The Aqualyng Rss

Successful Aqualyng participation in Middle East Electricity & Water Exhibition

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Aqualyng has successfully participated in the Middle East Electricity and Water Exhibition in Dubai, 10-13th of February 2008. Having understood the strategic importance of the GCC desalination market, participating in an exhibition such as the MEE 2008 is important for our growth in the industry.

Being the only global desalination company present at the exhibition, Aqualyng received significant attention from numerous visitors related to the water industry at the exhibition. With the recent establishing of the Dubai Aqualyng office our ambition is to become a leading supplier of desalination solutions for the region.

Aqualyng wins important seawater desalination contract in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Vanvikan, Norway, April 29, 2007

Aqualyng, the leader in Energy Recovery Systems for RO Desalination Plants, wins contract worth a total of Euro ?7 million, to supply and install Reverse Osmosis plant to Preussag Saudi Arabia.

The delivery includes engineering and supply of the desalination plant, three SWRO lines with a total capacity of 9000 m3/day. The plant will be located in Jeddah and will deliver highest standard potable water by the end of August 2007.

Aqualyngs proven technology and its service capability were a key to obtain this contract. The project will provide reliable water supply to a region suffering from lack of water due to extensive development in the area.

The Aqualyng patentet energy recovery system, the Recuperator TM , providing efficient utilization of power, will ensure the lowest possible energy consumption for production of water, hence reducing the negative impace on the environment

Under the same contract, Aqualyng will provide a mobile 500 m3/day desalinationplant, based on the same advanced technology. Such could easily be refurnished to a floating installation, becoming a vital asset to remote areas.

Several plants around the world are today supplying fresh water to local receivers based on Aqualyngs technology. With the demonstrated experience Aqualyng has gained through our experience, an Operation and Maintenance agreement for all plants running the next 20 years has also been agreed.

Global Water Awards 2008

Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Distinction: Aqualyng Holdings - In 2007 Aqualyng secured seawater desal contracts including the Caofeidian Power Plant project in China, the Hawkes Bay project in Pakistan, the Sohar Iron & Steel project in Oman, and the Royal Palace in Jeddah. 2007 was the year that Aqualyng become turbocharged. Starting out as an obscure Norwegian EPC contractor with a handful of small references and some interesting technology, it ended the year competing successfully to build and finance projects ten time the size of its previous references.

Aqualyng launching new line of compact modular desalination solutions

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Fast Water is a series of modular reverse osmosis units from Aqualyng Water Solutions. Each unit is housed in a robust steel container to facilitate easy, affordable transport and keep the equipment properly protected on its way to the required destination and thereafter during operation, and can be installed in series to meet higher flow rates.

Aqualyng nominated for the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Aqualyng, the specialist in energy efficient desalination plants has been nominated for the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award in Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region. The award is one of Europe's most important ranking for the technology, media and telecommunication industry, and Aqualyng is proud to be listed as one of the most innovative technology companies in Norway and the EMEA region.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award was created to recognize the effort and dedication of those 50 fastest growing-companies in Norway and 9 other EMEA countries and covers all areas of technology from Internet to biotechnology as well as from medical sciences to computers and includes both public and private companies.

Aqualyng is proud to be recognized as one of the 500 leading technology companies in Europe.

Aqualyng Ghana plant is shortlisted for desalination deal of the year at the Global Water Awards

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Accra desalination project in Ghana is one of the most significant step forward for the desalination industry in meeting the demands of challenging circumstances. The water supply sector in Ghana faces severe problems, partly due to a neglect of the sector until the 1990s. Water tariffs were kept significantly low which was far from reflecting the real cost of the service. Furthermore, the lack of water resources has been a limiting aspect to the growth of the industrial sectors in Ghana. To solve this problem, in 2008 the Ghana Water Company (GWC) signed a Water Purchase Agreement with Aqualyng Ghana Limited (AGL), the specialist in designing, manufacturing, installing and financing energy efficient desalination plants for production of fresh water. The Water Purchase Agreement was for the provision of 20,000 m3/day of desalinated water to be produced in Nungua, Accra on a Build Own Operate basis (BOO) for a contracted period of 25 years.

