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The organisers of the environmental trade fair IFAT 2018 expected over 130,000 visitors. As it turned out, the number was over 141,000. A rise of 4 percent, underlining the claim by the organisers that the demand for environmental technology products, including water treatment, is rising all over the world.

The 2018 edition of IFAT took place from 14 to 18 May and hosted a record number of over 75 participants from the Dutch water sector.

Numerous delegations
‘IFAT presents the technologies of the future for clean environment, hence, it is driving the public discourse more actively than ever before’, said Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München in response to the new visitor’s record.

‘This was reflected in the visits of international politicians’, Rummel continued, ‘the numerous delegations from all over the world and technology experts who came to share ideas, experiences and knowhow’.

A look back
The Dutch water sector offered a very wide range of sustainable solutions on efficient (waste) water management, purification, nutrient recovery, water reuse, smart monitoring, and other appropriate water technologies.

An overview of the exhibitors at the well-visited Netherlands Pavilion can be found on a special section of this website.

Below a selection of photos that illustrate some of the Dutch exhibitions and presentations.

Most sustainable evaporator in the world
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Water technology supplier Cirtec officially launched its latest version of the GaLiCos evaporator at IFAT. Carlijn LaHaye (left) and Harry Tuinier revealed the first example of the fully synthetic Crescendo-version. According to CirTec it brings the most sustainable evaporator to date to the market. By using high-quality recyclable plastic, the new design can be applied to thicken liquids in an exceptional wide PH-range from 1 to 14 at temperatures ranging from 30 to 100°C.

Strategies on removal of micropollutants
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At a special forum, representatives of the European Commission, and German, Dutch and French environmental ministries, explained their national strategies to combat micropollutants in surface water. Apparently, all are currently talking to a wide range of stakeholders, from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries to the operators of municipal waste water treatment plants. Everybody is requested to take a share in the solution and contribute with viable measures. Marjan van Giezen reported the first successfully implemented measures in The Netherlands: hospitals with a Pharmafilter to treat their waste water and patients using urine bags at home during the first days after leaving the hospital.

All-Frisian screw pump
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Specialist in water technology and hydropower screw turbines, Landustrie, showed a special painted Archimedes screw pump at its booth. The screw was painted in the colours of the Dutch Frysian province. Landustrie uses the screw in strong flowing rivers to drive hydropower turbines. Hydropower screw systems have already been delivered to Austria, France, Germany, United Kingdom and even to the – very flat – Netherlands.

Networking reception at Dutch pavilion
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The three organising parties of Netherlands water pavilion, Envaqua, Water Alliance and Netherlands Water Partnership, held a well-attended networking reception on the second day of the trade fair. Several exhibitors were given the opportunity to present their latest technology, including director Lex van Dijk (middle) of Bluetec who told about his new waste water treatment pilot with forward osmose.

Fancy built-in system for domestic water reuse
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Hydraloop showed its residential water saving system at a special pavilion on water reuse and stormwater catchment. The fancy built-in system has the potential to reuse up to 85 percent of domestic water by cleaning and disinfecting waste water from the shower, bath and washing machine. The water can be reused for lavatory flushing, washing machine, garden irrigation or topping up the swimming pool.

What are they talking about?
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Two exhibitors at the Netherlands Pavilion, Erik Roesink (left) of NX Filtration and Tom van Remmen of Van Remmen UV Technologies caught up in a conversation. Yes, it had to be about the additional treatment of effluent of a waste water treatment plant. The nanofiltration technology of NX Filtration has the ability to separate the wwtp-effluent in a clean fresh water stream and a concentrate that contains all micropollutants. Van Remmen has a solution for an additional treatment of the concentrate by advanced oxidation, using UV-light in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide oxidant. Both agreed their technologies would be an ideal match.

Joint German-Dutch 'Green-Blue Living Labs'
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Hosted by the Consul-General of the Netherlands in Munich, Peter Verweij, Dutch and German companies interested in joint projects met at a circular economy breakfast meeting on 17 May. Both in Germany as in the Netherlands, many environmental technology suppliers are small SME-companies. The breakfast meeting had been organise to bring them in contact and talk about possible to participate in joint ‘Green-Blue Living Labs’ projects in urban environments.

Special pavilion for start-ups
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For the first time IFAT had a special pavilion for start-ups, under the banner of Experience.science.future. One of the exhibitors at the pavilion was the Dutch-based start-up SenZ2. This company showed a ground breaking small blue box for online measuring of water levels in mm accuracy. The box used radar technology, combined with the connectivity of Internet-of-Things (IoT). Here seen is director Martin van Rijn showing the blue box, on top is a barrel with water treatment chemicals.

Live presentations on flux enhancement with Helix membranes
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Every day Pentair X-Flow’s r&d manager Jens Potreck gave a live presentation on the Helix-membranes that have been developed by Pentair X-Flow. By enhancing the turbulence right at the entrance at the membrane wall, the Helix technology provides a higher flux, increases flow, and saves energy. Potreck showed the results of the Helix UF-membranes that are already operational.

Smart water sensors
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In line with many German exhibitors, Dutch supplier of water monitoring equipment, Royal Eijkelkamp, payed special attention to its devices with smart technology that supply 24/7 online insight in water flows and water quality. On their booth. Eijkelkamp showed its automated Divers sensor for monitoring groundwater levels, as well as its Spectral-8 (UV/VIS) datalogger-sensor set for real-time optical measurement of BOD, COD, TOC, NO3 at waste water treatment plants.

The next IFAT will take place from 4 to 8 May 2020.

Read also on this website
● IFAT 2018: Potential of renewable nutrients from sewage sludge left untouched, 29 May 2018
● IFAT 2018: Colsen presents water supply plant for company in dry running Cape Town, South Africa, 24 May 2018
● IFAT 2018: How Nijhuis links tasteful mint to waste water, 18 May 2018
IFAT 2018: Paques presents compact version of its Astrasand continuous sand filter, 16 May 2018
● IFAT 2018: Call on EU to develop standards for micropollutants in waste water, 15 May 2018
● IFAT 2018: Dutch water sector shows its new water technologies, 14 May 2018
● Meet the Dutch water in the Netherlands water pavilion at IFAT2018 (Hall B2 - booth 104/205)

More information

IFAT
www.ifat.de

Netherlands Water Partnership
The Hague, the Netherlands
+31 70 304 37 00
www.nwp.nl/en

 Water Alliance
Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
+31 58 284 90 44
www.wateralliance.nl

 Envaqua
Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
+31 88 400 85 45
www.envaqua.nl