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

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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

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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 techno-logies. 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.

Luc Geuens is professor and researcher at the Karel de Grote-Hogeschool in Antwerp (Belgium)

A strongly developed network

From the start it has been TNAV’s mission to build a strong network. Members, be they tech-nology 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 problem- solvers. 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 look-ing for !

Luc GeuensTNAV Chairman

1 TNAV: a Dutch acronym for: “Thematisch Netwerk Afvalwaterzuiveringstechnologie Vlaanderen”, i.e. Wastewater Technology Network of Flanders

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Tank terminal Aaqua

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Aaqua Waste Water Technology nvKievitlaan 6 B 2820 Bonheiden Phone: +32 (0) 15 33 17 58 Fax: + 32 15 33 17 57E-mail: info@aaqua.comURL: 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.

A closer look The AAQUA team may be small, but its constituent members have more than 25 years of experi-ence 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 sludge- related 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 cost- effectiveness”. One of the more rewarding AAQUA specialties is the wastewater treatment of trankcleaning facili-

ties. A very challenging job as these are complex types of wastewater, submitted to stringent health and environ-mental regulations. Even if the company does not want to conquer the market, let alone the world, it is ambitious and eager to come to grips with new problems. The newest challenges are the bio-ethanol plant in the harbour area of Ghent (Belgium) and a biodiesel plant in Rotterdam. AAQUA is currently designing the wastewater installations for both plants.

“Not long ago a small slaughter-house asked us to take care of its wastewater problem: it produced …5 cubic metres of wastewater a day. Still, they gave us carte blanche. We developed an affordable solution and everybody was happy with the result.”

Marc Feyten, General Manager

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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 af-fordable 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 all the computer controlled water treatment facilities, to for example start up or turn off the pumps, whenever it is necessary. In case of emergency I receive a warning SMS on my mobile phone, and can act at once. If they want it, we 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 feeding2. Sedimentation with plate pack3. 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, indus-trial 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 fromsolution 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 mechanicallyskimmed 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.

Unique Selling Proposition: We try to keep it simple and at the same time to be creative in order to work out the most efficient and af-fordable solution for our customers.

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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(morethan30references): 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

•TankCleaning&Chemicals:(morethan20references) Van Moer, Beveren, Belgium Hoyer, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Pfizer, Puurs; Belgium Ecolab, Tessenderlo, Belgium

•Newenergy: 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).

“ For us, every single job is a new challenge, just as important as the previous or the next one”.

Hyperbolic aeration in SBR-tank

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Aquitec: (Charleroi, Belgium): wastewatertreatment installation for Belgian Rail, 1000 p.e.

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Aquitec bvba/Cofido nvRupelweg 10, I.Z. Krekelenberg B- 2850 BoomAquitec: phone + 32 (0) 3 877 97 16 fax: + 32 (0) 3 877 90 34E-mail: info@aquitec.be - URL: www.aquitec.beCofido: phone: + 32 (0) 877 35 45 fax +32 (0) 3 877 90 34E-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 Ant-werp, 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 companies, employing 15, so far have no reason to regret having joined their 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 activity of the joint companies: “Our order book is quite full. Aquitec and Cofido combined are currently supervising eighteen different projects both in Belgium and abroad. We are fully booked for almost one year from now,” says 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 tech- nologies, civil works and the industry.

Ronny Van Hee, General Manager

Unique Selling Proposition: Our network is our strength. And we also work until we find the best pos-sible solution for the customer, also where others tend to give up.

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“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 alter-nately 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)

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”.

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 considera-ble 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 waste-water treatment and would be happy to provide its popula-tion with potable water in the first place. Cofido Mali does not want to suggest it can

Champagne Region, France, ac-tive sludge installation, WWTP winegrowers’ cooperative

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solve this problem all by itself, but the company is negotiating a contract with the Malinese authori-ties 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 busi-ness, 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 offers products for different market sectors:1. equipment for wastewater treatment plants: pre-treat-

ment, aeration systems and mixers, sandfilters, sludge and sand treatment, fibreglass, thermoplastic, glasslined and stainless steel tanks.

