage”.
Waterleau in recent years almost naturally has developed an interest in biomass and bio-energy.
Sludge is the end product of biological wastewater treatment and thus a natural by-product of
Waterleau’s wastewater treatment technologies. As sludge contains too much water, even after
mechanical dewatering, to be used as fuel, it has to be thermally dried. Waterleau has its proprietary
technologies available for this purpose. After drying, the sludge has a heating value of about 16Mj/kg
and can be considered to be an interesting form of alternative energy.
Via its daughter-company Biotim, the group is involved in the Valmass renewable energy project.
Biotim provides all the technologies to convert the biomass/biowaste into energy: anaerobic
digestion, MBR, softening, RO, sludge dryer.
Also through Biotim, Waterleau is strongly present in the Southern (Walloon) part of Belgium with
sales amounting to € 10 million. It has designed and built many new wastewater treatment plants
(including the completely covered Charleroi showcase) as well as renovation projects to bring existing
plants up to European standards on nutrient removal. “Internationally Waterleau and Biotim are
fully complementary,” Willy Gils asserts. “Add to this the air treatment track record of Waterleau
France – more than 30 years in the business – and you will understand why clients are truly considering us as a one-stop-shop for their water- and wastewater projects.”
For years now, Waterleau has been operational in mainland China. The China experience has been
and still is of huge importance to Waterleau, as the Chinese are very keen to have the newest in
technological developments and have funding available. Two new wastewater treatment plants,
were recently delivered in Coloane and Macau. Waterleau’s Macau subsidiary is in charge of longterm operations and maintenance contracts for these plants.
In the Shanghai region Waterleau’s 50/50 joint venture company is currently building a household
waste incinerator, meant to process 300,000 tons of solid waste per year (a community of some
1 million people), generating 18 MWe.
Anaerobic water treatment installation,
Sevilla, Spain
56
Waterleau has also started up operations in that other
emerging giant, India. In this country Waterleau has entered
into a joint venture with Ion Exchange Ltd, the country’s
premier company in water and environment management
and is involved in several projects. The joint venture will
close its previous fiscal year with a turnover of well above 10
million euro.
“The company has an appropriate
solution for any water problem,
not only from a technical or ecological point of view but also by
economic standards.”
Also the Middle East constitutes an enormous challenge, but the Waterleau people will not easily be
intimidated. They are involved in large projects on water reuse in Saudi Arabia (Mecca, Riyadh), the
Emirates and Qatar.
The African continent is already contributing considerably to Waterleau’s turnover with projects in
Ghana, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, Tunesia, Ethiopia,...
- The Waterleau LUCAS® system is an advanced development of ordinary biological treatment, using
activated sludge (i.e. micro-organisms).
LUCAS combines the benefits of conventional water treatment with sequencing batch reactor
(SBR)-technology. Over the years, a complete family of LUCAS wastewater treatment systems has
been developed, each member showing specific additional features.
- With the acquisition in 2004 of the Belgian company BIOTIM (formerly part of the Suez Group),
Waterleau inherited important additional expertise in anaerobic wastewater treatment – the
BIOTIM® UASB system, becoming a top 3 world player in this field, with more than 200 references.
- At the same time Waterleau looks beyond the limited end-of-pipe thinking and switched to a
process-integrated approach. The Waterleau Atlantis® MBRs.
• Over the years, Waterleau has developed a complete range of membrane-based products:
Aquality®: micro- and ultrafiltration. Applications: municipal drinking water production, industrial
process water make-up,
Exsel®: nanofiltration and reverse osmosis desalination of brackish water or sea water purified process water in industry
Water-on-the Rocks®: small-scale drinking water production units. The solution for local production
and distribution of absolutely pure drinking water, originating from any source, enhanced with
minerals, nutrients, vitamins and/or flavours.