This was a major milestone for Aqualyng as the agreement with GWC was the first large-scale BOO desalination deal ever to be awarded in Western Africa. The plant will be deployed with Aqualyng's state of art the 'Recuperator', an energy saving device that allows recycling as much as 98.5% of the energy contained in the reject of the desalination process which has huge impact on the operating cost besides being environment friendly.

Part of Aqualyng's scope of work for the project included the provision of seawater intake and outfall system, ultra filtration pretreatment, water storage with forward pumping system, prefabricated steel building and ancillary systems as well as a 1.5 kilometer product water pipeline with interconnection to GWC distribution system. Aqualyng has collaborated with Doosan Hydro to provide the EPS+ services for the project. Doosan Hydro Technology will engineer, procure and manufacture the 5.28 MGD SWRO system, which will include UF pretreatment, pretreatment chemical dosing system and post treatment remineralization process, two (2) pass RO, process controls, interconnecting piping as well as site and process electrical equipment.

Moreover the water tariff was agreed with 'The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ghana' (PURC), which is an independent body set up to regulate and oversee the provision of electricity and water services to consumers in Ghana.

Aqualyng highlights need of innovation in water desalination to meet rising demand of fresh water in region

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Aqualyng, the specialist in energy efficient desalination plants, today highlighted the importance of innovation and sustainability for the future growth and development in the water desalination industry during the 2009 Wastewater and Desalination conference held at Le Royal Meridian Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai.

Chip Harris, Global Director for Desalination Operations, Aqualyng who chaired the conference also presented a key note on how the water desalination industry had evolved over the last three decades and the implications of innovation in the desalination process on energy consumption, economic benefits and environment sustainability.

Speaking at the event, Chip with more than 30 years of global experience in the desalination industry said, 'The Middle East has one of the highest consumptions of desalinated water anywhere in the world which is mainly attributed to the unavailability of natural resources of fresh water as well as a booming economy. It is estimated that desalination contributes more than 85% of the total water consumed for potable use in the UAE, which also has a current consumption level between 1.85 and 2.12 billion m3/day, one of the highest in the world.'

Chip added, 'This increasing demand for fresh water in the regional has led to new innovations in the process of desalinating water, which has changed drastically over the last three decades. If we have to compare the current efficiency levels with that of the 70's one can see an improvement which has resulted in a 70% reduction in energy consumption. This was mainly due to the new technologies for energy recovery in membrane technology which have greatly reduced operational cost.'

As part of his presentation, Chip also focused on the improvements in energy recovery and the use of alternate energy resources in the desalination process which has helped bring down operational cost at various projects in the region. He also highlighted chemical issues with treatment forms, environmental sustainability for desalination in regards to carbon footprint and environmental impact and the future of desalination as a long-term water resource.

The 2009 Wastewater & Desalination conference will bring together key industry experts to discuss current challenges, innovative technical and practical solutions to the water industry across the Middle East, highlighting case studies on best practices and recent developments in the field of desalination and wastewater treatment.

Water investment in UAE reaches $9 trillion

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dubai: About $9 trillion (Dh33.03 trillion) has been invested in the UAE's water industry over the last 25 years, an industry expert says. As the UAE is reported to be the world's third highest consumer of water per capita, this may not come as a surprise. Current consumption is between 1.85 and 2.12 billion cubic metres per day. Experts in the industry say that the typical per capita consumption in the UAE is 500 litres daily. "If you assume 2.1 billion cubic metres per day times 85 per cent, at a capital expenditure (capex) investment of around $5,000 per cubic metre (average capital costs of thermal distillation equipment) you come up with a figure of around $9 trillion invested over the past 25 years," Chip Harris, global director of desalination operations at Norwegian desalination company Aqualyng Holding told Gulf News. Also, in this region, hot drinks such as tea are the most consumed, according to Richard Hall, chairman of food and beverage consultancy, Zenith International. And tea, obviously, needs water. As the UAE's population was previously on the fast-track to increase by 1.6 per cent each year to house around four million people by 2025, it is clear that more investment would be needed. However, with the global economic crisis playing havoc with liquidity, business development and job security, the rate at which more people filter into the country is likely to slow. "At the rate, maintaining the consumption rate as quoted, the growth per year in desalination could be as high as one per cent of the current production level per year, or about $55 million per year as an average," Harris said. Desalination makes up more than 85 per cent of the total potable water consumption in the UAE.

