Bahrain WTE Bid from ACWA/FCC to Include Desalination Plans

An alternative bid from a consortium including ACWA Power for Bahrain's 390,000 tonne per year waste to energy (WtE) facility will include the provision to provide desalinated water.

Consisting of power and water provider ACWA Water, local waste management company Beatona and Spanish infrastructure firm, FCC, the consortium has submitted a tender offer to the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

The proposed Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) would be tendered on a Build Own Transfer (BOT) basis under a 25 Year Public-Private Partnership Concession. A statement from the consortium said four alternative proposals have also been submitted and that one of these incorporates a "Waste to Water Facility which can provide the Kingdom of Bahrain with Desalinated Water utilising a renewable and sustainable source of energy in the process".

Alternate bids for the project include France's Suez Environnement and Singapore/Malaysia consortium, Keppel/EAG.

Although the waste to energy project was first tendered in 2008 and awarded to France's CNIM Group, the project was later cancelled and retendered.

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BwB Wins £2.5m Tsakane Contract in South Africa

UK firm Bluewater Bio International (BwB) has secured its fourth order in South Africa for its HYBACS activated sludge process, HYBACS.

The project, valued at 44.4 million South African Rand (£2.5 million) has been secured via BwB's licensee partner in Sub Saharan Africa, Headstream Water.

The project includes the extension of the Tsakane Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), located 25 miles southeast of Johannesburg and operated by East Rand Water Care Company (ERWAT). The original STP at Tsakane was designed to treat an average of 10,800 m3/day of wastewater however following rapid population growth, the STP became overloaded.

The HYBACS upgrade has been designed to more than double the capacity of the existing plant, thereby servicing a 75,000 population equivalent (PE). The upgrade includes 12 of BwB's SMART units to double the plant's capacity.

Tsakane represents BwB's fourth order for HYBACS in South Africa.

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Osmoflo Converts Fortescue Contract

Australian company Osmoflo has been awarded a contract to supply a 4,500 m3/day desalination plant to Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) at Port Hedland, Australia's highest tonnage port.

Osmoflo was originally engaged by Fortescue to supply a rental plant, which has been in use since 2011. The original plant was delivered, fully installed and operational in 12 weeks. Following a review of Fortescue's water requirements, the rental contract has been converted into a longer-term build, own and operate contract.

The seawater desalination plant, inclusive of intake and pre-treatment, has a capacity of 4,500 m3/day to supply Fortescue with an additional capacity to supply third parties within the region. The plant is set to be completed and fully operational by July.

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Dow Tops Global Membrane Market

The top six suppliers of Reverse Osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes have more than 60% market share, according to an analysis by the McIlvaine Company.

In a $1.4 billion market, Dow ranks number one, with GE second, followed by Toray, Pall, Nitto Denko and finally Koch Membrane Systems. The food industry was quoted as experiencing faster growth than most industrial segments for membranes.

Although the Middle East was not surprisingly quoted as the leading market, China is expected to become the biggest purchaser over the next several decades. Investment in new coal-fired power plants in India, Vietnam and certain other Asian countries is creating a substantial membrane market, according to McIlvaine Company.

With gas turbine combined cycle power plants expected to replace coal-fired power plants in many countries, this could drive RO sales with a need for ultrapure water systems.

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PUb's Kranji Plant to Trial Energy-Neutral Treatment

Singapore's national water agency, PUB and French environmental services provider SUEZ environnement have signed an agreement to collaborate on three research projects in used water treatment, stormwater management and automated meter reading.

The used water treatment development will see a 1.5 year project, testing an "AB-process" in a 50 m3/day pilot plant at the Kranji Water Reclamation Plant. The end goal is to achieve an energy-neutral wastewater treatment process.

Both parties will also work together to use information and communication technologies to develop a smart water grid. The three projects will be supported by a TechPioneer grant.