Hyflux Membranes

Hyflux launched recently its enhanced Membrane Evaluation System (MES), the plug and play lab-scale bench top system for characterising and studying various types of membranes. Boasting two new features and available as an optional upgrade, the MES can now be configured to evaluate and optimise the performance of flat sheet membranes, as well as Hyflux's award-winning industrial scale (1 inch wide) ceramic hollow fibre InoCep® membranes. As part of this launch, Hyflux is also extending its earlier offer of a complimentary Hyflux Membrane Evaluation Kit (MEK) worth over S$1,000, with this promotion to end by 31 Dec 2010.

Constructed from PTFE material, the Flat Sheet Membrane Adaptor Kit is supplied with a metal sieve support and silicon gaskets to house a flat sheet membrane of 60 mm by 110 mm. It is designed for cross-flow operations, capable of achieving pressures of up to 4.5 bar and a flow rate of 4 L/min. This optional kit adds a new dimension to the MES, allowing users to study a wider range of membrane types, now spanning from hollow fibres to flat sheets, polymers to ceramics, and all on a single fuss-free platform. The MES now also allows users to test Hyflux's industrial scale InoCep® hollow fibre ceramic membrane, operating at higher filtration rates than previously possible. With a stainless steel housing, quick-fit clamps and ferrules, the adaptor kit can also be assembled with easily and quickly.

Before 31 Dec 2010, with every purchase of MES-S-5000, a complimentary MEK will be offered with each Kit consisting of 8 Hyflux proprietary Kristal® and InoCep® lab-scale modules covering the full range of pore sizes.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Last week in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Hyflux gathered for the first time the major textile, paper mill and sugar OEMs and related engineering companies in Coimbatore for its membrane seminar targeting the specific needs of these major industries. While all three markets are major economic drivers, challenges are arising both from the acute need for improving product streams and recycling wastewater in these clearly water-intensive applications. Held in The Residency Hotel, over 100 representatives from various industrial players attended the event and raised specific questions about their respective industrial expectations and discussed solutions together with Hyflux's membrane and technical experts.

Coimbatore, the highest revenue earning district in Tamil Nadu, is home to a large number of textile mills and textile research institutes, while the neighbouring town of Tirupur has some of Asia's largest garment manufacturing companies, exporting hosiery clothes worth USD1bn, according to some estimates. Also called the Manchester of South India due to its extensive textile industry given the surrounding cotton fields, the need for water treatment faced by the textile market is clearly not to be underestimated. Beyond textiles, some of the leading sugar and paper mills are also found in Coimbatore, buttressing the need for membrane-based technology in the production of high-grade / organic sugar and the reclamation of wastewater in the deinking of waste paper and production of recycled paper.

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Despite fierce price wars in China over inorganic membranes, even in the processing of high-value streams, Hyflux will be installing in early 2011 a total of almost 2,000m2 of pure stainless steel membranes in a production facility of one of the global leaders in pharmaceutical products. Bucking the trend of Chinese ceramic membranes undercutting each other to enter such industries, Hyflux has managed to stay its ground delivering tight filtration from top quality membranes backed by years of both technical expertise and reputation. In an industry where the quality of filtration cannot be compromised on any account, Hyflux's FerroCep® continues to ensure that human health and drug quality are protected.

The pharmaceutical industry is one of China's the leading industries, covering synthetic chemicals and drugs. The country now has about 3,500 drug companies, supplying drugs and health supplements to the world's eighth largest market as of 2008, with sales at the top-tier Chinese suppliers growing far faster than that their Western competitors. While earlier fears of intellectual property being unprotected were rampant, China's entry to the WTO has brought a stronger patent system and pharmaceutical-related regulations have since been stiffened. China is reportedly expected to become the third largest pharmaceuticals market in the world by 2011, according to a survey by manufacturing.net, a leading news portal tracking developments about the global manufacturing landscape

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Hyflux had its big break into the Libyan desalination market when it was awarded last week a contract worth about USD 100 million to carry out engineering, procurement and construction works for a 40,000 m3 plant at Tobruk in northeastern Libya. The contract was awarded by the General People's Committee for Utilities of Libya and is the result of an international bid held earlier in the year. The membrane-based desalination plant will take 24 months to complete upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed by the authorities and will be operated and maintained by Hyflux for three years when commercial operations begin.