Credit crunch could lead to regional water shortage

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dubai, UAE March 30th 2009 - Reluctance by financial institutions to back long-term water infrastructure projects is threatening the region's supply of drinking water. UAE is one of the world's biggest users of desalinated water - between1.8 and 2.1 billion m3 every day and is dependent on new capacity expansion to ensure the demand is met. But lack of financing in the wake of the global financial meltdown means that contractors are faced with cancelling or postponing new projects. This emerged as the key point of discussion at Arabian Power and Water Summit being held at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi over March 30-31.

Nick Powell, president, water solutions, at Aqualyng, the Dubai-headquartered global desalination company, told delegates that obtaining financing at the right cost and duration is one of the biggest obstacles to the implementation of new projects in the Middle East. "The availability of long-term financing would make it easier for us to contribute in project development across the region, but lending institutions are afraid to give loans with duration of more than three to five years," he said.

"As a developer you put a lot of money into the project development phase and currently there is a risk that quite a few projects are being postponed or terminated" Nick added.

Desalination contributes more than 85 per cent of the UAE's drinking water, but with inflation eroding margins, a lack of contracting capacity and rising demand, the Middle East power and water sector was struggling to deliver its promises - even before global credit crunch hit the project finance sector and introduced unprecedented uncertainty to the Gulf projects market.

"Aqualyng is committed to the UAE and the Middle East, and I would say that the current marketplace is very good for companies willing to invest and take chances," said Powell. �"It is an opportunity to take opportunities while other companies are more reluctant. However, governments could help attract investment by following the Norwegian model called Innovation Norway example - a governmental institution that has now been granted funds to help Norwegian companies working internationally."

Aqualyng has been a leader in new technologies used in the desalination process, which has changed drastically over the last three decades. Better efficiency levels have led to 70 per cent reduction in energy consumption, due largely to improvements in reverse osmosis membrane technology that have greatly reduced operational cost.��

The Middle East desalination market is projected to generate expenditure of about $95 billion between 2005-2015, of which around $48 billion will be applied new capacity, and the membrane process, particularly reverse osmosis, will continue to take market share from thermal desalination. About 59 per cent of the total new-build capacity will be membrane based.

This reflects growth of the market outside the Gulf region (traditional heartland of the thermal process), as well as increased use of RO technology in the Gulf.�

Aqualyng Spearheads the Middle East's Water Sector by Opening its Regional Headquarters in Dubai

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Aqualyng, the specialist in energy efficient desalination plants, today announces the opening of its new Middle East Headquarters in Dubai which will support various regional projects including the current Shadeed project in Sohar and Oxy project in Mokhaizna both located in Oman as well as The Royal Palace project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on the occasion, Brynjulf Lomsdalen, CEO of Aqualyng, commented, 'The opening of the Aqualyng office in Dubai is a sign of our commitment to the Middle East region which is a key market with tremendous growth that has demonstrated high demand for water desalination. We plan to seek leadership position in the region through our quality partnerships, technology, knowledge and experienced workforce.'
Aqualyng has its global headquarters in Norway with regional offices spread across the globe including Spain, Ghana and China. Over the past few years Aqualyng has successfully installed high efficient desalination plants in Europe, Africa and South East Asia. The company has conducted an in-depth research seeking new growth opportunities in different geographic territories and considering all the locations it was the right decision to invest resources in the Middle East region which is regarded as the most exciting and one of fastest growing markets in the world.
'We are excited about our new regional headquarters in Dubai and look forward to serving the region with the same quality which we have been providing over a decade in the other parts of the world.' concluded Lomsdalen.

The Regional Headquarters has excellent mix of commercial, marketing, technical, project delivery as well as operation & maintenance teams, supported by central administrative functions. The new Aqualyng headquarters is located in the business floor of the brand new Oasis Center, which is centrally located on Sheikh Zayed Road.

China Water Desalination Market Offers Opportunities Despite the Global Economic Downturn

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Shanghai, China, April 24, 2009 - According to the National Sea Water Utilization Special Program, China's need for desalinated water will almost treble over the next 10 years, creating huge opportunities for desalination companies operating in China. Privatization of China's water sector will give a further boost to the local industry.