2. Small scale wastewater treatment plants: biodiscs, acti-vated sludge systems, fixed bed systems, wetlands

3. Water treatment: filtration (ultrafiltration, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, Bio Membrane reac-tors, 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 - 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)2003 - 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-20032004 - 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-20042005 - 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 2006 - 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 2007 - NMBS/SNCB (Belgian national railways): vacuum installation and water treatment for trains - water treatment in containers – 1000 p.e.

“Aquitec equipped two containers with moveable biorotors for a mili-tary mission to Chad (Africa). They will be used to treat the wastewater produced by 200 men.”

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Bayard Europe Industrial SolutionsOudenaardsesteenweg 275b B- 8500 Kortrijk, Belgiumphone: + 32 (0)56 20 62 35 fax: + 32 (0)56/513381E-mail: info@bayard-europe.beURL: 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 is fully aware that drinking water companies for example tend to take water 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 “In the 5 or so years that we have been developing our activities in the industrial sector we accumulated quite some experience, especially in process water treatment”, says Herman Bastiaenssens, the no-nonsense General Manager 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.

Herman Bastiaenssens, General Manager

Unique Selling Proposition: Bayard provides practical advice, develops and designs the solution to your problem and warrants a swift return on investment

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In Leuven one of the ROs purifies the water of basins where fish are grown to be used in DNA-testings. It is a good example of how the company customises RO-installations in order to provide the effluent best meeting the client’s specific needs. “We are certainly not the only ones to pretend that we are typical problem solvers, but this is exactly what we are doing” Bastiaenssens comments.A customer had a double-sided stainless centri-fuge that suffered corrosion. “The corrosion was really bad” , says Bastiaenssens, “the centrifuge had to be replaced year after year at an extra an-nual cost of EUR 9800. Our analysis provided the answer: the corrosion was due to carbonic acid and too high a pH level. The solution was to provide a duplex softener, RO-installation, holding tanks equipped with pumps and a 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 ex-tending 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

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a separation process that uses pressure to force a solution through a membrane that retains the solute on one side and allows the pure solvent to pass to the other side. More formally, it is the process of forcing a solvent from a region of high solute concentration through a membrane to a region of low solute concentration by applying a pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure. This is the reverse of the normal osmosis process, which is the natural movement of solvent from an area of low solute concentration, through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentra-tion when no external pressure is applied. The membrane here is semipermeable, meaning it allows the passage of solvent but not of solute.Although reverse osmosis seems like a complex system, it is really a simple and straightforward water filtration process

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- 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 co-agulant 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

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

” If we believe we can really find a solution to the problem of the customer, we go ahead. Solutions are very often quite simple. ”

Natural Foods, Roeselare (B), pre-treatment of boiler feed water

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Natural Foods, Roeselare (B), pre-treatment of boiler feed water

BESIX Sanotec nv / s.a.Gemeenschappenlaan 100, Avenue des CommunautésB-1200 BrusselsPhone: +32 (0)2 402 62 11Fax: +32 (0) 2 402 65 11E-mail: info@besixsanotec.comURL: www.besixsanotec.com

Fast growing global player

In short After a slow start, BESIX Sanotec has become a fast grower among environ-mental 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 United Arab Emirates delivered sales of up to EUR 22 million in 2007. Today, 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 lookBESIX 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.

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 treat-ment plant will have to cope with an additional 80,000 cubic metres of effluent a day (500,000 P.E).

Paul Callebaut, General Manager

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

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Unique Selling Proposition: A company with important interna-tional expertise making pragmatic use of available technologies in order to best serve the customer.

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) tech-nology. After delivery of the project, the company will also act as O&M (Operation and Maintenance) contractor for ten years.

