Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. announced on April 7 that its Microza (TM) hollow-fiber membrane was selected for Singapore's largest wastewater reclamation plant, the Second Changi NEWater Plant (capacity: 288,000 cubic meters/day) with operation scheduled for start-up in October 2016.  

Over the past decade, the government of Singapore has constructed several wastewater reclamation plants called "NEWater" plants in order to secure sufficient water resources. The NEWater plants use various types of microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, including Microza (TM) hollow-fiber membrane at the Ulu Pandan NEWater Plant (capacity: 191,000 cubic meters/day; start-up: 2007) and the Bedok NEWater Plant (capacity: 73,000 cubic meters/day; start-up: 2008).

Microza (TM) was selected for the Second Changi NEWater Plant in recognition of its outstanding performance and reliable operation, after extensive evaluation and comparison of the performance of various membranes by UES Holdings Pte. Ltd., concessionaire of the project.

With this project, the market share of Microza (TM) will reach some 60% among UF/MF membrane systems for NEWater plants in Singapore, the world's largest wastewater reclamation market.

Outline of the Second Changi NEWater Plant:

Location:      Changi, Singapore

Capacity:      288,000 cubic meters/day

Concessionaire: UES Holdings Pte. Ltd.

Start-up:       October 2016 (scheduled)

About Microza (TM):

Microza (TM) hollow-fiber membranes made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) exhibit outstanding physical strength and chemical resistance, with long-term stable performance in water treatment applications exceeding competing PVDF membranes. By enabling the complete removal of bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms such as cryptosporidium, Microza (TM) has gained the reliance and trust of customers as a substitute for the conventional processes employing coagulation, sedimentation, and sand filtration.

Future outlook for Microza (TM):

The global market for MF/UF systems is growing by some 10% annually, driven by serious environmental water quality issues and water shortages, as well as increasingly stringent wastewater regulations throughout the world. Asahi Kasei Chemicals is the world's leading supplier of MF/UF membranes, with its Microza (TM) membranes used at over 1,000 plants worldwide.

Microza (TM) holds the leading share of the US market for membrane-process water clarification systems, the world's largest market for such systems. Adoption of Microza (TM) has been growing firmly in many countries which face water shortages and growing needs for improved water quality, including China and other Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, and Middle Eastern countries.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals will continue to contribute to solutions for a wide range of environmental problems related to water resources by achieving further growth in orders for large-scale water-treatment facilities throughout the world, particularly in Asian countries where the number and scale of such projects are forecasted to increase steadily.

Source: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp.