Degrémont signs $188M contract in Qatar
The Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company signed a contract with Degrémont to design, build, and operate the Lusail sewage transfer and treatment system for ten years.
The plant will treat 60,000 cubic meters a day of wastewater, serving approximately 200,000 residents. Lusail is a 35-km2 coastal property developed for commercial, residential and entertainment uses.
Scheduled to come online in late 2007, the Lusail plant will be Degrémont’s largest membrane biological reactor (MBR) wastewater treatment plant and the first one in the Arabian Gulf. The contract includes installation of more than ten kilometers of transfer system from collection points near the Pearl-Qatar and Lusail residential developments to the sewage treatment plant. The design, build, operate (DBO) contract includes US $123 million for the design and the construction of the works and $65 million for ten years of operation.
The contract will be performed as a joint venture between Degrémont SA (for the sewage treatment works/ STW), Marubeni Corporation (for the pumping stations and conveyor/SCT) and Mushrif Trading and Construction Company (for the civil engineering work).
Zenon Environmental will supply its proprietary ZeeWeed® membranes. Zenon and Degrémont are working together to engineer the most appropriate MBR for the plant, producing high-quality treated water for farm irrigation. This contract is Zenon’s second major order in the Middle East and will be its largest showcase for biological membranes in the region. In December 2005, Degrémont signed a ten-year DBO contract for Doha West wastewater plant. Following Degrémont’s contracts in Fujairah, Lusail, and Doha, the company is prepared for expected growth in the Middle Eastern water reuse market.
Veolia Water expands in Hungary
Veolia Water won a contract to operate water and wastewater services for seven districts in the Erd region, south of Budapest, Hungary. The contract covers services for 100,000 residents.
The company will acquire 26% of the Erd regional water and wastewater company in a joint venture with the Budapest wastewater company. The seven district authorities will retain 74% of the shares. Veolia Water will operate the company under the 25-year contract.
The contract includes work to improve the efficiency of the water and wastewater services, in particular, four wastewater treatment plants, 45 pumping stations, 800 kilometers of water distribution network, 220 km of wastewater collection system, and a 23,000 cubic meter drinking water storage capacity. The improvements will strengthen Veolia Water’s position in an area where it already has a presence, and the municipalities will benefit from the synergies created.
“This latest contract continues Veolia Water’s expansion in Hungary, coming in the wake of those with Budapest, Szeged, Salgotorjan and, more recently, the contract to build and operate the new Budapest wastewater treatment plant as part of a consortium. The company is the Hungarian market leader, working with 2,000 people to manage wastewater service for two million people and water service for almost 300,000.
Global use of biocides growing
The global consumption of biocides in water treatment applications reached US $219 million by 2005, marking 40% growth since 1995, according to Amy Cole of the UK company Research and Markets Ltd.
Its latest report “Biocides in Water Treatment Global Report” explains that this performance reflects not only end industry growth but regulatory and technological changes. Cole explained the market for biocides would continue to grow due to substitution of gas chlorination and the replacement of traditional biocides by more expensive environmentally friendly biocides.
Specialty biocides include bactericides and fungicides. North America accounted for approximately 40% of this total, but several factors are increasing the total market value while pushing the North American percentage down. The report explains: “Growth in the North American biocides market has slowed down, but competition for market share among the leaders has only accelerated. Consolidation in the industry has really raised the stakes for companies like Arch, Basf, BioLab, Dow, Lonza, Oxychem and Rohm & Haas, and they’re looking to countries in developing regions.”
Countries such as China, Eastern Europe, India and South America continue to offer growth opportunities as per capita income rises and human health issues are accorded more importance. In addition, basic biocide producers will rely more on specialty niches i.e. hygiene sector for growth. “With mature markets in the large consuming regions and generic products starting to affect the market environment, specialty niches will offer a profitable outlet for active ingredient manufacturers,” Cole said.
With increased attention to specialty market sectors and growing regional markets, biocide companies are expected to introduce new formulations to address shifts in demand. These companies must also examine the specific needs of each regional market to adjust their strategies for growth accordingly. Research and Markets Ltd is an international business consulting industry that focuses on the biocides industry. Visit the website www.researchandmarkets.com for more information.
Field Notes
Germany: The Bavarian company inge AG is gaining ground in South Korea with its latest contract signed with the electronic manufacturer Samsung. With the support of its partner company - the Original Equipment Manufacturer Ionpuretech -- based in the capital city of Seoul, inge AG will supply its ultrafiltration (UF) membranes to purify water used for the production of electronic equipment. The Samsung facility is located on the southeastern coast of the Korean peninsula.
This order marks the company’s first contract for UF membranes in South Korea and its first reference in the ultrapure water business. Ultrapure water treatment is characterized by the need for high-quality pretreatment before the desalination process. The feed water for reverse osmosis membranes is required to have as little organics, turbidity and other particles that might cause biofouling. This goal is achieved by the dizzer modules equipped with the Multibore of inge AG, which do not break and thus guarantee compliance with high pre-treatment standards. After the desalination step, the water is then finally treated by ion exchange. The result is ultrapure water, which is used for the production of high-tech electronic goods.
The water treatment plant, which is designed and built by Ionpuretech for Samsung Electronics, produces approximately 80 cubic meters of pure water per hour. The company inge AG is based in Greifenbert, located near Munich, Germany.
Slovakia: Two local Slovakian authorities awarded contracts to Veolia Water that cover all water services in the center of the country (Banska Bystrica (StVS) district) and in the north of the country (Poprad (PVS) district). The StVS contract includes water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and customer relations. The 30-year contract is worth annual revenue of 43 million euros or some 1.3 billion euros over 30 years. The PVS contract covers water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment and customer relations. The 30-year contract will generate 17 million euros annually for a cumulative total of 500 million euros over the period.
UK: BHR Group’s 3rd International Conference on Hydraulic Modelling - Creating the Future, scheduled for October 2006 in Cranfield, UK, will provide practical insight into developments of hydraulic modeling by presenting information about innovative modeling research and theory, examples of projects, and application case studies.
Despite the move towards complex computerized techniques, everyday problems are still being solved using a combination of established physical modelling techniques and reliable mathematical models. Physical models remain a proven method to validate designs and allow the study of fluid flows, simulation of field conditions and evaluation of alternative solutions under controlled conditions. Stand-alone mathematical models provide a cost-effective solution to improving performance. These approaches produce practical solutions to current industrial problems and papers, which include case studies describing novel hydraulic modelling designs that will be presented at the conference. The conference is co-sponsored by British Water. More information can be obtained by visiting the website: www.bhrgroup.com.