Even if overseas markets are a major focus, BESIX Sanotec maintains a solid anchoring on its national market. “We have built a dozen major WWTPs for Aquafin in Belgium”, Paul Callebaut explains, “now this part of the market will be saturated sooner or later, especially for a company like ours which is basically a general contractor, rather than a technol-ogy 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(RotatingBiologicalContactor)•aerobicandanaerobictreatment•physical-chemicalpre-treatment•sludgedigestion•microfiltration•reverseosmosis,nanofiltration,

ultrafiltration•flotation(DAFtechnology)•sludgedewatering

Selected references

Palm Water (Dubai, united Arab Emir-ates (900 000 p.e. - MBR Sewage Treat-ment Plant - 220,000 m3/day)

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“We are now concentrating on in-dustries, especially the chemical and petrochemical as well as the phar-maceutical industry, where there is a growing need for sustainable water use and reuse.”

BRC oil refinery (Antwerp, Belgium) - wastewater treat-ment plant, 1922 m3/day

•NewBelgiumBrewing,wastewatertreatmentplant,FortCollins(Colorado,U.S.A.)

•JanssenPharmaceutica,expansionproductionrecuperationwaterWWTP,Beerse,Belgium

•IneosPhenol,modificationwastewatertreatmentplantphase1,Doel,Belgium

•Igretec,constructionwastewatertreatmentplantwithbiorotor,ErpionprovinceofHainaut,Belgium

•BelgianRefiningCorporation,modificationwastewatertreatmentplant,Antwerp,Belgium

•Aquafin,renovationandextensionWWTP,Morkhoven,Belgium,60000PE

•JanssenPharmaceutica,renovationandextensionWWTPGeel,Belgium

•PfizerGlobalManufacturing,constructionofanindustrialWWTPPuurs,Belgium

•SharjahMunicipality,extensionwastewatertreatmentplant,Sharjah(U.A.E.),500,000PE

•BelgianArmy,mobilepurificationplant

•Dubai,UnitedArabEmirates-PalmWater(900000PE)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,constructionwastewatertreatment,Erbisoeul (Hainaut province, Belgium) , 5 000 PE

•Mazagan,wastewatertreatmentplantforhotelresort,Morocco.

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DESOTEC nvRegenbeekstraat 44B-8800 Roeselare - Rumbeke (Belgium)Phone: +32 (0)51 24 60 57Fax: + 32 (0)51 24 59 16E-mail: desotec@desotec.comURL: 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 lookIn a not too distant past, Desotec focused on wastewater and sludge treat-ment. 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 competi-tors 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 neigh-bouring 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 mobile filters, the largest in Europe. “For many customers renting a filter from Desotec is the most comfortable and least expensive solution,” Seynaeve asserts.

“Third, we make sure that the spent carbon is returned to us so that we can reactivate it.” This has proved to be very suc-

Rikie Seynaeve, project engineer

“Another particular feature is Desotec’s impressive fleet of mobile filters, the largest in Europe. For many customers renting a filter from Desotec is the most comfort-able and least expensive solution”.

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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. De-sotec 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 home-base, 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 shell-based, 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 ele-

ments 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 ap-plicable 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 avail-able 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.”

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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.

VOC3PLUS®

Last, but certainly not least, the VOC3PLUS®-technology for air treatment applications has been devel-oped to reactivate periodically the activated carbon in a compartmentalized air filtration unit (regenera-tion 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 treat-ment (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.

Unique selling proposition: Our capability and readiness to offer our customers the most suitable type of activated carbon for any application.”.

Regeneration unit

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ECODIS nvBrechtsebaan 30B-2900 Schoten (Antwerp)Phone: +32 (0) 3 641.91.00Fax: +32 (0) 3 641.91.09E-mail: info@ecodis.euURL: 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.

A closer lookThe 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 radia-tion. 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 Euro-

pean health and safety standards and guarantees a long operating life. Practical tests show that the disinfecting power of the ecodis® is much higher than that of the same disinfectant level using NaOCl (bleach or bleaching agents).From an economic perspective, the ecodis® contributes to an efficient solution with regard to water hygiene. No losses occur, as the oxidants are produced directly in the water. The use of electric current per m³ of water to be treated is very low (typically 20 - 50 Watt per m³ of treated water). The use of permanent, long-lasting elec-trodes also contributes to low operational costs.

