Aiming to change the game in wastewater treatment

UCD spin out OxyMem has won the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Innovation Award which recognises organisations that are implementing innovative solutions and methodologies and are creating new knowledge around energy-demand reduction and management.

OxyMem received the award for its breakthrough technology for the wastewater aeration market, which tackles the industry’s biggest challenge – energy demand.

For more than 100 years, wastewater treatment has relied upon energy-intensive processes that compress large volumes of air to provide oxygen to the bacteria breaking down the pollutants.

The OxyMem solution does not rely on these highly inefficient methods. Instead it uses gas-permeable membranes capable of providing oxygen directly to bacteria for aerobic biological processes, resulting in up to a fourfold energy saving with more compact and lower cost infrastructure.

"For us the most satisfying part of an innovation award is in knowing that we are gaining support for our emerging energy-neutral solution," says Dr Eoin Syron, technical director of OxyMem. "It is an opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved to date and gives us the determination to lead the way for a more energy-efficient wastewater industry."

According to SEAI chief executive Brian Motherway, communities and businesses need to be acknowledged for taking control of their energy issues and for reducing their costs. "Sustainable Energy is a great opportunity for Ireland", he says. "We have high ambitions in this area and the awards recognise the leaders that are making it happen."

Technologies like OxyMem's have an important role to play in achieving the challenging energy-efficiency and conservation targets set by the Government, according to OxyMem managing director Wayne Byrne.

He acknowledges that no single solution will provide a magic bullet to meet the target but his company’s innovation can make an important contribution.

Substantial savings

“The Government’s update on the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan has accepted that while there have been substantial savings in the last three years, it is clear that a significant acceleration of effort is required if the 2020 targets are to be realised,” he says. “The latest data shows that some 3,100 fewer tonnes of carbon were emitted across the economy in 2012 but this must increase to 7,250 tonnes by 2020.”

In order to accelerate progress towards the overall target, the Government published the National Energy Services Framework in 2013. This will help develop the energy-efficiency market in the non-domestic sector by setting out a roadmap through which energy-efficiency projects are undertaken.

It provides guidance on routes to project development, available supports from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and sources of finance to help develop projects in the public and commercial sectors. “These supports will be very valuable to companies like OxyMem and others who are innovating in this area,” says Byrne.

The technology also has a global application. Almost 3 per cent of all electricity generated in the world is consumed by wastewater treatment plants and up to 70 percent of this is being wasted as a result of inefficiencies in existing systems. The potential cost savings are clear but it is in areas of extreme energy poverty where the OxyMem solution may have the most immediate impact.

Modern energy services are crucial to a country's social and economic development yet over 1.3 billion people globally are without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people are without clean water for cooking, according to the International Energy Agency. More than 95 per cent of these people live either in sub-Saharan Africa or developing Asia and 84 per cent are in rural areas.

“With energy prices rising across the globe, obtaining effective treatment with the least energy expenditure is becoming the top priority in product selection,” Byrne says. “We estimate the potential for energy savings for wastewater aeration is in the order of €45 billion.”

The potential of OxyMem to make a positive contribution in this area was highlighted recently when the company was named in the 2014 Global Cleantech 100’s ‘Ones to Watch’ list.

The list is produced by the Cleantech Group which connects companies to sustainable innovation through a market intelligence platform, expert consulting services, and global events. The Ones to Watch list highlights upcoming companies that are catching the eye of leading players in the market.

Stock exchange

To qualify for the lists, companies must be independent, for-profit, cleantech companies that are not listed on any major stock exchange.

This year, a record number of nominations for the list were received. Almost 6,000 companies from 60 countries were evaluated and scored to create a shortlist of 327 companies.

Shortlisted nominees were reviewed by the Cleantech Group’s expert panel, resulting in their inclusion on the inaugural Ones to Watch list.

“We have been working very hard since we started in late 2013 and are very proud of the team we have built in that time,” says Byrne. “Having OxyMem listed as a Ones To Watch company is further evidence that we have created a technology which stands to be a game-changer for the industry. The team and I are very happy to have made the list.”