Three inventors of Nereda water technology nominated for European Inventor Award

May 3rd, 2012 by nwp

The European Patent Office (EPO) has nominated the scientists Mark van Loosdrecht, Merle de Kreuk, Sef Heijnen (left to right on photo) of Delft University for the 2012 European Inventor Award (EIA) in the category research. They were nominated for their contribution to the development of the Nereda water technology.

The invention enables the purification of industrial and household waste water to be carried out much more efficiently and cheaply in a space four times as small. Which of the three nominated teams in the ‘Research’ category is to receive the prize will be revealed on 14 June in Copenhagen.

The EPO nominated fifteen scientists and entrepreneurs for five different categories. Covering the fields of medical technology and medicine, telecommunications, wastewater treatment, battery recycling, energy storage and environment, clothing, laser technology, railway manufacturing and construction.

It was already announced last month that Van Loosdrecht will receive the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2012 during the Singapore International Water Week in July.
(read more: Professor Mark van Loosdrecht wins Singapore Lee Kuan Yew water prize 2012

First full scale Nereda plant at wttp Epe
The first full scale Nereda plant for treatment of municipal waste water will be officially commissioned by his Royal Highness Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in Epe, the Netherlands on May 8.
(read more: )

Mark van Loosdrecht
Professor in Environmental Biotechnology Mark van Loosdrecht has spent more than twenty years working on improvements to the natural breakdown and reuse of waste materials. In addition to the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, he was also awarded an honorary doctorate last year by the leading technical university ETH Zurich for his ‘outstanding achievements in environmental biotechnology and numerous practical applications of scientific knowledge in purification techniques, especially in the field of water purification.’

Merle de Kreuk
Merle de Kreuk has been involved since the outset and has played a key role in further developing the invention to create the internationally applied Nereda technology: “In 2000, I started my PhD research on aerobic granular sludge technology in the Biotechnology department at TU Delft. During my PhD and postdoc research, Nereda has grown in scale from a three-litre laboratory reactor to working plants like the one being opened in Epe on 8 May.” In 2007, she was awarded the Simon Stevin Fellowship Prize by STW and she won the Jaap van der Graaf award in 2010.

Sef Heijnen
Full Professor Bioprocess Technology Sef Heijnen is co-founder of the Delft Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, which researches the practical applications of (parts of) living organisms in industrial production processes. He has been awarded the Akzo Nobel Science Award and has recently been appointed member of the ‘College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)’, a group committed to the research field of biomedical technology.

European Inventor Award
The European Inventor Award (EIA) is presented annually by the European Patent Office (EPO), in alliance with the European Commission. The award is presented in the country of the incumbent EU president, which this year is Denmark. The prize is intended for individuals and teams ‘whose pioneering work provides answers to the challenges of our age and thereby contributes to progress and prosperity’.

See the original press release from the European Patent Office.


More information
Delft University of technology
Delft, the Netherlands
Ineke Boneschansker, Science Information Officer
I.Boneschansker@tudelft.nl, +31 15 27 88499
www.tudelft.nl

DHV
Amersfoort, the Netherlands
Andreas Giesen, manager innovation & product development water
andreas.giesen@dhv.com, +31 33 468 24 97
www.dhv.com

European Patent Office
Munich, Germany
+49 89 2399 0
www.epo.org


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Water piping in new school building of Revius Lyceum is kept free of Legionnaires bacteria by thermal ribbon

April 22nd, 2012 by nwp

The new building of the secondary school Revius Lyceum in Wijk by Duurstede, the Netherlands, is kept free from Legionnaires bacteria fully automatically.

The owner, the CVO group, has installed the LegioFreeWater system. The new school with the advanced legionella prevention system was officially opened on April 20.

Heat ribbon in water distrubtion piping
The LegioFreeWater system was developed by Hans Korstanje (photo left) and consists of a teflon cladded heat ribbon inside all water distribution piping. At regular intervals the ribbon is heated, increasing the water temperature inside the piping to a level which kills legionella bacteria and destroys proteins that allow the bacteria to grow. The system includes an automated reporting system that can be operated through an internet connection.