Elmar Peters, founder & General Manager of Ecodis.

“I started doing research at home in my ga-rage back in 1997. At the time, UV-technology was on the rise, but I preferred electrolysis. In traditional cleaning techniques salt is used, but that is a nuisance as saline water should not be drained. So I looked for a different solution and contacted PIDPA, the company providing my home with drinking water. They were interested and followed my work with growing enthusiasm.“

Elmar Peters in ‘Forward’, Feb. 2008

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Potential customers: 1) industries wanting to decontaminate their water mains, to combat legionella in their sanitary installa-

tions, 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 of the ecodis® solution in its various forms is crucial to Ecodis. 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 follow-up 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.

Possible applications may include: Food industry and food packaging industry Breweries Dairy Cooling machines in general Disinfection of waterflows for membrane technologies

Unique selling proposition: Disinfecting with ecodis® is extremely efficient, environment-friendly and is not harmful to your health.

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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 indus-trial 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

Belgium2004•St-AugustinusAcademicHospitalWilrijk,Antwerp:

sanitary disinfection •St-Rafaël,AcademicHospital,Leuven:sanitarydisinfection2005 •Danone,Rotselaar(nearLeuven):food,rinsing•VlevicoColruytHalle(Vlaams-Brabantprovince):supermarket-food,sanitaryandprocesswater•Panasonic,Tessenderlo(Limburgprovince):electronicsindustry,showers•Management-officeofpubliclyownedrealestate(RégiedesBâtiments-RegiederGebouwen), Merksplas (province of Antwerp): showers 2007Psychiatric clinic Sint Jozef, Kortenberg (Vlaams-Brabant): sanitary disinfection, 2007Sea-preventorium, Den Haan (Province West-Flanders): sanitary disinfection,

The Netherlands

2005Nutricia, Zoetermeer, Food – rinsing water TetraPolice station Amsterdam/Amstelland, Public sector, showers2007Holiday Inn, Schiphol Airport, hotel, sanitary installations.

“The system meets the rigor-ous European health and safety standards and guarantees a long operating life”.

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Sobelgra, Anwerp (Belgium), MBR Enprotech

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ENPROTECH nvStationsstraat 164 B-3110 ROTSELAARPhone: + 32 (0)16 61 72 50 Fax: + 32 (0)16 61 72 59 E-mail: enprotech@enprotech.beURL: 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 for over 2 million P.E. for all types of industries. This is a typically Flemish SME, meaning that it is small, with minimal over-head, 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 lookEnprotech provides the overall design, a pilot installation if required, the engineering, the electrome-chanical 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 main-tenance. 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 (potential) customers usually think of a water 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 lit-erally two, three thousand EUR a day, on energy-consumption and use of chemical additives that could have been avoided.”

Enprotech’s Hans van Soest & Marc Feyaerts

Unique selling proposition: We go for the simplest solution that best suits the customer.

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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 exam-ple: 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 alterna-tive. 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 tech-nologies 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 reli-ability, based on lab or pilot scale tests.

- Physical-chemical treatment: coagulation, neutralisation, precipitation detoxication, floculation, sedi-mentation, 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.

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Requiring no settling tank, nor sludge recycling, or sludge raking bridge, these compact reactors ((3-5 times smaller volume) are suited for water reuse, provide better effluent quality and lower sludge production, whereas the mem-branes have a considerable lifetime.

- Water reuse: ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis- Aerobic processes: effective for both industrial and munici-

pal 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 mem-

branes 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/hour2007 Schering Plough laboratories, Heist-op-den-Berg (Antwerp province): concept, design and de-

tailed 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-chemi-cal treatment with sludge dewatering (filter press) , 1200 m³/day.

“We have learned a lot from opera-tions & maintenance and we feel that we are well-placed to advise companies on how to reduce en-ergy or sludge treatment costs.”