Speaking at the China Water Congress which was held in Tianjin from April 23-24, Paul Bai, CEO for Aqualyng in China, the Dubai-headquartered global desalination company, said privatization will drive competition and introduce advanced technologies. "China's desalination market is less affected than others by the global downturn," he explained, citing government forecast that national requirements for desalinated water will reach 1-million tons a day next year, growing to 3-million tons by 2020.
"Global Water Intelligence predicts that additional capacity will be required sooner than the official estimates suggest, given the current water scarcity, the extent of water pollution, and increasing demands on water resources as a result of the national economic development, especially industries in coastal areas."
Public-private partnerships�are high on the agenda of the China Water Congress. "Although privatization is still at its preliminary stage of development in China, the development of a win-win PPP model for the desalination industry will rely on continuous strong support from the Chinese government in terms of policy, investment, and infrastructure," said Bai. "There are huge opportunities for private industry to participate in BOO (Build Own Operate) or BOT (Build Operate Transfer) models to meet the current and future desalination needs."

Aqualyng starts the construction phase of the 50,000m3/day Caofeidian SWRO desalination project

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In conjunction with its joint venture partner, the Tangshan Caofeidian Infrastructure Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (IIC), Aqualyng has kicked off EPC Contractor Hangzhou Development Center of Water Treatment Technology Co. Ltd. (HZWT) to start the construction phase of the 50,000m3/day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to serve the water needs of the Caofeidian Industrial Zone in China.

Having on November 18, 2009 signed definitive agreements on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis for the 50,000m3/day SWRO desalination project in Caofeidian, Aqualyng, a leading global desalination company headquartered in Norway and Dubai, has kicked off the construction phase of the project as of March 15, 2010.

The initial framework agreement for the project was signed back in December 2008. The product water will supply the Caofeidian Industrial Zone 220 km east of Beijing, and is the first phase of an expected total of up to 300 000m3/day over the coming years. Aqualyng will operate the plant during the 30 year term of the offtake agreement as part of a joint venture with IIC. IIC is wholly owned by the local governing authority in Caofeidian and the project enjoys strong government support.

The plant will be built by HZWT, a leading Chinese water treatment contractor, and is expected to be completed during September 2011. Aqualyng will be supplying its patented proprietary energy recovery device, the Recuperator, to the plant. The total investment for the project is approximately $US 65M.

"This project is a breakthrough for Aqualyng," says Brynjulf Lomsdalen,CEO of Aqualyng Holding AS. 'The Chinese market for desalination, one of the fastest growing in the world, has proven difficult for foreign companies to enter. It's a source of pride that Aqualyng has been able to develop this project based on a contractual framework that we believe can serve as a model for future projects in China." The project features Aqualyng's patented energy recovery device, the Recuperator, which Mr. Lomsdalen adds "has helped give us a competitive edge in this market."

Aqualyng China to benefit from state tie-up in China

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Desalination solution provider Aqualyng's recent sale of a 50 per cent stake in its Chinese subsidiary to state-owned Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWGL) will help win projects and raise financing, according to Origo Partners CEO Chris Rynning.

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Origo, which has a 9.2 per cent equity interest in Aqualyng majority shareholder Staur Aqua, and Rynning said the agreement means the joint venture can compete very efficiently in the local market with world class desalination technology.

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'Being linked to a state owned company will both bring competence on how to work in China, win projects and raise finance,' Rynning said. 'China is building the world's largest desalination plants and a partnership is absolutely crucial.'

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BEWGL is majority owned by Beijing Enterprises Holdings, the commercial vehicle of the Municipal Government of Beijing with significant interests in gas supply, toll roads, waste water treatment, brewing and technology.

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'We believe working with the Beijing Government and BEWGL in particular will differentiate Aqualyng in the marketplace. Moreover, it provides an international expansion opportunity as China is involved in building infrastructure worldwide, from Australia to the Middle East and Africa,' Rynning said.

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Aqualyng China has begun to develop a sea water desalination plant at the Caofeidian Industrial Zone outside of Beijing in partnership with the Tangshan Infrastructure Construction and Investment Co.

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'With its rapid urbanisation, China will build the world's largest desalination capacity over the next years and decades. As water tariffs are increasing, desalination quickly becomes an economical and in some cases, the only sustainable water source,' Rynning said.