There is a growing awareness in Libya of rising demand for fresh water given the paucity of fossil groundwater. With increasing populations and growing needs for economic growth and hence enhanced water supplies, the Libyan authorities are seeing an accentuated need for better water infrastructure to support the projected growth going forward. As a result, desalination will prove to be increasingly critical to ensure sustainability and continuity in the growth of Libya.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux's Membrane Evaluation System (MES) was recently installed in Brazil, employed for use by one of the country's major environmental and water management companies. Having proven its success already in other markets, the MES has been delivered as a key solution to provide fast but accurate analyses of the effectiveness of membranes in filtering various kinds of feedwater that the client is expecting to face. Automated with an easy touch-screen and user-friendly data porting system so that a thumbdrive inserted in the MES is all it takes for real-time filtration data to be collected and tabulated automatically, Hyflux's MES is rapidly gaining popularity amongst clients that want a compact and fuss-free lab-scale system that provides accurate test data for engineering decisions to be made.

The MES is specifically designed to evaluate and optimise the performance of various hollow fibre membranes for liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation, under different operating conditions. Besides offering the detailed data from one simple system, it simplifies the processes of selecting the most appropriate membrane type and formulating the right CIP (clean-in-place) recipe for different applications. In addition, the upgradable version MES-S-5000 offers components like built-in thermal controls, multiple preset testing parameters and quick data exporting capabilities. To make things better, all MES customers making their purchase before 31 Dec 2010 will also get a complimentary Membrane Evaluation Kit (MEK): the full set of Hyflux's proprietary hollow fibre polymeric and ceramic UF and MF membranes in laboratory scale, housed in pH and temperature tolerant borosilicate glass tubes for protection and ease of use.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Having appointed several distributors in China to increase traction in the Chinese market, Hyflux Membranes is spreading its network of channel partners throughout the vast country, with more and more customers urgently seeking both proven and cost-effective membrane solutions from a strong partner buttressed by its own technical expertise and experience. While Hyflux's engineering and project management arms have been developed in China over the years of its presence in the market, its channel sales network – being a relatively new addition to the overall strategy in that market – has rapidly gained on market awareness in an already aggressive and crowded industrial space.

Although much ink has been spilt about China and its clean water market, local knowledge and personal contacts still form an important ingredient in ensuring success in this space, alongside big picture knowledge about the industry. Decisions on whom to meet, what to buy, when to buy and what to buy for on the ground are made often with an important consideration of trust between individuals. To a huge extent, China's water sector is a honey trap for water businesses, especially those foreign to the landscape. The bait is the tremendous growth opportunity. The sting is the local market conditions: the competition, the regulation and the ambiguous public sector role. Without strong local knowledge and support, the Great Labyrinth of China can be a difficult one to navigate.

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Hyflux's filtration technology was recently lauded once more, most recently by Frost & Sullivan at the Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards banquet held in Singapore. Conferred the award for "Water Technology Company of the Year" in the Industrial Technologies category, this award recognises Hyflux's leading technology and its impact on market performance and best practices within Asia Pacific. According to Frost & Sullivan, the awards aim to recognise companies that have placed a focus on business fundamentals, flexibility in business models and continuous innovation. Hyflux was previously recognised by Frost & Sullivan in 2007 for two other technology awards: Desalination Technology (Asia Pacific) and Residential Water Treatment Equipment Markets (Southeast Asia).

The Frost & Sullivan awards are carefully reviewed and evaluated to reflect the current market landscape and include new emerging sectors. Based on extensive market engineering tools developed by Frost & Sullivan, industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices within an industry. Beyond the Frost & Sullivan awards, Hyflux was also awarded Distinction for "Desalination Company of the Year" by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), and bagged GWI's Highly Commended Award for "Desalination Deal of the Year" and "Desalination Plant of the Year" for its landmark desalination projects in Magtaa, Algeria and Tianjin, China respectively.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

A Brazilian engineering company has piled on orders for more Kristal® 600ETN modules for use in small-scale portable water treatment plants. Able to access areas unsuitable or unfeasible for large and land-intensive wastewater treatment or desalination plants due to high land cost, dense populations and the like, these portable units will realise dreams of water-scarce communities and aid groups alike to boost water supply and raise water quality or sanitation standards. Having seen for themselves the award-winning qualities of Kristal® membranes including enhanced filtration performance and cost-effectiveness, the Brazilian engineers have decided to utilise Kristal® on a larger scale and bring its benefits to a wider community.