Holliday Pigments, Comines (France), physical-chemical treatment with sludge

dewatering (filter press)

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Geo-engineering nvGoormansdijk 64, B-2480 Dessel (Belgium) (will be moving to Lammerdries 18, B-2440 Geel towards the end of 2008)

Phone: +32(0)14 37 32 98Fax: +32(0)14 37 32 99E-mail: info@geo-groep.comURL: 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.

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 assign-ments 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 Borgmans, “but from the start, back in the year 2000, we believed we would have to diversify our activities That is why we focus on all types of water treatment technologies.”

Tony Borgmans,General Manager

Unique selling proposition: “Our mobile containers equipped with a compact MBR can either be rented or bought and can handle from one to ten cubic metres of effluent in one hour”

ENGINEERING

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Technologies The Geo-groep success story started with Hydrostab®, a mixture of wastewater treatment sludge, pol-luted 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 en-vironmental 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-tematically been developing its skills in water treatment at a high pace, and apparently has become quite successful in this area. The company certainly owes part of its success to its obtaining the sole rights for Belgium of the Kubota plate membranes. But Tony Borg-mans 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 sim-ple, 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 treat-ment 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 engi-neering, but will also be taking care of construction, financing and maintenance of installations. Borg-mans confirms that Geo-engineering, together with other companies belonging to the Geo-groep, is perfectly capable of delivering turnkey water treatment installations.

“Together with other companies belonging to the Geo-groep, Geo-engineering is perfectly capable of delivering turnkey water treatment installations”.

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Selected references

2006• ILVA,dumpingsiteatVlierzele(Belgium):percolatewatertreatmentusingMBRtechnology,80m3/

day)

2008• DeKoninckBreweriesAntwerp(Belgium):UASB15,000p.e.• InitialTextiles,LaundryfacilityatLokerenBelgium):watertreatmentusingMBRtechnology6.500

p.e. • Mireille,laundryfacilityatHeusden-Zolder(Belgium):watertreatmentusingMBRtechnology4.000

p.e.• CoventGarden,Officebuilding,Brussels(Belgium)watertreatmentusingMBRtechnology–water

reuse 750 p.e. • Top’sFoods,Olen(Belgium):physical-chemicaltreatment&DissolvedAirFlotation7.000p.e.• WastewatertreatmentplantatTervuren(nearBrussels),MBR;14,000m2membranesurface• SmallwatertreatmentplantsatSint-Laureins&Lummen(bothBelgium),resp.330and220p.e.

Laundry water treatment station, Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, MBR

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Global Water Engineering nvAutobaan 22. box 01.01 - B- 8210 Loppem

phone: +32 (0)50 54 64 44Fax: 32 (0)50 54 64 46E-mail: mail.belgium@globalwe.comURL: 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 operat-ing plants in more than 50 countries worldwide. Water related activities represent about 80 % of sales and continue their growth, even if solid waste treatment activities are growing faster. GWE-Belgium based at 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 lookGWE’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 treat-ment. 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 installa-tion 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”. Pipyn, an experienced and enthusiastic bio-engi-neer, and his team mates travel frequently. “Of course, in terms of design and engineering, a lot can be done here in the Belgium office, but we want to have a full understanding of the customer’s problem and that is the reason why we want to be in touch with him, listen to him, reassure him and answer his questions.

Pascal Pipyn, VP Process & Technology

Unique selling proposition: Certain foreign companies will not hesitate to sell their own proprietary technologies without bother-ing too much about the real needs of the customer. For us the absolute priority is the solution of the problem the customer is facing. In other words: our unique selling proposition is our absolute flexibility.

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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™

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“We want to see with our own eyes how best to implement a solu-tion and meet the specific needs of the customer”

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 anaero-bic expertise to full use. Many South-East Asian customers have already shown interest as the technology provides renewable energy, reducing CO2-emissions from fossil fuel. Several potential partners are eager to be involved in the pre-treatment phase (sorting, fractioning of garbage, 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 shred-der 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 waste-waters 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 propri-etary 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-treat-ment 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.

