DUSSELDORF, Germany, Aug. 4, 2004 - WEDECO AG´s North American subsidiary, WEDECO Ultraviolet Technologies Inc., recently received a major contract for its LBX Series high-efficiency ultraviolet and hydrogen peroxide oxidation system, which is designed to treat groundwater contaminated with rocket fuel by-products.
Aerojet, a leading aerospace/defense contractor specializing in missile and space propulsion, had been operating several peroxide/UV oxidation systems since 1993 at its Sacramento facility, located in Rancho Cordova, CA. These advanced oxidation systems treat groundwater contaminated with traces of NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine) and unsaturated halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE).
The new UV systems will replace older, less efficient medium pressure lamp technology with high efficiency low pressure lamps that are as much as four times more energy efficient and have a useful life of almost 1.5 years vs. less than six months for the older systems. Due to increased treatment needs, and Aerojet's own ISO 14001 plant-wide mandate to conserve energy, Aerojet decided to replace the previous systems with more efficient equipment that would meet their enhanced performance goals.
WEDECO's extensive AOP - advanced oxidation processes - experience with UV, hydrogen peroxide and ozone combinations for various ground, waste and ultrapure water applications, led to a pilot test of the replacement technology to confirm design requirements at several well sites over a period of about three months.
The LBX Series pilot unit features a unique "thin-film" geometry for oxidation applications and Spektrozone® low pressure-high intensity dual wavelength lamps designed to emit UV light at both 185 and 254 nanometers for optimum performance.
Following the successful pilot test, WEDECO presented a solution to Aerojet in partnership with Auburn Constructors for its treatment site using LBX UV reactors. Once in operation in late 2004, the selected system will provide the following benefits to Aerojet versus the existing medium pressure UV system:
* Energy consumption savings of 75%, equating to power reduction of more than 400 kW
* Treatment flow capacity increase to 1,500 gpm vs. 1,400 gpm with the old system
* Future treatment expansion capability of up to an additional 67% within the same footprint
* Lower maintenance and downtime due to 300% longer lamp lifetime
"The environmental remediation market in California, specifically advanced oxidation of contaminants such as NDMA, has been busy during the last two years." states Christoph Dicks, CEO of WEDECO. "While many potential clients have rushed to install treatment systems without proper assessment of the site-specific requirements, or by asking vendors to accept undue risk in their design approach, WEDECO is encouraged by Aerojet's professional, thorough approach, which matches our philosophy for the environmental remediation market in general. We are proud to provide our services and technology and look forward to a positive long-term partnership with Aerojet."
About WEDECO
WEDECO AG is a global manufacturer of chemical-free water treatment systems using ultraviolet light and ozone. Over 200,000 WEDECO installations globally replace more than 160,000 tons of chlorine every year, making a considerable contribution to environmental protection. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany and has manufacturing facilities in Germany, the United States, Italy, Hungary and Korea. Through its subsidiaries WEDECO has operations in 17 countries on virtually every continent in the world.
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