Besides the clear beneficiaries of rural communities in far-flung parts of the country where water pipeworks can be restricted, urbanised Brazil, especially São Paulo, stands to benefit much from these units as well. With an estimated population of 20 million in 2009, making São Paulo the 7th largest metropolitan area in the world, local authorities from the sprawling state are undertaking projects to raise the awareness on water scarcity and recover water from the state's five most critical watersheds. It focuses on activities that include increasing the number of sanitation systems available and incentivising the reuse of treated wastewater. With the reuse of treated wastewater still a novel concept in Brazil - only 2 percent of its companies reuse treated wastewater - the introduction of membrane technology, like the Kristal® series, is set to increase this number significantly in the years to come.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux recently announced the good news that both net profit for the third quarter and revenue had gone up. The former was higher by 5% than that for the third quarter of the 2009 financial year and group revenue had grown by 9%, despite the weakened US dollar against the Singapore dollar which led to unrealised foreign exchange loss amounting to S$7.9 million. Such growth was mirrored by higher sales in both municipal and industrial sectors, with industrial sales contributions rising by 54%, reflecting the steady progress made in projects put on hold by customers during the global economic downturn.

The Group is poised to ensnare more growth in its key markets, having invested heavily in human capital, increased headcount by 10% and embarked on constructing the Hyflux Innovation Centre which will house the Group's global headquarters and R&D centre. Its manufacturing facilities have also been expanded and enhanced. With an eye on the future, Hyflux will continue to boost human capital and acquiring more talent to grow its design and engineering teams in particular.

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Come 8th to 11th November at Ilsan, Korea, over 32,000 participants are expected to take part in the country's biggest water event where 740 booths will be waiting to showcase the latest technology in water and wastewater treatment. Among those exhibiting at the show, at booth M2-2, visitors will see and learn about Hyflux's latest range of membrane products and installations that have recently earned them a spot as one of the top three SWRO suppliers by the end of 2010. Highly successful in delivering some of the biggest potable water projects globally, this event will serve to highlight Hyflux's capabilities in bringing that same level of achievement to meeting increasing water demands in Korea.

It was once believed that Korea was rich with water, but recent events have proved that this is no longer. In early 2009, Korea was known to have faced what was the worst drought in 12 years, inevitably underscoring to its residents the urgent need to grow the country's water supply. In fact, Korea according to the United Nations is a country suffering from a more than moderate level of tension because of its water shortages. Thus in an effort to improve internal diplomatic relations, the Korean government has announced plans to invest over US$8 billion into water-related industries by 2012, and include water management projects as one of 17 future growth engines - earmarking US$610 million for commercial desalination services.

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Just as Hyflux exhibits its strengths in Korea, another team gears up for a second major water show, this time in Vietnam. Entering its second year, biennial event Vietwater 2010 (10th to 12th November) has already earned the reputation as the biggest tradeshow catered for Vietnam's fast-growing water and wastewater industry. Situated at booth A170 and A172, Hyflux will showcase its latest membrane innovations to a country currently looking for a cost-effective solution to help solve their water woes, as well as continue its successful recruitment drive of members to its online portal, HyfluxShop.

Officially hosted by the Vietnam Water and Supply Association (VWSA), and held at the Saigon exhibition and convention center, Ho Chi Minh City, this business-to-business tradeshow will bring together the luminaries in the world of water and wastewater management. In 2008, Vietwater attracted over 5,000 industry professionals and experts, and 200 exhibitors from 23 different countries, generating an estimated US$10 million in sales during the event itself.

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One of the leading beer manufacturers in Hyderabad, India has proceeded with using Hyflux's Kristal® 600 series ultrafiltration (UF) membranes in its effluent treatment plant. The membranes will treat effluent with inlet turbidity of at least 20 NTU and SDI of 10, and produce treated water with levels of less than 0.5 NTU and 2 SDI. To be recycled within the plant for bottle washing and other processes, this treated water is expected to replace the significant amount of fresh water previously consumed for such purposes. While placing the order, the manufacturer also expressed their complete satisfaction with Hyflux India's technical support and services team, and at the same time, applauded the superior performance of the Kristal® membrane series.