No legionella infections
After frequent Legionella infections in the former Revius building, a few years ago, the LegioFreeWater system has been installed. After that, occurrence of legionella has never been observed again. The water distribution piping in the new buidling was installed with the legionella prevention system right from the beginning.

Hans Korstanje is pleased and proud that in the new building, designed by architect Thomas Rau, his system has been selected again. “Why expose our children and elderly, sporting in the evening, to the risk of Legionella, when you can exclude all risks and also save very much money with my system?” says a proud Hans Korstanje.

Combination of three components
The LegioFreeWater system uses three patents:
- a serial construction without branching that prevents stagnant water,
- a thermal ribbon inside the pipe for periodic disinfection and
- a drain system.
In the new Revius school building these patents are combined in a legionella-safe installation for the 34 showers in the sports department of the new school.

Fifty times more efficient
The operation is fully automated and uses a building management system from Johnson Controls. Compared to conventional systems LegioFreeWater is fifty times more efficient with water and energy. In addition, the labor needed to manage the system is practically nil.

The concierges can spend their time on other things while the CVO group complies in an excellent manner with their duty to prevent Legionella as mentioned in the Dutch Drinking Water Act.

First outbreak at convention of the American Legion
Legionnaires bacteria acquired its name in July 1976 when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia.

On January 18, 1977 the causative agent was identified as a previously unknown strain of bacteria, subsequently named Legionella. Some people can be infected with the Legionella bacteria and have only mild symptoms or no illness at all.

Large deadly outbreak in The Netherlands
In March 1999, an outbreak in the Netherlands occurred during the Westfriese Flora flower exhibition in Bovenkarspel. 318 people became ill and at least 32 people died. There is a possibility that more people died from it, but these people were buried before the Legionella infection was recognized. The source of the bacteria was a hot tub in the exhibition area.

Shortly after this outbreak the Dutch government extended the national Drinking Water Act with special legislation for legionella prevention.

Underdiagnosed worldwide
Between 1995 and 2005 over 32,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease and more than 600 outbreaks were reported to the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI). In the future, there may be an increase in cases as the population becomes more elderly. There is a shortage of data on Legionella in developing countries and it is likely that Legionella-related illness is underdiagnosed worldwide.

This news release was originally published on the website of LegioSafeWater (in Dutch only).


More information
LegioFreeWater
Philip Korff de Gidts
+31 6 13487034
pkdg@legiofreewater.com
www.legiofreewater.com



>


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APM Terminals selects Dutch consortium for construction of Maasvlakte II terminal

April 21st, 2012 by nwp

The construction of the new APM Terminals’ Maasvlakte II has been awarded to a Dutch consortium of GMB, Dura Vermeer and Imtech.

The order, worth about 100 million euro, covers the laying of surfacing, cables, pipes, craneways and rail connections.

Total investments for the terminal are estimated at around half a billion Euros.

Completed April 2014
Work will begin this week and should be completed in April 2014, with the terminal being operational at the end of 2014.

The 180 hectare terminal will boast an initial annual capacity of 2.7 million TEU, with the option of being increased to 4.5 million TEU.

Deepsea quay
APM Terminals’ Maasvalkte II will boast 2,800 meters of deepsea quay, 1,000 meters of which will be completed in the first phase. A 500 meter long quay for inland vessels and feeders will also be built, with a depth in excess of 10 meters. The quay wall will have a depth of 20 meters.

The terminal will be able to welcome the latest generation of container ships. Maersk, the biggest container shipping line in the world and sister of APMT, will put the first of twenty ships with a capacity of 18,000 TEU into operation next year.


APMT already has a terminal on the existing Maasvlakte and will continue to use this alongside the new one.

In addition to APMT, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has granted a container terminal on the Second Maasvlakte to the consortium of DP World and four large container shipping companies, under the name Rotterdam World Gateway.

The news release was originally published on the website of Port of Rotterdam (in Dutch only).


