FLEMISH TECHNOLOGY USED FOR COMPLEX SOIL REMEDIATION
21 december 2017
Genk – Mol, December 15, 2017: the Greensoil Group, with offices in Flanders and the Netherlands, signed an exclusive European license agreement with VITO for the use of a patented process for the on site remediation of contaminated groundwater.
After a thorough knowledge transfer, Greensoil has already started a first groundwater remediation project with the VITO technology in the port of Antwerp. A mix of contaminants is present at this location, with a significant MTBE groundwater contamination. The contaminated groundwater is purified in a mobile bioreactor, partly developed by VITO, with a unique bacterial mix grown by VITO.
After this test, Greensoil will use the technology in soil remediation projects. At the moment two other remediation projects with MTBE are already planned. Thanks to this expansion, Greensoil strengthens its leading position in the field of biological remediation in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Unique mobile solution for contaminated groundwater
It is VITO's mission to offer its advanced technologies to specialized market players who can expand their services with it. In this case VITO's patented technology offers a solution for groundwater contaminated with MTBE and TBA. These additives for fossil fuels are responsible for a frequent, historical pollution of soil and groundwater, because they are difficult to break down spontaneously if they end up in the soil - and therefore also in groundwater.
The solution consists of a combination of a unique bacteria mix, cultured by VITO and then placed on site in a mobile bioreactor designed by VITO. The contaminated groundwater is pumped up, aerobically purified on site with the help of the bacteria, and pumped back into the soil. The technology has been successfully validated by VITO from lab to pilot scale at various customers, and is now proven by Greensoil on an industrial scale.
The power of biological remediation
On November 28, 2017, the Greensoil Group made a state of the art regarding the advantages and possibilities of biological remediation techniques by means of a well attended seminar 'The power of biological remediation'. Concrete project examples were used to explore new research areas (e.g. phthalates, 1,4-dioxane, biological air purification, MTBE water purification via VITO process). In addition, the strength and speed of already proven biological soil remediation techniques were demonstrated by means of recent results on a number of current on going full remediation projects of the Greensoil Group.
It was a dynamic afternoon that was jointly implemented by the Greensoil Group, customers (eg Dow, Q8, ...), experts (eg Tauw, RSK, MAVA, Arcadis, ...), research organizations (eg VITO, ...) and government (eg city of Genk, Bodembeheer Nederland). The seminar ended with an interactive panel discussion in which the current and future role of innovation, sustainability, tendering and legislation in soil remediation in Belgium, the Netherlands and internationally were raised.
In his concluding speech, Mayor Wim Dries of Genk could not put it better: 'This seminar shows that cooperation, innovation and experience are the key to enabling knowledge-driven companies such as the Greensoil Group to fully develop themselves and thus contribute to a better future for people and the environment. Genk and Limburg are strongly committed to this and are therefore particularly proud to be able to accommodate a company such as the Greensoil Group in one of the Genk Incubators! '
Greensoil expands range of bio remediation
Greensoil specializes in biological remediation methods. Greensoil is currently operating in 7 countries and can carry out remediation projects throughout Europe. Greensoil is already applying various biological remediation methods.
Greensoil is expanding its range of biological remediation methods with this VITO technology. The VITO technology is a useful addition with which Greensoil can deal with certain more complex soil contamination in a sustainable and cost-efficient way. The above-ground biological remediation of
groundwater contaminated with MTBE is clearly more sustainable but certainly also more costefficient than the current conventional remediation methods.