Bluewater Bio Achieves First Sales in South Africa

Bluewater Bio Limited (UK) is pleased to announce that it has secured the first sales of its HYBACS process in South Africa.

The project, secured via Bluewater Bio’s licensing agreement with Headstream Water Holdings, is for the first phase extension to the Botleng Sewage Treatment Plant. Bluewater Bio’s proprietary HYBACS (Hybrid Bacillus Activated Sludge) process will be deployed and two of its SMART (Shaft Mounted Advanced Reactor Technology) units, which drive the process, will be installed. The plant extension has been designed to treat 7,000m³ per day, with the first phase extension being 3,500m³ per day. The second phase to complete the extension is expected to follow once the municipality has secured the required budget. The plant will be owned and operated by the Victor Khanye Local Municipality.

The Botleng Sewage Treatment Plant services the town of Delmas in the Mpumulanga Province. Delmas lies 60 km east of Johannesburg and has a population of approximately 92,000. Botleng is one of two sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the town, the other being the Delmas STP. These sewage treatment facilities have to produce effluents that comply with the specifications of the relevant authorities, including nutrient removal. The local municipality sees the capacity expansion at these two STPs as a top priority given the continued growth of the town and the municipality’s commitment to providing sanitation services to the community.

The HYBACS process, with its high-quality treatment, modular scalability and lower energy consumption, is an ideal solution for the upgrade and expansion of these STPs to provide the additional capacity needed, and to ensure the plants comply with the required effluent specifications. Moedi Consulting Engineers, the appointed consulting engineers to the municipality, recognised the advantages of the HYBACS process and specified the process for the upgrade of the Botleng STP.

Daniel Ishag, the CEO of Bluewater Bio, says: “We are delighted to have secured the first sales of our HYBACS technology in South Africa following our exclusive licensing agreement with Headstream Water Holdings last year. This contract will give Bluewater Bio its first full-scale reference site in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing us with a strong platform for the commercial roll-out of HYBACS throughout the region.”

Martie Janse van Rensburg, Non Executive Chairperson of Headstream Water Holdings, comments: “Bluewater Bio’s proven HYBACS technology is being recognised globally as an appealing option to alleviating issues of water shortage, providing high-quality effluent treatment, reducing capital and energy costs, and maximising the use of limited footprint at treatment facilities. Its ability to remove nutrients from wastewaters while delivering superior economics and energy savings when compared to conventional plants makes it a very suitable solution to the needs of sewage treatment in South Africa.”

Many regions in South Africa require urgent upgrades and expansions to their ageing wastewater treatment infrastructure in order to deal with a growing population and the government’s commitment to increase basic sanitation services to all its citizens. Many municipal sewage treatment facilities are under severe pressure due to overloading, poor maintenance, lack of capital expenditure, and rising energy costs. A key concern is the pollution of the water sources by nutrients, which cause algae to flourish, suffocating river life. Bluewater Bio’s treatment process is ideally suited to remove nutrients from sewage in a cost and energy-efficient way.