Selected references
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shanghai, China, waste-to-energy plant, 300,000 tpy; 18 MWe
Heineken Zoeterwoude, Holland, anaerobic-aerobic wastewater treatment
Valmass, Belgium, biomass-to-energy plant
Macau, China, MBR wastewater treatment plant; 12,000 m3/day
Charleroi, Belgium, wastewater treatment plant; 200,000 p.e.
Boma, Congo, drinking water plant, 20,000 m3/day
Poznan, Poland, sludge drying plant, 1 million p.e.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, sludge drying plant, 1.2 million p.e.
57
•
•
•
•
•
Reliance, India, wastewater treatment plant largest petrochemical complex
Cargill, Belgium, MBR for biodiesel plant
AB Mauri, China, wastewater treatment plant
Clarebout Potatoes, Belgium, anaerobic wastewater treatment plant
Binergy, Belgium, biomass-to-energy plant
….and 1500 other (including 500 air treatment plants – details upon request)
Water on the Rocks
Whereas in the northern hemisphere, ‘water’ is often associated with fun, enjoying yourself,
and summer vacations, the developing countries have a sharply different view: water shortage,
disease, thirst and - who knows ? - tomorrow water might be a reason for going to war. When
developing the ‘Water on the Rocks’ concept, Waterleau’ s CEO Luc Vriens was very much aware
of this basic unequality. ‘Water-on-the-Rocks” is about providing locally produced and absolutely
safe drinking water to people in developing countries. The water will be made available in biologically degradable bottles or small containers in the shape of an ice cube, can be enhanced with
minerals, nutrients or flavours and should not be transported over distances of more than 1 mile.
The project could be funded with the revenue generated by WATERBAR® , another Waterleau
concept, focusing trendy markets in the affluent North. It exists in variable sizes: 10, 50 or 100 litres/hour and uses smart cards or coins. Water is consumed almost the same day (‘freshly brewed’).
and is an alternative to water dispensers, bottled water, soft drinks and tap water. Target markets
are restaurants, bars, discos, offices, hospitals, schools, sports clubs, public places.
Sludge drying
installation, Poznan,
Poland.
58
60
Associate members
• ABB nv, Zaventem, www.abb.com – power & automation technologies
• ABS Pumps nv, Diegem, www.absgroup.com – pumps, mixers, compressors, monitoring
equipment and services
• A-engineering nv, Niel, www.a-engineering.be – limescale formation prevention without use
of chemicals
• Air Products nv, Brussels, www.airproducts.com - atmospheric gases, process & specialty gases
• Alfa Laval Benelux nv, Brussels, www.alfalaval.com – decanters, drum thickeners process
optimisation
• Aqua Belgica, Brussels, www.aquabelgica.be – Belgian Association for Water Treatment
• Aquarama (FCO Media), Dottignies, www.fcomedia.be: leading Belgian journal for water &
sludge treatment sector
• Aquasystems International nv, Halle, www.aquaturbo.be – supplier of aeration/mixing
equipment
• Arcadis Belgium nv, Antwerp, www.arcadisbelgium.be – consultancy, engineering in
infrastructure, environment and facilities enhancing quality of life
• Atlas Copco Belgium nv, Overijse, www.atlascopco.be – air, gas, process compressors, electric
power generators
• AWW, Antwerp, www.aww.be – Antwerp drinking water company
• Brenntag nv, Deerlijk, www.brenntag.be – industrial chemicals, environment-friendly
cleaning agents
• Caldic Belgium nv, Hemiksem, www.caldic.com – ion exchange resins, adsorbents, wastewater
treatment chemicals
• CenPoTech bvba, Deinze, info@cenpotech.be – positive displacement pumps, separation
technology
• Cuno 3M Belgium nv, Diegm, www.3m.eu/filtration - filtration, fluid processing, filtration &
osmosis systems
• Eekels Belgium nv, Zele, www.eekels.be – pumping solutions
• Endress+Hauser Belux nv, Brussels, www.endress.be – supplier of industrial measurement &
automation instrumentation
