Outstanding solutions for superior water treatment launched by Kemira

Kemira Water offers a wide range of high quality products and processes for environmentally friendly and cost-effective water treatment and improves their competitiveness by launching new products and customer solutions. Furthermore, they continue to expand their business in emerging markets.

Kemira Water focuses on providing their customers with customized products and solutions for water treatment. The products include aluminium sulphate, iron based coagulants – ferric chloride and ferric sulphate – hundreds of different types of polymers, engineered to meet each customer´s needs.

Kemira Water also treats water to prevent corrosion and odours in distribution systems and sewers. They provide products and technologies for wastewater treatment plants resulting in water that is so clean it can be released back in its natural cycle.

As part of the overall strategy to strengthen the position as the global leader in water treatment, Kemira Water launched a number of the new customer solutions at IFAT 2008 in Munich, Germany. The new solutions are targeted for wastewater treatment and will help customers deal with challenges in bulking sludge & foam control, odour & corrosion control and sludge management both better and more cost effective than ever before.

Kemira FilamentEx™ prevents problems from happening
When the phenomenon with bulking sludge and foam is a fact, it must be avoided by a hard fight. It is a complicated and unpredictable challenge formed in various locations in wastewater treatment plants globally – in biological tanks, secondary sedimentation basins, aerobic or anaerobic digesters, dewatering devices or even in the treated effluent.

One of the most common ways to treat this is by adding various kinds of chemicals - hoping for the best. To make things even worse the addition of chemicals is often done randomly at a too late stage, with far too large quantities. This means a very limited control and understanding of the entire process – the result in some cases being that a wastewater treatment plant will suffer for years without finding a sustainable solution to the challenge.

To enhance continuous control of growth of bulking sludge and foam caused by the filamentous bacteria, Kemira Water has developed a specific concept – Kemira FilamentEx™ – a combination of products, support and services. Kemira Water´s expertise is based on extensive research, analysis, knowledge and experience, making it possible to draw the right conclusions and come up with a well balanced action plan – thereby giving the right “medicine” in the right doses at the right time for each specific plant.

Kemira H2S-Guard™ doubles the effect
One of the worst chemical compounds leading to odour problems is hydrogen sulphide, H2S, with its intense smell. This is an exceedingly unpleasant and highly poisonous gas, affecting surrounding community, wastewater plant personnel and concrete pipe sewer systems – and in turn affecting health and safety.

People don’t accept this situation and declare their rights living in an environment without foul odour. Moreover, hydrogen sulphide leads to corrosion of concrete pipes. Damaged sewage systems in turn cause huge maintenance costs and endanger the drinking water supply. An in-depth knowledge in the field of odour and corrosion control is required to be able to diagnose the generation of H2S – and take necessary steps to prevent it.

Kemira Water´s overall solution, Kemira H2S-Guard™, has the capability to prevent formation of
H2S – and to cure it when it has occurred. The concept comprises equipment for measurement of hydrogen sulphide, a control box steering a dosing pump, monitoring facilities, supply of chemicals together with knowledge, service and storage facilities. The most efficient chemicals are iron nitrates, as they work both preventively and curatively.

Kemira H2S-Guard™ gives instant information on current levels of hydrogen sulphide in real-time, providing a clear view of the situation in the sewer network and how critical parameters change over time. According to each customer’s needs, Kemira Water will not only choose and install the most compatible products, but also provide proper training, managing future maintenance and optimum calibration, thus helping the customer to keep overview, management and control of their operations.

Kemira KemiCond® minimizes the sludge volume
As wastewater sludge accounts for about 50% of the total costs of wastewater treatment, reducing sludge volumes has a great potential to decrease the overall plant cost. Furthermore, the environmental debate puts wastewater plant operations under pressure to handle the sludge in a sustainable manner – and naturally according to current laws and regulations.

The target is clear: to reduce sludge volumes by effective conditioning and dewatering – and to make the sludge odourless and hygienized. The treated sludge can be used in different ways – for agriculture, landfill, or for incineration. As most end users require that the sludge is transported to another destination, it’s of great importance to increase the dry substance (DS), thereby reducing volumes and, in turn, cutting transportation and disposal costs.

Kemira Water is able to help the customers to manage a successful dewatering with the support of the patented solution Kemira KemiCond®. The overall savings in disposal costs are significantly higher than the cost for the chemical treatment of Kemira KemiCond®. Disposal cost is reduced as is the cost for any flocculation polymer, since dosage can be lowered. Kemira KemiCond® also provides synergy since it hygienizes and reduces odour.

Kemira KemiCond® is a fully automated and continuous process, that improves dewatering by breaking down the water retaining structures formed in the sludge – and ensures smooth operation and minimum “workload” requirement. In partnership with the customer, Kemira Water takes full responsibility for process design, assists in equipment installation, performs operator training, carries out maintenance services and cares for product supply.

About Kemira
Kemira is a group of global and leading chemical businesses with unique positions in selected customer segments. Kemira's four business areas, Kemira Pulp&Paper, Kemira Water, Kemira Specialty and Kemira Coatings, provide customers with complete solutions, expertise and premium quality products. Kemira serves the pulp and paper industry, water treatment, paint business and chemical industry. In 2007, Kemira recorded revenue of approximately EUR 2.8 billion and had a staff of 10,007. Kemira operates in 40 countries.