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He said energy efficiency and scalability are among the key considerations why Aqualyng has succeeded in China and that no other Asian or global market has the same growth potential.

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Rynning added that growth in China will come through jointly developed projects but because the market is still in its infancy, there are few attractive acquisition targets.

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'That said, when opportunities present themselves, we may be compelled at looking at them, but key focus will be organic growth.'

BEWG AND AQUALYNG JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limited ("BEWG") has successfully subscribed 50% equity interest in Aqualyng China Limited ("Aqualyng China"), a company established by desalination leader Aqualyng Holding AS ("Aqualyng"), as part of its expansion plans into the Chinese water sales market. BEWG and Aqualyng will, as their first joint activity in China, construct a 50�000m3/day reverse osmosis desalination plant to serve the water needs of the Caofeidian Industrial Zone in China. The two companies will operate the plant during the 30-year term of the offtake agreement together with the Tangshan Caofeidian Infrastructure Construction Investment Co. Ltd ("IIC").

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Beginning 2010, Aqualyng China and IIC set up a joint venture company to construct and undertake the design, operation, ownership and maintenance of a 50,000 m3/day seawater desalination plant in the Caofeidian Industrial Zone. The project is the first phase of a 400,000 m3/day development. As part of the newly signed agreement between BEWG and Aqualyng, BEWG becomes a new strong shareholder in one of the largest water sales desalination plants under construction in China.

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Mr. Hu Xiaoyong, CEO of BEWG, said, "This Project not only supplies water to the electric plants in the Caofeidian Industrial Zone and enterprises in the other industrial zones, but will also be the landmark to the Group's development on the business of the large-scale seawater desalination.� Coupled with the Group's extensive business network in China and Aqualyng's professional experience, we continue to invest in seawater desalination projects in China or other regions."

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Mr. Brynjulf Lomsdalen, CEO of Aqualyng, said: "China is the prime focus market for our company moving forward, and with the ongoing construction of our first Chinese water sales project in Caofeidian, we have secured a strong platform for future growth in one of the most dynamic desalination markets globally. With BEWG as co-owner in Aqualyng China, we have further strengthened our foothold for future expansion in China. BEWG's local experience and financial strength combined with Aqualyng's technology and seawater desalination experience will create a strong partnership in the growing Chinese desalination market."

Aqualyng shortlisted for Desal Deal of the year at Global Water Awards

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Aqualyng, the specialist in energy efficient desalination plants, has again been nominated for one of its projects at the Global Water Awards, this time for its Caofeidian project in China. The award will be presented by Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of U.N., during the Global Water Summit 2011. This event is arranged by Global Water Intelligence, and will this year be arranged in Berlin the 18th April.

Global Water Intelligence, in its description of the shortlisted companies, writes this about the Caofeidian project:

What is it?

A RMB420 million ($63.7 million) deal to finance a 50,000m3/d SWRO plant in the Tangshan Caofeidian Industrial Development Zone in China's Hebei Province.

Who is responsible?

Norwegian desalter Aqualyng is developing the plant on a 30-year BOT basis, in partnership with Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG). The project company borrowed RMB294 million ($44.6 million) from China Construction Bank on a non-recourse basis to cover 70% of the RMB420 million ($63.7 million) project cost. The term of the loan is 13 years.

What makes it special?

* Caofeidian was truly a landmark deal, boosting both the Chinese desalination market and the credibility of non-recourse financing in the sector. The desalination market in China had long been regarded as a dead end for foreign and domestic water companies seeking to invest; this deal has raised hopes that desalination could finally be about to become the next big thing in the booming Chinese water market.

* Aqualyng's dogged persistence in pursuing the project in a financial environment that has not been traditionally open to project finance is especially commendable, showing vision and leadership. It is not afraid to take risks and has shown other companies what can be achieved.

* The successful funding of the first 50,000m3/d of capacity at the site is a resounding vote of confidence in the most ambitious desalination project in Asia, and will smooth the way for further plans to extend the plant up to a total capacity of 900,000m3/d."

Aqualyng has previously been shortlisted both in the Desal Deal of the Year category for its Ghana project in 2009, as well as in the Desalination Company of the year category in 2008.

Aqualyng is proud to be recognized by Global Water Intelligence and its readers.