Aquafin and Dockwater sign a Memorandum of Understanding to explore using treated wastewater in Dockwater's Desalination Plant

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ANTWERP, Belgium, Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AQUAFIN NV ("Aquafin") and DOCKWATER BV ("Dockwater") announced today that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") to explore using treated wastewater in Dockwater's desalination plant in the Port of Antwerp.

Industrial facilities at the Port of Antwerp currently use drinking water for industrial purposes, as it is the only source of water currently available.  Unlike other water projects which will continue to use fresh water for industrial purposes, Dockwater's facility is designed to use both wastewater and salty water from the docks, reducing industrial consumption of fresh water by more than 95% at industrial sites at the Port thereby easing pressure on drinking water supplies in the Antwerp region.

Aquafin's Antwerpen Noord Wastewater Treatment Plant is located nearby Dockwater's location at the Port of Antwerp. The ability to make use of wastewater will allow Dockwater and its customers to achieve full circularity in their water use and gives Dockwater a second, redundant source of water supply.  

Jan Goossens, Aquafin's Chief Executive Officer said: "Aquafin is committed to work with private and public entities that are interested in exploring reuse opportunities where it makes ecological, social and economic sense. Our MOU with Dockwater demonstrates our commitment to advance the Blue Deal agenda and circular economy initiatives in Flanders. Treated wastewater is a valuable resource which is otherwise released into local waterways and eventually mixed with sea water."

Mark McComiskey, a representative of Dockwater said, "From inception, the Dockwater project has been conceived as a fully sustainable, green new source of water for the Flemish region, one that will help reduce industrial consumption of limited freshwater resources. While the plant will initially use salty water from the docks, our vision is to achieve full circularity and source all of our water from wastewater. This undertaking with Aquafin marks an important step in that direction. In parallel we are in discussions with industrial companies at the Port about also using their wastewater at our plant. Our Dockwater plant is uniquely placed to take advantage of these reuse opportunities as it is the only facility situated at the Port near the customers."

Media enquiries
DOCKWATER
Mark McComiskey
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http://www.avaiocapital.com

About Aquafin
Aquafin is a Belgium company owned by the Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen specialized in wastewater treatment with its main operations in Flanders. Aquafin manages over 300 wastewater treatment plants, more than 6,000 kilometers of municipal wastewater collectors and about 2,000 pumping stations and retention basins. Aquafin also uses its knowledge of the water cycle to work towards a living environment in harmony with water.

About DOCKWATER
DOCKWATER BV is developing a desalination plant to provide process water to industrial companies operating in the Port of Antwerp, allowing industry to substantially reduce its consumption of drinking water as well as its overall consumption of water, while increasing the resiliency of water supply in the whole Flemish region.  The development of the DOCKWATER project is being led by AVAIO Capital, and DOCKWATER BV is jointly owned by AVAIO Capital and Macquarie Capital. 

AVAIO Capital is an infrastructure investment firm focused on the development and construction of new sustainable infrastructure assets throughout North America and Europe in four sectors: digital, water, energy transition and transportation.  Macquarie Capital is the advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group, and specializes in infrastructure development with more than US$ 20 billion of projects under construction or development.

SOURCE Dockwater BV