Evac Oy has acquired the CleanSea Marine business from Headworks Bio Inc.. Headworks Bio is a fore runner in the field of land based municipal and industrial wastewater treatment as well as in marine wastewater treatment applications. Through this acquisition Evac gains a competitive edge regarding advanced wastewater treatment business and technology within the maritime segment worldwide. Business and license agreements were signed for the CleanSea MBBR technology.
"This move will strengthen our role in the growing market of wastewater treatment and will further enhance our total waste management solution for our main customers," says Tomi Gardemeister, President and CEO of the Evac Group. The acquisition of a competitive technology from a strong partner like Headworks Bio will give us the chance to accelerate our development. This agreement will deliver clear customer benefits by providing a proven alternative wastewater treatment solution, CleanSea MBBR technology, for our marine customers."
"Ideally our cruise customers' environmental needs can now be solved through one single contact point, meaning that communication will be simple and efficient and after sales services are easily available, too. We now have the ability to provide optimal solutions on AWP no matter what vessel type or size," says Mika Karjalainen, COO of Evac Oy.
"Two major players will join forces in product development to deliver innovative high quality solutions to meet demands for our most precious resource, clean water. Through this divestiture Headworks Bio continues its focus on land based applications and Evac on the marine sector. The fit with Evac combined with their excellent existing product line is perfect and we will provide whatever support they require to make this a seamless transition for their customers in the marine sector," notes Michele LaNoue, CEO of Headworks Bio.
A few years ago the Houston-based company acquired Hydroxyl, which had been supplying the maritime industry with advanced wastewater cleaning systems for years. References of the wastewater treatment systems include Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's cruise ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Earlier deliveries include the Radiance and Millennium class cruise ships.
"This agreement facilitates a breakthrough to Evac. The CleanSea MBBR technology is already well known in the cruise ship segment having the world's largest cruise ship references. In this deal we combine the excellent technology know-how of Headworks with Evac's know-how on maritime system applications. Headworks Bio has over the years continued to develop and refine their wastewater treatment technology, why I think we now can offer an excellent system for our shipowner clients," adds Karjalainen. "From now on we will consequently also be in charge of the after-sales activities regarding all the cruise ships to which Headworks Bio, and earlier Hydroxyl, have supplied their advanced wastewater cleaning system."
Wastewater cleaning market growing
According to industry estimates, the advanced wastewater treatment market will continue to grow in coming years. This is due to both a rebound in the cruise business, after years of slow demand, and also due to ever tightening environmental regulations.
There are three main wastewater treatment technologies in use on the maritime market today. There is the ‘flotation technology’, also used by Headworks Bio, the Membrane Bioreactor 'flat sheet membrane' system, and the external submerged membrane system. The technology developed by Headworks Bio, and now acquired by Evac for maritime applications, is an advanced system based on flotation. This type of technology is the most popular on big cruise ships today.
Evac can now offer two technologies for advanced wastewater treatment system portfolio. The Evac Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) has proven popular for smaller to medium size cruise ships and other types of vessels, and has also proven popular for river cruise ships. The latest reference cruise vessel cleaning its waste with Evac's MBR is M/S Europa 2, the five star luxury cruise ship newbuilding owned by NYK.
The acquired Cleansea MBBR wastewater cleaning technology is applicable for the latest international environmental regulations, the International Maritime Organisation IMO MEPC.227(64) Resolution as well as the IMO MEPC.200(62) Baltic Sea rules.
In February this year Evac received thee type approval certificates for its Evac Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) advanced wastewater treatment system for these regulations, as well as the type certification for using this system on the Rhine River.
Evac's total scope of supply
Through the acquisition of Headwork's maritime wastewater treatment technology, Evac can now supply the entire scope of waste handling. These include grey and black water waste and now two types of wastewater treatment technologies for ships, handling of galley waste and waste from showers and sanitary units using Evac's advanced vacuum technology, the handling, compacting and incineration of dry waste using Evac's specially developed incinerators. "I think a benefit of being able to supply a total scope like this is that the shipyard does not have to use its resources on system integration. Evac handles that part," says Karjalainen.
Technical description
The advanced wastewater treatment plants used in maritime applications are all based on biological treatment. In short, in the Evac Membrane Bioreactor, the solids, down to bacteria size, are extracted using a membrane through ultra-filtration, quite like in an osmosis process. In the Flotation System the solids are extracted through a flotation process, where small polyethylene modules help advance the biological treatment process. In this system the particles lighter than water are extracted from the surface and the heavier are extracted from the bottom of the tank. A mechanical filter is used in the end of the process and ultra-violet light is used to handle the bacteria.
In the CleanSea MBBR all the wastewater is collected into a mixing tank. The solids are initially removed by coarse screening. The water then enters a three stage biological reactor using a moving bed biological technology using small highly efficient polyethylene modules to attract and grow bacteria culture, fed with oxygen pumped into the tanks. The bacteria consume the organics in the water. The secondary solids are removed using a dissolved air floatation unit, and the last step is to polish the water using a fine filter. After the final filtration stage, the water is pumped through an ultraviolet system which disinfects the water and is then either discharged overboard or stored in storage tanks for later discharge. All solids are stored in holding tanks for later treatment through dewatered and incineration, or taken to wastewater treatment facilities ashore.
The system has an advanced control system automating the wastewater treatment process. It is designed to be as user friendly as possible. With the exception of the bioreactor, everything in the system is redundant. The control system, comprising some 14 individual units, is designed so that if one unit goes offline it automatically switches to the other. The big system supplied for Oasis and Allure of the Seas are capable to handle 3,000cu.m. per day, more capacity than the wastewater plants in some cities.
Both the MBR and the CleanSea MBBR technology now acquired from Headworks Bio are protected by patents.