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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

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Keppel Seghers Belgium nvHoofd 1B-2830 Willebroek (Belgium) Phone: +32 (0)3 880 77 00 Fax: +32 (0) 3 880 77 99E-mail: info@keppelseghers.comURL: 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, engineer-ing, 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 issues such as solid waste, wastewater, drinking and process water, biosolids 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“Keppel Seghers today combines the best of two worlds”, says Werner van Peteghem, head of KSBE’s water division. “On the one hand the better than average know how of the former 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 treat-ment 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

Werner Van Peteghem,head Water Division

Unique selling proposition: The company can provide all technical and management skills needed to successfully complete turnkey projects, supply technology packages or han-dle large investment projects.

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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 com-ments, “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

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- 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.

- 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 [micro-

filtration + 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

“With the financial backup of Keppel Corporation and its vast experience and advanced envi-ronmental technologies, Keppel Seghers Belgium is set to grow to become one of the leading players offering solutions for water, sludge, solid waste and energy”.

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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 Mid-

dle 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

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METIS nv (Benvitec Group)Koolmijnlaan 20B-3582 Beringen (Belgium)Phone: +32 (0)11 450 750Fax +32 (0)11 450 759E-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 2002. Benvitec’s acquisition of Metis made sense. Whereas the member compa-nies 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 lookTo be sure, ‘small is beautiful’, the well-known piece of advice by E.F. Schumacher, the British econo-mist, was not lost on the Metis people. The company, however, has been and still is growing, it is gain-ing 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 the concrete production as such, for the treat-ment of silex-panels requiring high-pressure aqueous cleaning systems and finally for the cleansing of installations. These wastewaters contain cement particles, sand and all kinds of

Erwin Berghmans,Managing Director

Unique selling proposition: The flexible service the company can offer its customers and the creative application and combination of different technologies by Metis are quite remarkable.

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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

separation.- Vacuum evaporation- Biological treatments

A striking example of an installation combining different of 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 combina-tion with biological treatment. With the help of its partners, Metis took care of this state-of-the art-project which is quite unique in Europe. A similar project will be delivered in 2008.

“We carefully analyse and exten-sively discuss the problems our clients want to see solved. Only then will we come forward with a solution compatible with their needs and means”

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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

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Trevi , Environmental Consultancy and Technology nvDulle Grietlaan 17/1B-9050 Gentbrugge (Gent, Belgium)phone: + 32 (0) 9 220 05 77fax: + 32 (0) 9 222 88 89E-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 promising niche in these times of soaring energy prices and greenhouse 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 lookThe 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 waste-water 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 com-pany is ambitious but wants to keep full control and feels responsible for the ultimate success of the project.Only three years ago, it crossed the French 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 ter-ribly busy in our own country”, he asserts. “Now everybody knows us, over here in Belgium, as we have

Stefaan Deboosere,General Manager

Unique selling proposition: ISO 9001-2000 and 14001 quality certifications, more than 200 references in wastewater and manure treatment: so many customers cannot be wrong.

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been working in very diverse industrial sectors.” A major accomplishment for this medium-sized but steadily growing company is that it was granted both ISO 9001-2000 and 14001 quality certifications, the latter being the inter-national specification for environmental management. “ Far better than any commercial campaign”, asserts Deboosere, fully aware that well-deserved word-of-mouth advertising has contributed to the success of his company. It is not unlikely that the company owes its latest major chal-lenging assignment to its excellent reputation. The challenge is called BioWanze (a bio-ethanol plant, supposed to be op-erational towards the end of 2008, near Huy in the province 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.

Another wonderful reference is that the DuPont de Nemours plant in Mechelen entrusted the design and construction of its new water treatment plant to Trevi after a very strict selection. Even before the job was completed, the HQ of this American multinational com-pany forwarded a congratulatory message to Trevi. “Excellent for the morale of my dedicated technicians and engineers ”, Deboosere says.

Trevi: Biological water treatment

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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.

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 UV-disinfection) from where it is recycled into the production process as water supply for the humidifica-tion 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

“The undeniable success of Trevi is largely due to the company’s cus-tomized approach of problems in the area of water treatment, water reuse and manure treatment”.

