Demcon Optiqua and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, recently signed a contract for the further rollout of EventLab in Singapore. EventLab is Optiqua’s comprehensive solution for real-time drinking water monitoring. PUB and Demcon Optiqua in recent years have worked closely together to develop this solution based on Optiqua’s optical sensor technology. The rollout’s official start took place yesterday in the Dutch Pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai in the presence of the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers.

Technology developer and producer Demcon has acquired Suster, a spin-off of Twente University in the field of chemistry and process technology. Through research and process development, Suster contributes to greening the process industry. The acquisition enables Suster to carry out larger and more complex assignments relating to the recycling and valorization of waste materials. Demcon in turn gains new competencies with which to have more impact in the energy transition, for example in relation to hydrogen and battery technology. ‘Furthermore, we see many opportunities in sustainable process technology and the circular economy for the Demcon group.’

The industrial hydrogen ecosystem in the Northern Netherlands is receiving a significant boost that builds onto the foundation laid by the first Hydrogen Valley in Europe. The motivating reason for this is the WAviatER project: Hydrogen production technology for the Aviation sector and Energy applications at a Regional level. At the beginning of this month, the Northern Netherlands Alliance awarded a grant to this project from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). As part of this project, a Northern Netherlands consortium will be developing green hydrogen technology. The consortium partners are Douna Machinery Leeuwarden, JB Besturingstechniek, REDstack, Demcon, Groningen Airport Eelde, New Energy Coalition and the University of Groningen, supported by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and VONK, a leading power and control systems solutions provider. The first concrete application is at Groningen Airport Eelde: Hydrogen Valley Airport. An electrolyzer will be developed here to produce green hydrogen as an emission-free energy carrier for light airplanes, drones and ground material. “In the Northern Netherlands this is the first step towards an ecosystem of companies that develop their own products for the green hydrogen economy.”

Maritime contractor Van Oord has placed a new order with Demcon unmanned systems; this time for a larger unmanned, autonomous offshore platform. This vessel is suitable for challenging offshore conditions and weeklong survey operations at sea. The use of these electric unmanned vessels enables Van Oord to make their operations more sustainable, work more safely and optimally deploy its employees.