• Euraqua Europe nv, Waregem, www.euraqua.com – products and services for water
treatment
• GE Water & Process Technologies, Herentals, www.gewater.com – water, wastewater and
process systems solutions
• Glynwed nv, Kontich (Antwerp), www.glynwed.be – small-scale water treatment units
• Grundfos Bellux nv, Aartselaar, www.grundfos.be – pumping solutions
• Hach Lange nv, Mechelen, www.hach-lange.com – measurement technology & reagents;
analytical applications (wastewater, industry)
• Haskoning Belgium bvba, Mechelen, www.haskoning.be – engineering company with focus
on soil, water, environment and safety
• Hydrodesk bvba, Antwerp, www.hydrodesk.com - software for web-based membrane water
treatment plant management systems
• ITT-Flygt Belgium bvba, Zaventem, www.flygt.be – pumps for waste & process water, sewage
& sludge, consultancy
• IWAKI Belgium nv, Tessenderlo, www.iwaki.be – pumping solutions
• Johnson Pump nv, Relegem (Asse), www.johnson-pump.com – pumping solutions
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• Jumo Automation bvba, Eupen, www.jumo.be – measuring instruments, control devices
(temperature, pressure, humidity)
• Kamps nv, Wezembeek-Oppem (Brussels), www.kamps.be - – aeration & membrane ultrafiltration, sludge handling
• Krohne Belgium nv, Groot-Bijgaarden (Brussels) , www.krohne.com –flow, level, temperature,
pressure instrumentation
• Kurita Europe GmbH, Viersen (Germany), www.kurita.de – customised solutions for water &
process treatment, consultancy
• MWH nv, Mechelen, www.nwhglobal.com – consulting, engineering, construction in
wastewater treatment
• Nalco Belgium nv, Kontich (Antwerp), www.nalco.com – water treatment & process
improvement
• PIDPA, Antwerp, www.pidpa.be – drinking water production & distribution
• ProMinent Belgium nv, Tubize, www.prominent.be – solutions for complex wastewater
plants and sewage plants
• Realco, S.A., Louvain-la-Neuve, www.realco.be – enzyme applications for wastewater
treatment
• Robuschi Benelux BV, Spankeren (The Netherlands), www.robuschi-benelux.nl – blowers,
pumping solutions, aggregates
• seepex GmbH, Bouwel, www.seepex.com – pumps, sludge treatment
• Siemens nv, Brussels, www.siemens.be – water, wastewater, filtration technologies
• Snoek Technology nv, Sint-Niklaas, www.snoektechnology.com – fine screens, screw wash
presses, sand classifiers, microfiltration units
• Stabo cvba, Leuven, www.stabo.be – consultancy wastewater, sewage, sludge and manure
treatment
• TPL (Transport & Project Logistics) bvba, Boechout, www.tpl.be - freight forwarder, handling
and warehousing services, turnkey delivery
• TPF Utilities nv, Brussels, www.tpf.be - designing, monitoring, management of WWTPs
• Transmark Fcx Belgium NV, Antwerp, www.transmark-fcx.com – valves, conducts and
penstocks for the water industry, pumping solutions
• Vandezande bvba, Diksmuide, www.vandezande.com – archimedean screw pumps, scraper
bridges, degritters, classifiers & thickeners
• Vink nv, Heist-op-den-Berg, www.vink.be – plastic piping systems, sheets, rods, gratings, films
• VMW (Vlaamse Maatschappij voor Watervoorziening), Brussels, www.vmw.be - most
important drinking water company in Flanders, Belgium
• VWR International bvba, Heverlee, www.vwr.com – distributor of scientific equipment,
supplies, chemicals
• Westfalia Separator Belgium, Schoten, www.gea-westfalia.be – manufacturer of separators
and decanters – mobile & stationary complete systems
• WFT nv, Aalst, www.wft.be – filter press design, manufacture, installation and maintenance
• Wilo nv, Ganshoren (Brussels), www.wilo.be – pumps and pumping systems
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Extraordinary members
• BIOMATH, Lab Applied Mathematics, Biometry and Process Control, Gent University http://
biomath.ugent.be –modelling, model calibration, process optimisation
• CBOK, Chemical & Biochemical Research Centre, Dept. Of Surface Treatment & Environmental
Technology, , Kath. Hogeschool Sint-Lieven, Gent, www.cbok.be – water recycling, selective