More information
Projectorganisatie Maasvlakte 2
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
+31 10 252 10 10
www.maasvlakte2.com

APM Terminals
Maasvlakte, the Netherlands
+31 181 372 222
www.apmterminals.com




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PWN Technologies wins IWA Project Innovation Award 2012 with ceramic membranes and ion exchange

April 19th, 2012 by nwp

The demonstration installation of PWN Technologies at the drinking water treatment plant Andijk III has won the European edition of the Project Innovation Award 2012 – category applied research – of the International Water Association (IWA). This was announced by the IWA on April 4.

The pretreatment installation for the intake of surface water from Lake Ijssel (IJsselmeer) received the highest score based on the judging criteria of innovation, future value to the water engineering profession, and sustainability.

Follow on competition for the global award
The award will be handed out in Brussels on May 15. Together with the winners of other regional competitions the demo plant Andijk will compete for the PIA Global Grand Prize, which will be presented at the IWA World Water Congress in Busan, Korea on September 19.

Pretreatment with ceramic membranes and ion exchange
The demo installation is a pretreatment installation for the production of drinking water, integrating two technologies that PWN Technologies developed based on suspended ion exchange (SIX) and ceramic membranes (CeraMac). SIX and CeraMac result in higher water quality, lower energy consumption and a lower environmental burden.

Removal of organic material from surface water
For about 80 years coagulation in combination with filtration has been the mainstream approach for removing particles from drinking water. Coagulation’s main aim was the removal of suspended matter. Over time the importance of organic removal has grown and it has been targeted to reduce disinfection, by-products and improve operation in new downstream processes.

There are however serious limitations to this approach of pretreatment: it produces a lot of sludge and the amount of organic material that can be removed is limited. As the water industry switches from conventional sand-filtration based to more efficient technologies such as membrane filtration and advanced oxidation, pre-treatment technologies are needed.

No fouling of RO-membranes
The demonstration pretreatment installation in Andijk, where SIX and CeraMac are integrated, was completed in 2011 and has operated very efficiently. The plant has a capacity of 50 m3/hr. SIX serves as a pre-treatment for the CeraMac system by removing organics that would normally stick to and foul the reverse osmosis membranes. The installation has been used to try various resins and optimize various operating conditions.

The main aim was to reduce cost, increase sustainability and improve water quality. All these objectives have been attained.

These technologies are also to be applied in the new water treatment plant Andijk III. The water supply company PWN has commissioned PWN Technologies to build this plant. which will be operational at the end of 2013.
(read also: PWN Technologies to build its largest SIX/CeraMac plant in Andijk, December 30, 2011)

Worldwide recognition
Says Mr. Pieter Spohr, CEO of PWN Technologies: “We are very honored to be receiving this award. It is a worldwide recognition of the technologies we have developed at PWN Technologies. PWN Water Supply Company North-Holland embraced the SIX and CeraMac technologies, and several water companies have shown keen interest. PUB has a CeraMac demonstration plant working at the CCK Waterworks in Singapore. We believe in our technologies. This award shows we are right. And above that: it is an incentive to continue to innovate.”


More information
PWN Technologies
Velzerbroek, the Netherlands
+31 23 541 3740
www.pwntechnologies.nl
Debbie Middendorp, Global director of marketing & communications
E: dmiddendorp@pwntechnologies.com, M: +65 9171 2209
Daniel Chua, Press Relations Manager Asia
E: dchua@pwntechnologies.com, M: +65 9177 6348

and

IWA Project Innovation Award 2012
www.iwa-pia.org
gladys.ng@iwahq.org




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Two big Dutch engineering consultancies Royal Haskoning and DHV announce merge

March 1st, 2012 by nwp

Engineering consultancies DHV and Royal Haskoning are delighted to announce their intention to merge. The new company will be one of Europe’s leading independent project management, engineering and consultancy service providers and will rank globally in the top 10 of independently owned, non-listed companies and top 40 overall.

New company with 8,000 staff
The intended name of the new company will be Royal Haskoning DHV, whereby for continuation of the Royal designation, a request will be submitted. With its headquarters in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, the company’s 8,000 staff will provide services from more than 100 offices in over 35 countries. Together, they deliver solutions to clients in planning & transport, delta & water technology, maritime, aviation, industry & energy and buildings. The new combination will have a turnover in excess of 700 million euro.