By offering the latest in membrane-based water and effluent treatment technology using membranes, this success underscores Hyflux's drive to expand its reach further into India's water industry. More and more Indian clients are choosing the Kristal® 600 UF membrane over other established brands because of its ability to treat challenging effluents from the various industries - yet produce permeate of consistent quality safe for reuse or discharge. With years of experience in the field of membrane innovation, Hyflux has laid a strong technical foundation to build the Kristal® brand name to what it is today. Installed in numerous applications all over the world that spans from resource recovery in industrial streams to reverse osmosis desalination pretreatment, Kristal® has also recently helped Hyflux win internationally recognised awards for its Tianjin and Magtaa installations.

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Hyflux has leapfrogged its way over several major desalination players to be internationally ranked the third largest plant supplier in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination. Having developed substantial SWRO solutions globally, looking forward to 2011, operations will officially commence for one of Hyflux's biggest milestone projects; the world's largest membrane-based SWRO desalination plant located in Magtaa, Algeria. With a 25 year design, built, own and operate (DBOO) concession plan, this 500,000m3/day plant when completed is set to bolster Hyflux's future ranking, affirming it as one of the biggest solution provider for the water industry to-date.

Despite the rising price of desalination, potable water demand is set to grow at an exponential pace. According to the 2010 Desalination Markets report by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), global contracted capacity will increase from 68 million m3/day in 2010 to 130 million m3/d in 2016. With countries like Saudi Arabia, the USA and UAE leading the race for clean water sustainability, the desalination market will nearly triple in value over the next 6 years; this value is expected to reach US$30 billion a year by 2016. Hyflux is poised to meet this demand globally and do this through cutting-edge membrane technology - the cheaper, more efficient future in SWRO desalination.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

A leading Danish supplier of membrane filtration systems for the dairy industry has successfully employed InoCep® ceramic hollow fibre membranes for extended shelf life (ESL) milk production and the fractionation of whey, a by-product in cheese manufacturing. Because of its tight filtration, InoCep® is not only capable of removing up to 99.5% bacteria content from milk (extending the shelf life of ESL milk to 20 - 25 days after production), but also effectively separates components like fat and lactose from whey, to produce active ingredients commercially popular today for their nutritional and functional properties. Although membranes adopted for such applications are more commonly made from polysulfone or polyethersulfone, InoCep®, with its inert ceramic nature, is gaining recognition as the better performing membrane alternative for being able to withstand the industry's harsh operating conditions (e.g. feed streams of higher temperatures and solid content), while maintaining long-lasting filtration precision.

The dairy industry is a long-time user and a large consumer of membranes. Consequently, the industry continues to search for innovative, efficient and profit-enhancing uses for the technology. Already establishing itself as the replacement of conventional sterilisation methods like pasteurisation and thermisation - processes that alter the taste of milk after heat used denatures proteins present - microfiltration (MF) membranes like InoCep® are rapidly expanding its relevance throughout the industry. Having found great success in fractionating whey into its smaller, value-added constituents like proteins and milk fat globules, InoCep® has provided industry manufacturers deeper insight into the uses of whey and its components. Moving away from its once common application as animal feed, whey and its various components are now used to develop more sophisticated, higher quality products for human consumption.

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Building on the successful collaboration with its Indonesian counterpart, Kristal® modules are on the order books to be assembled and installed as small-scale skid systems within the region. Allowing smaller industrial plants to reuse wastewater normally disposed of during manufacturing (e.g. pulp and paper production) or producing ultrapure water to fabricate higher quality products (e.g. semiconductor manufacturing), Kristal® ultrafiltration (UF) hollow fibre membranes provide a cost effective and hassle-free water treatment and recycling process for plants restricted by plant-space constraints. Although better known for its installations in some of the biggest municipal and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants, Kristal® membranes, with their compact and easy-to-install module design, also cater to the other end of the spectrum where space is a luxury. Regardless of the amount of space allocated for such a system, Kristal® membranes still produce permeate that meets the strictest discharge criteria with ease, or recycle wastewater without compromising on quality or flux.

