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As part of this bi-weekly newsletter, we bring you the latest industry news, technology innovations and appointments from across the industry including:
Max and Joe join the Influx team, IFAT takeaways and much more!
To quick things off, Influx Search has grown!
We're thrilled to announce that we have two fantastic new members joining the Influx Search team today!
Please join us in welcoming Max Fraser-Krauss and Joe Michie to bolster our recruiting efforts across the water industry and wider automation space.
Max Fraser-Krauss brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise working with businesses across the water/wastewater supply chain including technology manufacturers, system integrators, consultancies and contractors.
Joe Michie steps in as our new Global Industrial Automation Specialist. With a strong background in automation technologies, robotics and AI.
If you're looking to add to the team, or you're looking for a change in career, be sure to reach out to the guys. Welcome aboard, Joe and Max!
Sulzer has acquired a single-digit minority share in Wealth Minerals, a developer of “green minerals” projects based in Vancouver BC, Canada.
The Swiss engineering group says that investing in Wealth Minerals underscores its commitment to advancing the green energy transition and that it is ready to amplify Wealth Minerals' ambitions in developing environmentally sound Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) projects. Wealth Minerals’ current main projects are in Chile.
“By investing in Wealth Minerals Ltd, we invest in energy security and transition as well as natural resource processing. Green minerals, such as lithium, play a pivotal role in the green energy transition, and Sulzer’s innovation and technology will contribute to making lithium more accessible and more sustainable.”
said Suzanne Thoma, executive chairwomen of Sulzer. Henk van Alphen, CEO of Wealth Minerals added:
“We are excited to welcome Sulzer as a strategic investor and to support our long-term vision to become a pre-eminent player in the global lithium industry. We are committed to using the best available techniques and technologies and hereby protect nature"
Watch this space!
KSB Company is making a €60 million investment over the next five years in its Eta pump production facility at the company’s headquarters in Frankenthal, Germany.
In order to remain competitive at the Frankenthal site in the future, KSB will comprehensively modernise the growing Eta production facility by 2029 in line with the latest technological and energy standards. New extensions will create space so that processing machines, assembly and logistics can be restructured and older parts of the facility can be completely refurbished before being reutilised. The plans for the energy-efficient redesign of production also include converting the drying of a new colouring system to the local heating network of the new heating centre at the site and installing photovoltaic systems on the roofs.
“We would have liked this investment in energy-efficient and sustainable pumps 'Made in Germany' to be subsidised. After all, we are strengthening the location and the region in the long term. We regret that this overarching economic policy decision did not come to fruition. We are now taking the investment into our own hands and financing this future-oriented project in Frankenthal with our own funds.”
said Dr. Stephan Timmermann, CEO of KSB Company.
KSB says that the measures will strengthen the competitiveness of the Eta site in Frankenthal. The headquarters was selected over alternative locations in Eastern Europe, which the company examined. The company’s board of directors approved the plans in December 2023, subject to a funding commitment from the federal government.
South West Water has identified a probably cause of the recent outbreak of cryptosporidium, affecting thousands of homes in the Devon area.
In a statement issued on Sunday, David Harris Drought and Resilience Director at South West Water said:
“We have already identified a probable cause at Hillhead – a damaged air valve on private farmland – and are urgently investigating how this happened. The Hillhead reservoir has been successfully drained, thoroughly cleaned, and we will start refilling today. We will also start flushing the wider Hillhead network today, which is being continuously monitored as we work to eliminate any traces of cryptosporidium. We will not lift the boil water notice in Hillhead until we and our public health partners are completely satisfied it is safe to do so.”
The water utility company, SAT32 (Syndicat des eaux Armagnac Tenareze), serves 15 municipalities and 11,000 inhabitants via a 730km drinking water network.
The mission: With an ageing stock of water meters, the water company decided to renew its 6,800 water meters. Specifically, SAT32 wanted to improve the operational efficiency of the staff dedicated to meters as well as the quality of service provided to customers.
The solution: The water company turned to SUEZ to install a smart metering system to provide remote reading and billing based on actual consumption. The new system enabled customers to be alerted more quickly in the event of overconsumption and to react without delay when there was a leak.
The metering system consists of:
The results: The client was very satisfied with the results.
Nicolas Bourdiol, Director of Technical Services for SAT32 commented;
Today, we’ve all found it easier to work, whether it’s for billing or for the quality of service to customers, and we’re getting very positive feedback from our customers.
Smart metering has enabled us to see that there were a lot of leaks after the meter in our area, mainly from private homes and farms.
UK fluid control specialist Dura Pump Ltd has moved to a new site in Northampton, over three times the size of its previous premises.
Spanning 16,000 sq ft, Dura Pump’s new headquarters on Brackmills Industrial Estate will provide warehouse and office space for its team of more than 25 employees, with the potential to triple this headcount as the business grows.
The family-run business, founded in 1976, supplies, optimises and maintains pump systems for engineers, estates, facilities managers and buyers in the building services and industrial manufacturing sectors. Over the last year, Dura Pump has increased its headcount by 44%.
“We’ve built our roots in Northampton, starting out nearly 50 years ago with a hope to provide a high-quality engineering service that was reliable and professional. Since, we’ve stayed true to that vision, employing over 25 employees from the local area with strong expertise in the pump industry. It’s exciting to continue our journey here as we look forward to increased business growth.”
said Ross Calder, sales and marketing director of Dura Pump.
A consortium led by Yorkshire Water has been awarded £2.3m from the Ofwat Innovation Fund (OIF) for its Advanced Thermal Conversion (ATC) Gasification technology. This ground-breaking project supports Yorkshire Water’s vision of a thriving Yorkshire that is right for customers and right for the environment.
Yorkshire Water is leading this project in partnership with the gasification technology provider Enertecgreen (ETG) along with Queen’s University Belfast, Carbon Trust, Thames Water, United Utilities, Anglian Water Services, Scottish Water, Irish Water, Northern Ireland Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water.
If successful, the project will demonstrate the circular economy (as seen in top 5 IFAT takeaways) in action by testing the use of the biochar as a wastewater treatment media and also as an additive in brick manufacturing.
Dr Danielle Hankin, innovation programme manager, Yorkshire Water, said:
Converting sewage sludge into gas, biochar and ash ‘stones’ opens up new, more sustainable uses for this waste product. We’re proud to be pre-empting changes in legislation and consumer attitudes, by delivering a groundbreaking technology that benefits customers, the environment and future-proofs the water industry.
The UK produces around 1.2 million dry tons of sludge per year and this is increasing. The Gasification process could potentially covert this sludge into sustainable products, remove all sludge to land and generate 375 MW of renewable energy for use by the wider industry.
An incredible initiative and look forward to watching it unfold!
Europe:
North America:
For more information on any of these opportunities, please get in touch with Lyle King or Will Brockbank.
That's it for Volume 13! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to follow Influx Search for the latest industry news and job advertisements.