Much synergy
Bertrand van Ee, chairman of DHV and designated chairman of the Executive Board of the new company (left on photo), comments: “We are very excited about the opportunities for our clients and employees. This merger brings together an incredible pool of talent and immediately doubles our reach.”

Erik Oostwegel, chairman of Royal Haskoning and designated vice-chairman of the Executive Board of the new company (right on photo), says: “The synergy between the two companies is enormous. We have worked together on projects before, but this is a whole new ball game.”

Acceleration of international expansion
The merger realises the ambitions of both founding companies to be an industry leader backed by a financially sound balance sheet. It accelerates their strategies for international expansion with combined knowledge and geographic bases in Europe, South Africa, Middle East and Asia. The new company will be a significant global player in the maritime, water and delta technology markets and a major party in aviation, mobility and infrastructure.

Independent and wholly trust-owned
Both Royal Haskoning and DHV are independent, trust-owned, non-listed companies. The transaction will be a merger of equals, whereby the new company will also remain independent and wholly trust-owned. Common values are an important part of the equation. The companies share a profound commitment to business integrity, sustainable development and enhancing society. Each has a proud heritage of bringing leading expertise and innovation to the market.

The Letter of Intent for the merger was signed by both parties yesterday. Signing of the Merger Agreement is scheduled for mid-summer, after the due diligence and after all approvals, customary to this type of transaction, have been obtained.

This news item is based on the press release that was originally published by
DHV Group and Royal Haskoning.


More information
Royal Haskoning
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
www.royalhaskoning.com

DHV
Amersfoort, the Netherlands
+31 33 468 37 00
www.dhvgroup.com


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Arcadis CEO Harrie Noy steps down; Neil McArthur named succesor

January 30th, 2012 by nwp

Consultancy firm Arcadis announced that Harrie Noy has decided to step down from his position as CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board in the upcoming General Meeting of Shareholders on May 16, 2012, He will be succeeded by Neil McArthur, who was named to the Executive Board last year.

Also, the current Director Europe, Stephanie Hottenhuis, who has been with ARCADIS since 1995, would be nominated for appointment to the Executive Board at the upcoming General Meeting of Shareholders.

Board member for 18 years
Noy was Executive Board member for 18 years, of which 12 years as CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board. Under his leadership the company grew strongly, mainly through further international expansion. Since 2000, gross revenues increased from 750 million to 2.3 billion euro, the number of employees from 7,500 to almost 19,000 and the market capitalization from 150 million to 1 billion euro.

Big acquisitions
De Noy led the acquisition of a number of large companies with a leading reputation in the market: US-based environmental consultancy BBL (2005), international architectural and master planning firm RTKL (2007), water and environmental company Malcolm Pirnie (2009) and more recently the merger with project management and consultancy firm EC Harris.

Strategy for Asia and Middle East
Neil McArthur, civil and mechanical engineer, started his career at Shell, where he worked on large investment projects in Qatar and the Netherlands.

Since joining ARCADIS he has been closely involved in the merger with EC Harris, leads the integration process and is responsible for the strategy for Asia and the Middle East.

Stephanie Hottenhuis has worked for ARCADIS since 1995 in several positions in market development, project management and general management, gaining extensive international experience, especially in Asia and Europe.

This news item is based on the press release originally published on the website of Arcadis.


More information
Arcadis NV
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
+31 20 2011 011
www.arcadis.com


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New backhoe dredger launched at Dutch Ravestein shipyard for Belgian-Russian customer

January 4th, 2012 by nwp

Ravestein Shipyard BV in Deest, the Netherlands launched its backhoe dredger Ravenhoe 900B ‘Peter the Great’ on December 31st, 2012. The pontoon was built for the account of the Belgian dreding company DEME NV and its Russian partner NDC (Northern Dredging Company Ltd), part of the PST Group.

The Dutch shipyard Ravestein BV was awarded with a contract for the design and construction of a backhoe dredger in November 2010.

