DAMMAN, Saudi Aramco – Irish start up Oxymem has followed up its partnership with the Dow company and has attracted investment from oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The company has made headway since commercialising its Membrane Aerated Biofilm Rector (MABR) technology, with a partnership signed with the Dow Chemical Company last year.
Although the investment amount from Aramco has not been disclosed, Bruce Niven, CIO of Amamco’s investment arm SAEV was reported by Silicon Republic as saying the MABR process was “compelling” and that he looked forward to working with the OxyMem team.
In an analysis of the technology, WWi magazine reported that trials carried out at utility Severn Trent showed effluent being treated at an energy cost of 0.2 kW per cubic metre (read here).
The company claims the MABR can reduce the energy required for wastewater treatment by 75% and also reduce sludge production by 50%, while cutting down on maintenance and inspection costs by 50%.
Wayne Bryne, managing director of the company, was quoted as saying: “We feel strongly supported by Saudi Aramco and believe this investment will add momentum to our market development goals, particularly in some of the more water-stressed regions.”
OxyMem has its roots in the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering at University College Dublin.
Company co-founder Professor Eoin Casey began work on membrane technology in the 1990s, with a particular emphasis on increasing the understanding of biofilm and finding a way to control it.
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