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- 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.

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Veolia: iron removal and softening of pit water 40 m3/h

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Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies Belgium s.a./nvAvenue Lavoisier 37,B- 1300 Wavre (Belgium)Phone + 32 (0) 10 49 52 60Fax + 32 (0)10 495 261 E-mail: infovwstb@veoliawater.comURL: 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. Em-ploying 20, its sales amounted to € 5 million in 2007. 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 lookVWS 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 (for-merly 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.

It took the sheer strength and the financial and technological resources of the Paris –based mother company for what came to be called 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

Kris Lambert, General Manager Veolia Water Belgium

Unique selling proposition: “We are really lucky that henceforth we can combine the flexibility of an SME with the power, the resources and experience of a truly global company.”

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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 play-ers, 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 solu-tions 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 pre-treatment, backwashing or recycling of permeates.

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- CEDI: integration of modules for continuous electro-deionisation for production of ultra-pure water (micro-electronics, healthcare, etc.)

4. Biological treatment - BIOSTYR (R) : compact biological aerated filter with

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,oilrefinery-Antwerp,Belgium:effluentpolishing-microfiltration,1920m3/day, in collabora-tion with BESIX-Sanotec

•Pfizer,pharma,Puurs,Belgium:processwaterproduction,softening,240m3/day • AirLiquide,cryogenicliquidsandgases,Belgium:chemicaldosingtechnology,tailormade•Inbev,breweries,Leuven,Belgium:revampingstudies,reverseosmosis,4,800m”/day•Tensachem,surfactantsindustry,Liège,Belgium:processwaterproduction,reverseosmosis,

240 m3/day • Hydrometal,recyclingofferrousandnon-ferrous,Ehein,Belgium:effluentpolishing,sandfiltra-

tion, 1,600 m3/day •Boortmalt,malteries,Antwerp,Belgium:MBRrevamping,2,880m3/day•JanssenPharma,Beerse,Belgium:USPwaterproduction,RO+CDI,48m3/day•DesmetBallestraGroup,oleochemicals,Brussels,Belgium:treatmentoffattywastewater,Dissolved

Air Flotation and aerobic treatment, 360 m3/day•Vivaqua,drinkingwatercompany,Brussels,Belgium:off-gastreatment,500m3/day •UniversitéCatholiquedeLouvain,UCL,Belgium:processwaterproduction,reverseosmosisand

electro-deionisation(EI), 240 m3/day •Prutul,oilrefinery,Galati,Romania,:treatmentoffattywastewater(DAF+BIO),360m3/day•Sint-Vincentiushospital, Antwerp, Belgium: reverse

osmosis , 5 m³/day• ClareboutPotatoes,potato

processing, Nieuwkerke, Belgium: surface water treatment for the production

of process water, 1,200 m³/day

“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.”

Orion, Ultrapure water production for pharma industry

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Visser & Smit Hanab nvVosselarestraat 73 B 9850 Nevele-Landegem (Belgium) Phone: +32 (0)9 371 71 71 Fax: +32 (0)9 371 71 80e-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 of the Dutch Volker Wessels group, a leading European building company. 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 sys-tems 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 lookEver heard of OCAP ? It is a shining example of the type of projects V&SH wants to develop. On the internet you can read that “OCAP is a joint 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

Marc Handekyn, sales coordina-tor & Wim van den Broeck, head electromechanical department

Unique selling proposition: VS&H can offer complete solutions to its cus-tomers, a capacity requiring project manage-ment skills above average.

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authorities, that the heat produced by the industry can be used to heat for example an open air swim-ming 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 compa-ny. 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 com-pany 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 puri-

fication 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.

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- pumping stations: V&SH designs and builds pumping stations for both drinking water and wastewater- overground pipes: V&SH has all the know how required

to install all piping, in PVC, HDPE, (stainless) steel, etc. - process water: VS&H provides all necessary equipment

for “grey water” and/or rainwater to be used as process water.

