Membion secures €5M for wastewater treatment tech
Summary
Today German wastewater treatment company Membion announced an investment of around 5 million led by TechVision Fonds (TVF) and DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF).The company develops and produces membrane bioreactor (MBR) modules for wastewater treatment.With the multi-patented technology, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant operators can meet the growing demands on water quality and significantly reduce operating costs.Membion founders Dr Klaus Vossenkaul and Dirk Volmering studied process engineering at RWTH Aachen University and have over 20 years of experience in the industry. In future, operators will have to pay fines under German and European legislation if they do not meet these quality standards. Further, compared to conventional MBR plate modules, 75 percent less space is required.The companys unique membrane filters, so-called hollow fibre MBR modules, achieve significant energy and thus, operating cost savings while maintaining space efficiency. There is no need for secondary clarification as in conventional systems.This matters because ever-increasing demands on water quality will soon require a so-called "fourth purification stage. "In addition to the separation of sewage sludge and water that has been implemented to date, this will also have to filter microplastics, antibiotic-resistant germs, pathogens and trace substances such as drug residues from the water.To meet these future requirements, sewage treatment plants will need additional space to retrofit a purification stage.Additionally, the growth of urban areas requires extra capacity for water purification.Dr.