Latvian-Dutch technology company Spectromarine has developed a sensor that makes one of the water sectorโs most persistent challenges visible before it begins to affect performance. By providing real-time measurements, the technology enables operators to detect membrane fouling early and run treatment systems more efficiently.
Biofouling is a major challenge for reverse osmosis desalination plants around the world. As membranes become fouled, efficiency declines while energy consumption and maintenance costs increase.โจSpectromarine, which now also has a presence at WaterCampus Leeuwarden, has developed a sensor that continuously monitors membrane performance and detects changes almost immediately. This allows operators to intervene at an earlier stage, for example by initiating cleaning cycles or optimising chemical dosing.
โBiofouling can be caused by many different types of contamination,โ says CEO Girts Ozolins. โIf you can monitor these processes in real time, you can intervene much more effectively.โ
According to Ozolins, the technology can deliver significant economic benefits. By optimising maintenance schedules and chemical use, facilities can reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs and extend the lifespan of their membranes.โจโFor operators, the savings can amount to hundreds of thousands of euros,โ he says. The technology originated from research at the University of Latvia, where the founders developed new sensor technologies for complex industrial environments. Today, Spectromarine focuses exclusively on applications within the water sector. โจโจAlthough Spectromarineโs primary focus is the desalination industry, its optical sensor technology can also be applied in many other sectors where biofouling presents similar challenges. These include HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), aquaculture, environmental monitoring and post-mining operations. The company has already launched several pilot projects in these fields.
Spectromarine is one of the seven finalists in the ๐ช๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, Water Alliance’s innovation award for Dutch water technology companies. The final will take place on 26 October during the ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ (๐๐ช๐ง๐ช) in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
The other finalists are CIWI, Deep – Hydrography & Geophysics, Flowless – Sustainable Solutions, Luper Technologies, Solaq and Versa Solution.
More information and registration: www.europeanwatertechweek.eu