- small-scale wastewater treatment plants: design and building small wastewater treatment plants, using reed 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,provinceofWest-Vlaanderen,Belgium-VMW:expansionofthedrinkwaterplant–ultrafiltration, capacity 440m³/h

• Gent,Belgium-Tamincochemicalplant-processwaterinstallation-2ultra-filtrationunitsandatwo-stages reverse osmosis, cap. 2300 m3 process water/day ‘

• Gent,Belgium-OssemeersenWWTP-biogaswashinstallation;removalH2Sandsilicium2000m³/h,capacity can be expanded to 4000m3

• Overijse-VlaamsBrabant,VMW,drinkingwatercompany-electromechanicalequipmentfordeironing installation for drinking water, capacity 50m³/h ; sand filtration and oxidation

• Koksijde,West-Vlaanderen,Belgium-pumpingstationwithfiltersandcleanwaterbasement,cap.800m³/h; sand filtratie and UV-technology

• Antwerp,Belgium,Veldstraatswimmingpool,-watertreatment installation, sand filtration and salt electrolysis

• Ottignies,BrabantWallonprovince,Belgium–deironinginstallation for groundwater, cap. 8m³/h ; filtration and oxidation

• Izegem,West-Flandersprovince,Belgium–heatingofopen air swimming-pool, heat-pumps and solar energy

• Kapellen,Antwerpprovince,Belgium-pressuresewersystem, 184 pumping stations 10m³/h, odour filters, electro-mechanical equipment

• Brasschaat,Antwerpprovince,Belgium-twostoragetanksof 10,000 m3 each - Schoten, Antwerp province, Belgium- high pressure crane cabin, electromechanical equipment, cabling and wiring.

“We are basically 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.”

Taminco, process water installation Gent, UF + RO

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Waterleau nvRadioweg 18B-3020 Herent (Leuven, Belgium) Phone: + 32 (0) 16 650 657Fax: +32 (0) 16 650 663E-mail: info@waterleau.comURL:: 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 applica-tions. The company employs today over 225 environmental engineers and specialists and has a turnover well beyond € 50 million (2007). Working from the heart of Europe, with offices near Brussels and Paris, it has developed an extensive network of local companies and representative 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 lookWaterleau 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 pre-ferred 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 part-ners 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 innova-tion and improved performance. Waterleau can rightfully claim that it manages to integrate all disciplines, in contrast to research institutes, consultants, contractors or operators.

Waterleau, although a larger player by local, i.e. Belgian standards, is small on a global level, compared with for example Veolia, not to men-tion General Electric or Siemens. “No, there is no reason whatsoever to develop

Willy Gils, COO en Luc Vriens CEO Waterleau

Unique selling proposition: Our wide range of proprietary technologies allows us to tackle all water and waste related problems and to provide the economically and environmentally best solutions.

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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 consider-ing 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 long-term 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

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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.

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.

• Overtheyears,Waterleauhasdevelopedacompleterangeofmembrane-basedproducts: 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 proc-

ess 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-energyplant,300,000tpy;18MWe• HeinekenZoeterwoude,Holland,anaerobic-aerobicwastewatertreatment• Valmass,Belgium,biomass-to-energyplant• Macau,China,MBRwastewatertreatmentplant;12,000m3/day• Charleroi,Belgium,wastewatertreatmentplant;200,000p.e.• Boma,Congo,drinkingwaterplant,20,000m3/day• Poznan,Poland,sludgedryingplant,1millionp.e.• Mecca,SaudiArabia,sludgedryingplant,1.2millionp.e.

“The company has an appropriate solution for any water problem, not only from a technical or eco-logical point of view but also by economic standards.”

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• Reliance,India,wastewatertreatmentplantlargestpetrochemicalcomplex• Cargill,Belgium,MBRforbiodieselplant• ABMauri,China,wastewatertreatmentplant• ClareboutPotatoes,Belgium,anaerobicwastewatertreatmentplant• Binergy,Belgium,biomass-to-energyplant

….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 bio-logically 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 li-tres/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.

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• 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

Associate members

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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 ultra-filtration, 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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• 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, ….

Extraordinary members

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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.