Siemens to roll out technology wave

Research on a “green” solution for wastewater treatment is another innovative project underway at Siemens’ global R&D center - Siemens

In keeping with the “Sustainable Solutions for a Changing Urban Environment” theme at this year’s Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), to be held during July 4-8,  Siemens will showcase its energy efficiency and reuse technologies, like the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process.

Sustainability is a key focus of the company’s recent R&D projects, which save energy, reduce waste and increase process efficiency. Siemens will provide an update of these projects, as well as an overview of total process solutions that ensure water quantity and quality and reduced lifecycle costs. 

“The progress of our research and development (R&D) projects is very exciting,” said Lukas Loeffler, chief executive officer of Siemens Water Technologies, “and we look forward to sharing these milestones with municipal and industrial leaders so they can see how these innovations will help them conserve water and energy.”

Some of the R&D projects that have reached significant milestones include low-energy desalination technology, a MBR testing facility for validating new design parameters, and a new micro-media column for high-purity water production.  

At SIWW, the MBR system will also be featured. A key technology for water reuse applications, this system uses a mechanical device that supplies irregular pulses of air to the MBR module, which increases scouring effectiveness, decreases operation and maintenance costs and reduces energy consumption by 30-40 per cent over conventional MBR processes. It can also be easily retrofitted to existing plants that need to replace conventional clarification processes with membrane separation.   

Energy consumption alone accounts for about 30 per cent of municipal water treatment operating costs. Also at SIWW, Siemens will showcase energy efficient technologies and processes such as the BioFlowsheet+ process optimisation programme. This programme integrates several key wastewater operations, including biological, solids separation, solids treatment and controls to significantly reduce energy costs.

In addition, utilities strive to increase plant capacity and maintain a continuous water supply.

The Siwa product family provides modular solutions that have been especially developed for water supply and wastewater treatment. Their focus is on electro-technical equipment for water transport pipelines and desalination plants, applying reverse osmosis.

Singapore International Water Week is a global platform for water solutions that brings policy makers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.

The event’s flagship programmes comprise the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, Water Leaders’ Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo and Business Forums. The event will address the latest and most pertinent water issues amid a rapidly changing world.