22-05-2024

NEUMAN & ESSER forms strategic partnership with SurfCleaner

Global provider for integrated plant engineering solutions NEUMAN & ESSER has formed a strategic partnership with Swedish tech developer SurfCleaner, to boost water treatment and sustainability across global industries.

As a leading OEM for reciprocating compressor systems, NEUMAN & ESSER is a trusted partner of the oil & gas, chemical and petrochemical and process industry. With hydrogen production systems like electrolyzers and reformer systems, the company established itself as a single-source provider for technologies required in decarbonization projects. Mechanical process engineering solutions in the portfolio play a crucial role in demanding applications ranging from e.g., minerals and powder coating to performance materials for battery storage systems, recovered Carbon Black, and enriched protein production.

Following a new distribution agreement, the firm will now integrate SurfCleaner’s world’s-first water skimmer-separator hybrid technology into its product portfolio.

The core principle behind SurfCleaner’s technology was developed by clinical physiologist Dr Stig Lundbäck MD PhD following his discovery of the human heart’s Dynamic Adaptive Piston Pump (DAPP) functionality. A unique technology, it is capable of highly effective separation, removal and recovery of floating water contaminants.

The news comes as NEUMAN & ESSER joins forces with SurfCleaner to exhibit at the Petroleum Refining Congress between May 13-15 in Amsterdam - Europe’s largest downstream event for refiners and petrochemical stakeholders.

Jens Wulff, Managing Director NEUMAN & ESSER Germany, said he was first introduced to SurfCleaner’s technology at the PRC in Helsinki in 2022.

“This kickstarted the thinking process that SurfCleaner could greatly support NEUMAN & ESSER’s new Sustainability Strategy,” said Jens. “Water is a scarce global resource. SurfCleaner’s super smart technology allows us to recapture water resources across many project sites, which would otherwise be hard to use and require transporting for complicated treatment. For example, refineries and chemical plants around the world as well as at hydrogen production sites that use NEUMAN & ESSER’s equipment.

More broadly, NEUMAN & ESSER is increasingly delivering ‘ecological audits’ for industrial plants to address areas such as energy consumption and water quality. According to Mr Wullf, SurfCleaner’s technology adds another ‘piece in the puzzle’ providing a more ‘holistic’ view to help industry boost sustainability.

In addition, the novel water treatment technology will also support NEUMAN & ESSER’s extensive work in the renewable energy sector, which includes the delivery of equipment for the production of green hydrogen.

“Since the early 2000s we have been working in bio-methane, increasing our exposure to ‘greener’ gases,” said Mr Wulff. “In 2020 we acquired electrolyzer competence, and we are now actively making equipment for green hydrogen production. For this, you always require clear water. For every kg of hydrogen, it requires an input of around 15 litres of water - roughly tap water quality. With SurfCleaner, we now have the means in our portfolio to treat and reclaim water across industrial processes to become a feedstock for our electrolyzers. This is massive for regions where water is especially scarce and was another key element of our rationale to partner with SurfCleaner.”

Ilya Asser, Managing Director NEAC Compressor Service Germany, NEUMAN & ESSER’s Aftermarket Organization “In the Aftermarket it is essential we provide solutions for our customer that go beyond our traditional products like spare parts, field service and repairs. Building trustful relationships by solving our customer’s pain points when needed. Being at site, our technicians see the water ponds containing a rainbow-like oil sheen. It’s a win-win situation to be able to treat and reuse this water, while helping the refineries lower their carbon footprint.”

SurfCleaner Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer Christina Lundbäck said the new partnership will help underpin both the energy transition and the circular economy.

“Our partnership with NEUMAN & ESSER opens up vast opportunities for the years ahead," she said. "SurfCleaner’s technology has the ability to revolutionise the water treatment process across global industries. While it supports the reuse of precious water, it also crucially enables the recovery of resources like oil, diesel and petrol for use in the circular economy, while significantly reducing VOC, CO2 and methane gas emissions.

“Through NEUMAN & ESSER we will now have even greater access to markets, through an extensive network of production sites, sales and service centres worldwide. This will help to unleash our technology further afield and maximise its true potential.”