German filtration firm, Microdyn-Nadir, has struck a partnership with water treatment systems specialist, Ovivo USA, to service the US membrane bioreactor market with a combination of the German company’s membrane technology and Ovivo’s membrane bioreactor system (MBR) integration range.
Austin, Texas-based Ovivo USA will be the exclusive representative for Microdyn-Nadir`s MBR products in the US. The “multi year” agreement includes collaboration to build private label (OV) membrane equipment. As part of the partnership, Microdyn-Nadir has agreed to build a second production line for its Bio-Cel membranes. The new line will “most likely” be located in Austin, Texas with production scheduled to start in January 2017.
According to Microdyn-Nadir, it and Ovivo share the belief of the superior benefits of flat-sheet membrane technology for submerged membrane applications in MBR systems. “Improved packaging density and more efficient aeration designs have enabled MBRs to compete with traditional technologies both technically and economically. These two innovations have led to lower overall project costs,” said Microdyn-Nadir.
Ovivo MBR director, Dennis Livingston, said the uptake of the OV system deploying BioCel has been particularly rapid: “Out of the seven different membrane technologies we’ve introduced to the US market, the trajectory of acceptance is incredibly steep for the OV using Bio-Cel,’ he said.
“In less than 24 months, we already have 14 plants under construction or in operation using the OV and have been pre-selected for three large projects with rated capacities of approximately 16,000 m³/d, 20,000 m³/d and 40,000 m³/d.”
Ovivo said it has supplied MBR solutions to over 250 projects and is now commissioning one of the largest MBR systems in the world at Canton in Ohio.