In the dynamic and global filtration industry, news and information is breaking on a daily basis. International Filtration News is tracking stories relevant to our industry from air and gas filtration to liquid filtration and the various end-uses for filtration technology. Here we will post news stories relevant to filtration and its downstream applications on an ongoing basis. Please check back for regular updates. If you have news that you feel should be added to this summary report, please email it to Ken Norberg: ken@filtnews.com
Most recent update: September 13, 2024
Queen Máxima Opens Innovative Membrane Factory of NX Filtration
Her Majesty Queen Máxima officially opened the new membrane factory of NX Filtration in Hengelo, Netherlands. During the festive occasion, she was accompanied by NX Filtration’s founder, Prof.dr.ir. Erik Roesink, CEO Floris Jan Cuypers, the mayor of Hengelo, Sander Schelberg, and the King’s Commissioner, Mr. Heidema. The opening attracted over 300 guests from both the Netherlands and abroad, including representatives from the water sector, technology, and government, emphasizing the importance of water and innovation.
NX Filtration produces innovative membrane modules that can effectively filter micro-pollutants such as PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, dyes, as well as microplastics, viruses, and bacteria from water. These substances are increasingly found in higher concentrations in rivers, lakes, and even drinking water around the world, posing a threat to health, nature, fisheries, agriculture, and economic development. NX Filtration’s technology is already applied globally, playing a crucial role in producing clean and affordable water.
The opening of the new factory by Queen Máxima marks an important milestone in the development of NX Filtration. The new factory, for so-called hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes, enables NX Filtration’s customers to build more efficient installations on a larger scale, converting polluted water, such as river and wastewater, into drinking water. This innovative membrane consumes significantly less energy and eliminates the need for chemicals compared to traditional methods.
What makes this innovative factory even more remarkable is its commitment to sustainability and self-sufficiency. In addition to over 1,350 solar panels and heat recovery systems, the factory is the first in the Netherlands to use heat exchange with a neighboring data center. Moreover, NX Filtration uses its own membranes to produce its own process water based on water from the nearby Twente Canal.
Grundfos Completes Culligan C&I Acquisition
Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and water technologies, has successfully completed the acquisition of the C&I business of Culligan in Italy, France, and the UK.
The acquisition further underlines Grundfos’ commitment towards expanding its water treatment and wastewater solutions and capabilities.
“We have a strategic ambition to grow our water treatment business and become a leading solutions provider in this field. This acquisition enables us to serve our customers with a broader portfolio and service offering,” said Inge Delobelle, EVP & Divisional CEO, Industry Division, Grundfos, adding: “It’s imperative for us to drive water optimization across industries and ensure the right water usage and water quality for our customers.”
The addition of Culligan’s Commercial & Industrial business brings a strong complementary portfolio of solutions and technologies in water treatment and wastewater for industrial and commercial needs. The acquired business recorded a turnover of more than EUR 100m in 2023 and has around 400 employees in Italy, France, and the UK.
This transaction follows a series of acquisitions made by Grundfos within water treatment, including Eurowater (2020), MECO (2021), and Water Works (2022).
Evonik Introduces High-Capacity Biogas Membrane
Evonik recently unveiled its latest biogas membrane, the SEPURAN® Green G5X 11”, featuring the highest capacity of its kind currently on the market. Specifically designed for upgrading biogas to renewable natural gas (RNG) in large landfill, agricultural, organic waste, and wastewater treatment projects, the membrane is specifically engineered for maximizing sustainability and efficiency gains in biogas upgrading projects.
“The launch of this product addresses the growing demand for our membranes among large-volume biogas upgrading projects in landfills and other large RNG projects,” said Jennifer Doerper, global director of biogas membranes at Evonik. “The market-leading capacity of our SEPURAN® Green G5X 11” makes it the ideal choice for customers looking to boost their cost efficiency.”
The SEPURAN® Green G5X 11” is designed with double the capacity of the SEPURAN® Green G5X 6”L, and is ideal for largeflow projects among landfills. Used in Evonik’s 3-stage configurations, which are patented in the US, it excels in maximizing methane recovery rates and enabling high onstream times.
Additionally, Evonik’s SEPURAN® Green G5X 11” offers more compact systems, less piping connections and welding time, and is easy to operate due to its ability for precise monitoring.
Scheduled to enter production later this year, the new SEPURAN® Green G5X 11” will be on display at the Evonik booth during the RNG WORKS trade show from September 10 to 12 in Nashville, Tennessee, in the US. At the event, Evonik’s membrane technology experts will be on hand to discuss custom biogas solutions.
Evonik launched its first membrane product—SEPURAN® Green, for efficient upgrading of biogas—on the market in 2011, laying the foundations for future business in membranes. This was followed by further membrane products for nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, natural gas, and nanofiltration applications. Today, Evonik’s membranes are in service in 200 biogas installations in North America, and more than 1000 worldwide.
Metso Introduces Upgraded Larox® PF 60 Series Pressure Filter
Metso introduced the upgraded Larox® PF 60 series pressure filter at the opening ceremony of the new machining unit at the company’s Filtration Technology Center in Lappeenranta, Finland, on September 11, 2024.
“The new version of the Larox® PF 60 series filter marks a step change in the technological development of tower filters. It significantly improves safety, process efficiency and dewatering capacity in mining and other process industry applications, thanks to its novel technological solutions. This upgraded model is fully automated to enable flexible operation for process variations and is future-ready for different plate pack configurations to provide consistent and homogenous filter cake with efficient solids wash,” said Jussi Venäläinen, Vice President of the Filtration business line at Metso.
The Larox® PF 60 series filter is part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering, thanks to its advanced features that decrease water and oil usage by up to 90% and 75%, respectively. In addition, it can reduce the need for installed electric power by 25%. The filter has a compact and open design, which translates to less floor space required and a significant improvement in ease of maintenance. The structure has also been upgraded to meet the latest seismic standards. To ensure optimized lifelong performance, Metso offers a comprehensive service portfolio including remote support.
“The investment into a new machining unit at our Filtration Technology Center in Lappeenranta goes hand in hand with the development of the Larox® PF 60 pressure filter and our ambition to offer our customers the best and most responsible filtration technology available. The highly automated machining unit significantly increases our manufacturing capacity and enables the production of high-quality filter components in a safer, more environmentally friendly manner,” explained Tero Tiainen, Director for Filters Manufacturing at Metso.
