[April 02, 2014]

PSE Invests in Wastewater Treatment System Optimisation

Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today announced that it has acquired a significant equity stake in Swiss university technology spin-out BlueWatt Engineering Sàrl, a company with unique technology for wastewater systems optimisation. The operation will be integrated as PSE’s Wastewater Treatment business unit.

BlueWatt specialises in energy optimisation using high-fidelity predictive models of biological wastewater treatment plants built on PSE’s gPROMS^® advanced process modelling platform. Using BlueWatt technology it is possible to identify up to 40% savings on energy costs for treatment plants, as well as to significantly improve design and operation – for example, by minimising consumption of chemicals and power and reducing environmental impact while improving water quality. The technology also allows benchmarking of process performance and provides an effective and efficient troubleshooting tool for treatment plant operators.

Mark Matzopoulos, PSE’s Marketing Director, said “We identified wastewater tratment as an area where there are still many opportunities for optimisation. By combining BlueWatt’s expertise with our advanced process modelling framework, we can radically change the way treatment plants are designed and operated.”

The BlueWatt technology was originally developed at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Prof. François Maréchal, who directed the research at EPFL’s Industrial Energy Systems Laboratory, said “Wastewater treatment accounts for 15-20% of the urban energy usage; it is therefore a key untapped area for energy savings. We are pleased to see our research in this important area being commercialised in a way that it will make a real impact on society”. An academic partnership agreement between PSE and EPFL will ensure continuing research and development in this field.

Leandro Salgueiro, head of the new business unit and a founder of BlueWatt, says “We are very pleased to be commercialising our technology via one of the world’s leading process modelling technology and service suppliers.”

PSE’s gPROMS software is the world’s leading advanced process modelling platform for the process industries. gPROMS models are used to explore the process decision space rapidly and effectively, in order to reduce uncertainty and make better, faster and safer design and operating decisions.

Matzopoulos says, “One of PSE’s aims is to transform practice in every sector that we enter, often by working with leading universities and research organisations to bring important new technology to industry. We believe that with this development we bring unique technology and novel approaches to wastewater treatment.”

Editors

‘About’ information and images: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr140402b.html

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