SurfCleaner stages ‘World Premiere’ of SCW 6000 at IFAT 2022, following flurry of pilot projects backed by Swedish Energy Association

SurfCleaner is staging the ‘World Premiere’ of its revolutionary new product, the SCW 6000, at IFAT 2022.

The device has been specially designed to improve the management of floating sludge, which presents a notorious challenge for wastewater treatment plants worldwide.

It comes after a flurry of demonstration projects, backed by the Swedish Energy Association. Three SCW 6000 devices are currently being tested across two wastewater treatment sites in Sweden – with another due for installation in Cyprus later in 2022.

Sludge residue is a by-product of wastewater treatment processes. It accumulates in large volumes as solid, semisolid or slurry material. Floating sludge, in particular, is costly, time-intensive and energy-draining to manage, with operators traditionally resorting to manual flushing and pumping with vast quantities of water. The surface-level sludge also rots after around 15-days, releasing noxious odors, presenting biohazard issues for site operators.

IFAT 2022 – running from May 30 to June 03 in Munich, Germany – is recognized as the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management.

The event presents the perfect opportunity to unveil the ground-breaking SCW 6000 technology, following a soft-launch at VA-mässan in Sweden earlier in the year.

“We are hugely excited for the SCW 6000 ‘World Premier’ at IFAT 2022,” he said. “This is a special product which presents a universal solution to floating sludge. We are already witnessing strong market demand for the product, with a packed schedule of demonstration projects throughout the summer months, in addition to the pilot projects already underway. Our immediate plan is to target the Nordics before turning our attention globally, through our extensive distributor network spanning the EU, Middle East and Americas.”

“The SCW 6000 device offers a series of core benefits. A fully automated solution, it helps streamline several operational processes, slashing water, energy usage and manpower. Based on calculations from current pilot projects, the device is able to process circa 66tonnes of liquid sludge per year, leading to financial savings approaching SEK 600,000 (€60,000). In addition to sludge collection, the system also crucially separates the material presenting an opportunity for re-use in the form of biogas or fertilizer, contributing to the circular economy.”

Johan Jubner, SurfCleaner VP of Nordic Sales

SurfCleaner’s recent SCW 6000 pilot projects – which have received financial backing from the Swedish Energy Agency – have a series of key goals to prove the overall efficiency of the device. The demonstrations aim to record a 95% floating sludge collection capacity, with a 5-10% TS (Total Solid) level of the separated sludge.

This forms part of an overarching ‘sludge collection, separation, transportation and recycling’ solution aiming to slash energy use by 75 MWh/year by shifting from continuous to intermittent aeration. It is further aiming to reduce ‘carbon source’ chemical use by 5% and aluminum chloride by 20%, while slashing water use by 17,000 m3 and man-hours by 70% per year.

IFAT 2022 also provides a good opportunity to crack open the German market. Exhibiting alongside Italian distribution partner WTE, SurfCleaner is actively targeting a German counterpart to join its global distribution network which has grown five-fold since 2020.

“After receiving huge interest from partners across Europe, SurfCleaner is now offering an exclusive opportunity for a German distributor, active in industrial applications involving wastewater as well as the oil and gas industry,” said Mr Wall Qvist. “We are looking for a firm which shares our vision and ambition to promote a world-class product range, which has the ability to save money, time and energy while boosting green credentials.”

Stefan Wall Qvist, SurfCleaner VP of International Sales