Equipped with crane and three spud legs
The ‘Peter the Great’ will have a length of 60 m, breadth of 17.20 m, depth of 4 m, deck load of 10 tonnes/m² and will be equipped with a Liebherr P 995 Litronic crane and three spud legs each 34m in length.

The pontoon has two fixed spud legs, one hydraulically operated spud carrier with spud leg and an excavator. The excavator is a Liebherr P 995 Litronic type which is designed for a maritime environment and has a dredging depth of 18.20 m and a bucket of 11m³. The vessel can accommodate 10 persons

Russian tsar with shipbuilding interest
The ‘Peter the Great’ was named after the Russian Tsar and emperor known for the implementation of great reforms in Russia that helped to expand and modernize the country into a huge empire becoming a major European power.

Peter the Great founded one of the world’s most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg, also called “North capital and Venice of North” of the Russian Federation.

Peter the Great has spent some time along the banks of the river Sheldt close to DEME’s headquarters, showing interest in the local shipbuilding industry.

The choice of the name ‘Peter the Great’ underlines DEME’s growing presence in the Russian market.

This news item was originally published on the wesite Dredging news online


More information
Ravestein Shipyards
Deest, the Netherlands
+31 487 512 034
www.ravestein.nl


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Maasvlakte 2: Blockbuster reaches main land building hard sea wall

December 30th, 2011 by nwp

Construction of the hard sea wall that is to protect the north side of Maasvlakte 2, proceeds steadily. The ‘wet’ activities underwater were completed in November. In the meantime the specially constructed land-based crane, the Blockbuster, continues to work briskly on the block dam (black line on photo above) that will reach the mainland in mid-February. The coastal expansion project by the Rotterdam harbor is right on schedule.

Large scale dredging completed
PUMA – the joint venture involving Boskalis and Van Oord – started the Maasvlakte 2 project for the Rotterdam Port Authority in 2008. The first phase of the project encompasses 700 hectares of new land for the port.

In 2011 the large-scale spraying of sand from the sea was finished and the first 500 metres of deepsea quay were delivered. The new dunes were finished, roads and viaducts were constructed and work was done on the infrastructure for utilities.


The Blockbuster crane is buidling the hard sea and is now reaching the main land.

In the second phase PUMA will build the quays, roads, railways and bicycle paths. The harbor basins will be deepened to 20 meters below NAP (Normal Amsterdam Level) so that even the largest container vessels can moor there.

Final closure from the sea
In April 2012 PUMA will deliver the hard sea wall which is part of a 11 kilometers long new coastal defense structure.

In July 2012 the gap in the sprayed sand dam will be closed, and at the start of 2013 the connection between the Yangtze harbour and the new port basins will be cut through.

Well over halfway
After three years of construction and less than two years until the first ship berths at the quay, the construction of Maasvlakte 2 is well over halfway. While 2011 was mainly concerned with distances and volumes, 2012 is the year in which everything comes together.

Construction of container terminals
The seawall will be closed and the infrastructure connected so that access for shipping can be opened via the Yangtze harbour. Both customers – RWG and APM Terminals – will be building their terminals in 2012 for occupation in 2014.

Maasvlakte 2 is the largest hydraulic engineering project in the Netherlands since the Delta Project and the construction of the present Maasvlakte.


More information
Project organization Maasvlakte 2
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
+31 (0)10 252 10 10
info@maasvlakte2.com
www.maasvlakte.com/en


Posted in News.

PWN Technologies to build its largest SIX/CeraMac plant in Andijk, the Netherlands

December 30th, 2011 by nwp

PWN Technologies can start construction of the innovative pretreatment plant Andijk III for drinking water production in Andijk, the Netherlands. The local authorities have recently granted the building permits.

The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2013, requiring an investment of nearly 50 million euros. PWN Technologies is responsible for the construction and the commission is by the public water supply company PWN North Holland.

Suspended ion exchange and ceramic membrane
The new pre treatment process for surface water developed by PWN Technologies, is based on suspended ion exchange (SIX) and ceramic membranes (CeraMac). This new treatment process will produce water of a better quality, but will also have a lower energy consumption (30%) and lower environmental load (using a natural resin instead of ferric chloride sulfate).


The first ceramic membrane pilot installation in 2008 at Andijk.

Comparison with polymer membranes
The use of a ceramic membrane compared to a polymer membrane has various advantages. Besides a longer lifetime almost any chemical can be used in combination with the membrane, making it possible to clean it with almost any thinkable cleaning regime. The strength of the membrane also makes it possible to use extreme backwash pressure without damaging the membrane and risking an integrity breach.

Although ceramic membranes are perceived to be more expensive than polymeric membranes, their longer life expectancy results in comparable membrane operational costs.

Existing plant outdated
The existing water treatment plant in Andijk which was built in 1968 has become outdated. The current plant requires replacement within a few years in order to guarantee a continued drinking water supply for North Holland in future decades.

Furthermore, the current plant’s capacity is insufficient for future requirements. The capacity of the current plant is 3,200 m³ per hour; Andijk III will have a capacity of at least 5,000 m³/h.

International interest
There is a great deal of international interest in this project. At the Singapore International Water Week in July 2011 PWN Technologies announced the building of a ceramic membrane demonstration plant for the Singapore water board PUB at its Choa Chu Kang plant.
(read the earlier DWS news report)

This news item is based on a press release by PWN Technologies.


More information
PWN Technologies
Velserbroek, the Netherlands
+31 23 541 3740
www.pwntechnologies.nl




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WWTP Dinxperlo turned into public water garden with latest Nereda water treatment technology

December 19th, 2011 by nwp

Water board Rijn & IJssel signed a contract with engineering and consultancy firm DHV to replace its outdated waste water treatment plant Dinxperlo by a completely new one, using the energy and space saving Nereda technology. The contract represents a value of approximately 8 million euro.

Upgrading of former landfill site
Construction of the new plant will be integrated in the Brüggenhütte spatial plan in which the water board and municipality of Aalten are jointly turning a former waste disposal site into a public water garden and green area.

Smaller footprint and energy saving
The selection of the Nereda technology enabled the water board Rijn & IJssel to build an efficient new plant, requiring a far smaller footprint. Philip Schyns, project leader at the water board: “Besides needing less space, this technology will enable us to save energy and costs in the longer term. These advantages have knock-on benefits for efficiency and the environment.”

The strength of the Nereda technology lies in special bacteria that grow in concentrated and fast settling granules. Conventional methods of treating wastewater use bacteria in fluffy flakes, which take much more time to separate from the treated water.

Attractive water garden
The water board attaches importance to corporate social responsibility, efficiency (particularly energy efficiency), sustainability and cooperation. There is close collaboration between the water board and Aalten municipality to create an attractive area in tandem with construction of the new treatment plant.

The Nereda-treated wastewater is going to flow into attractive parcels of water and reeds through a public water garden.

DHV board member Piet van Helvoort states: “Internationally this technology is regarded as a breakthrough in wastewater treatment and the expectation is that the technology will become the new global standard.”

State-of-the-art: aerobic granular biomass
Nereda is an innovative state-of-the-art biological wastewater treatment technology that purifies water using the unique features of ‘aerobic granular biomass’. Contrary to conventional processes, the purifying bacteria concentrate naturally in compact granules, with superb settling properties.

As a result of the large variety of biological processes that simultaneously take place in the granular biomass, Nereda is capable of producing excellent effluent quality. Even when not particularly targeted, extensive biological phosphorus and nitrogen reduction is an intrinsic attribute of this technology, resulting generally in chemical-free operation.

The first full scale Nereda installation for municipal waste water at WWTP Epe, the Netherlands, it finalizing commission soon. A number of demo installations with Nereda technology for municipal wastewater is already operational in the Netherlands, Portugal and South Africa. For the treatment of industrial waste water, several Nereda installations have been commissioned since 2006.

This news items was originally published on the website of DHV.
DHV.


More information
DHV
Amersfoort, the Netherlands
Ronald Niermans, Project Manager
E ronald.niermans@dhv.com T +31 33 468 37 70
www.dhv/nereda.com


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