metal ion removal, filtration and separation technologies
• CIT, Department Chemical Engineering, K.U.Leuven, www.kuleuven.ac.be/cit - separation
processes, membrane technology for liquid separations, in chemical processes, drinking and
waste water treatment
• CMS, Centre for Environmental Sanitation, Gent University, www.cms.ugent.be – prevention
and sanitation of environmental pollution, sustainable and integrated water treatment
• COK, Centre for Surface Science and Catalysis, Dept. of Interphase Chemistry, K.U. Leuven,
www.biw.kuleuven.be/ifc/cok/membrane.htm - testing and applying membranes, membrane
transport mechanisms, high throughput testing of membranes
• CTO, Centre for Applied Research. Environmental technology cluster, University College
Gent, www.hogent.be – environmental technology, wastewater management, contract
research for SMEs
• De Nayer Institute, Environmental and Process Technology Research Group, Hogeschool De
Nayer, Sint Katelijne Waver, www.denayer.be – (in the near future, the SKW campus will
become part of the Lessius University College in Antwerp) – problem solving in wastewater
treatment, rational water use and reuse, membrane technology
• EB&T, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry & Toxicology, Antwerp University, www.
ecotox.be – effects of environmental pollution, development of diagnostic tools
• Ecochem, Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Gent University,
www.ecochem.ugent.be – environmental analytical chemistry, biogeochemistry
• EnVOC, Environmental, Organic Chemistry and Technology Research Group, Gent University,
www.envoc.ugent.be – clean technology, analysis & removal of odours caused by WWTPs
• Hydrology & Hydraulic Engineering Department, Free University of Brussels (VUB), www.
hydrologie.be – advice on hydraulic and hydrological design, water quality models and
decision models for water management
• Karel de Grote Hogeschool - Lab for Biochemical Engineering Techniques, Hoboken
(Antwerp), www.iwt-kdg.be – fully automated pilot-installations, reverse osmosis, nano- and
ultrafiltration, ozonisation, etc
• KHBO, Chemistry Research Group, Industrial Science & Technology Department, Kath.
Hogeschool Brugge-Oostende, Ostend, http://khbo.be/grchemie - phosphate elimination
from wastewater & reverse osmosis retentates, disinfection of wastewater effluents.
• KHK Environmental Technology Department, Kath. Hogeschool Kempen, Geel,
www.khk.be – environmental care, chemical process technology, water treatment projects
with plants, constructed wetland technology, reed beds
• KHLIM, Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg, Diepenbeek, www.khlim.be – waste & wastewater
technology, biofuels, process technologies
• Lab Aquatic Ecology, KULeuven, www.kuleuven.be/bio/eco - aquatic ecology, evolutionary
biology…
• PaInT, Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Gent University, www.paint.ugent.be –
Characterisation of particles from nanometer to millimetre scale, solutions for settling,
conditioning and dewatering of sludge, membrane separation, ….
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• PIH Department of Environmental Technology, University College West Flanders (Hogeschool
West-Vlaanderen), Kortrijk, www.pih.be – research on wastewater treatment and on
modelling and simulation technologies. Technology upgrade program in cooperation with
industry
• PROTOS, Gent, www.protos.be – non-governmental organisation for better and sustainable
water management & sanitation in the southern hemisphere
• VITO, Flanders Institute for Technological Research (VITO is also an associate TNAV-member),
Mol (Province of Antwerp), www.vito.be – independent research organisation in the field
of energy, environment and materials. Develops innovative products and processes and
translates latest knowledge & technologies into practical applications.
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