PUB, Meiden To Set Up 1st Ceramic Membrane Bioreactor Demo Plant In S'pore

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah SINGAPORE, July 2 (Bernama) -- PUB, Singapore’s national water agency and Meiden Singapore (MSL) on Monday signed an agreement to establish the first Ceramic Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Demonstration Plant in Singapore to treat and recycle industrial used water in a more energy-efficient and cost-effective manner. In a joint statement, PUB said MSL will also establish an R&D centre and assembly factory for ceramic membrane units in Singapore, as well as a facility for development, production and after-sales service in Asia. MSL will also be the regional headquarters for water business in Asia. The demonstration plant will be sited at the Jurong Water Reclamation Plant in Singapore and construction is expected to complete by August 2013. The one-year demonstration study will focus on process optimisation. The plant will be capable of treating one million gallon (4,550 cubic meters) of industrial used water per day. The reclamation of high COD (chemical oxygen demand) industrial used water has conventionally been considered difficult. This project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of Meiden’s used water processing system by combining the use of the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) technology and Meiden’s Ceramic Membrane MBR system in achieving energy savings and a consistent high-quality output of recycled water. The use of UASB, a biological process, can remove COD efficiently while the Ceramic Membrane MBR, which has a longer lifespan than conventional membranes, can produce a stable water supply for recycling purposes. Together, they can potentially result in more energy and cost savings in the treatment of industrial used water. This collaboration stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010, following which MSL has been conducting verification tests for the Ceramic Membrane MBR system in PUB’s Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant. Following satisfactory test results from this test-bedding project, MSL is taking the research one step further by collaborating with PUB to construct a demonstration plant to reclaim industrial used water for recycling purposes. For this project, MSL will be supported under the TechPioneer scheme, which is administered by Singapore’s Environment and Water Industry Programme Office (EWI). The scheme aims to commercialise new technologies by encouraging early adoption of these technologies by both the public and private sectors in their operations, and promoting environmental sustainability at the same time. The scheme helps local companies in Singapore to build a track record for these new technologies and expedite the commercialisation of such technologies in the environment and water sector. Director of Cleantech at Singapore Economic Development Board, Goh Chee Kiong commented, “We are pleased that Meidensha has partnered with Singapore to develop, demonstrate and manufacture its cutting edge membrane technology. "This affirms Singapore’s position as a living laboratory where companies can conveniently develop, trial and commercialise sustainable solutions." Meidensha, the parent company of MSL, can also take advantage of Singapore’s vibrant water industry ecosystem in conducting business activities across the value chain, he added. -- BERNAMA