Now available in a shorter 1.2m module configuration, Kristal® 600ETN, plant operators have the flexibility in fabricating pretreatment Kristal® systems that not only take into consideration plant size, but factors like plant treatment capacity, process application, or even conducting a pilot plant study prior to implementing a full scale installation. With key applications in RO/NF pretreatment or municipal and industrial waste treatment, Kristal® UF membrane systems eliminate traditional complex and land intensive treatment processes. With its simple, modular design, Kristal® systems offer a larger membrane area per unit volume at a smaller footprint size, hence lowering capital and installation costs.

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A joint program between two universities from the U.S. and Korea has purchased the Hyflux Membrane Evaluation System (MES) to further research in membrane diffusion dialysis. Easy to install, operate and maintain, the MES is specifically designed to aid researchers push the frontiers of membrane application development while eliminating the cumbersome task of equipment setup. The MES is a bench-top system that evaluates and optimises the performance of hollow fibre membranes for liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation under different operating conditions. Launched only recently in June at the 2010 SIWW, Singapore, the MES has already created a buzz among various research communities and can now be seen on display at many of Hyflux's booth exhibits around the world.

Equipped with cutting-edge digital recording sensors, an LCD touch-screen control panel and large, upgradeable data storage capacity, the MES facilitates users in selecting the most appropriate membrane type and to formulate an effective clean-in-place (CIP) recipe for any process or application within a short period of time. For a limited time only,a complimentary Membrane Evaluation Kit (MEK) is included with every purchase of the MES-S-5000. Housed in chemical and temperature tolerant borosilicate glass tubes, the complimentary MEK also offers an extensive portfolio of hollow fibre membranes manufactured by Hyflux. With a selection of UF and MF membranes available, customers can pick and choose between Kristal® (polymeric) and InoCep® (ceramic) membranes of different pore sizes. What's more, a simple-to-use membrane potting kit option is also available. With necessary components and instructions required to assemble their very own test modules, customers can evaluate other hollow fibre membranes available in the market for use with the MES.

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Hyflux has recently provided Kristal® 600ER modules for a 600MW power plant project in Luzon, the Philippines. When installed in the plant's seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination system, the Kristal® pretreatment system will produce an estimated 7200m3/day of industrial water suitable for various applications within the plant (e.g. power generation, cooling systems). Since its introduction into the water market, Kristal® ultrafiltration (UF) membranes have since gained a reputation as the solution for power plant water treatment today - Kristal® treats more than 100,000 m3 of surface water a day for power plants located worldwide. Delivering superior filtrate water quality at a lower cost and significantly enhancing RO flux, Kristal® membranes enable RO systems to handle surface water and other feedwater sources unthinkable a decade ago. It has also been estimated that by injecting water into gas turbines produced by Kristal® pretreated RO systems, power output generation can increase by up to 12%.

Due to the unpredictable and varying effluent quality that is produced by conventional methods (e.g. coagulation, sand/gravel bed filtration etc), one key issue is the inability for downstream RO systems to cope with the sudden changes in feed water conditions. Conversely the Kristal® UF hollow fibre membrane is specifically tailored for such an application. Made of modified hydrophilic polymeric material, the Kristal® range has a stable asymmetric structure that offers long term reliability. This feature also ensures consistent particle removal efficiency and resistance to cleaning chemicals commonly used during membrane maintenance and recovery processes, while maintaining a high permeate flux, all of which caters to a wide variety of feedwater conditions. In addition, with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) range of 10,000Da to 150,000Da, Kristal® offers a wide spectrum of filtration solutions for various types of water.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux's Kristal® ultrafiltration membranes have found their way to the Land of Smiles as foreign engineering firms with Thailand representatives look to Kristal® as a proven and cost-competitive alternative to the other players, especially given Thailand's close proximity to Singapore where Kristal® is manufactured, and given the rising challenges for water treatment in Thailand. Kristal® proves to be especially useful, as a result of it having consistently achieved optimal results in treating industrial/municipal wastewater and seawater, even in aggressive environments.

Water is an important part of the Thai culture as major celebrations centre on water. However, Thailand faces the degradation of water quality in its many rivers and tributaries from the high loading of pollutants derived from increased intensities and complexities of human and industrial activities. Rivers in populated areas are polluted due to wastewater discharges from various sources. With Kristal®'s award-winning track record of consistent and optimal filtration performance, users can ensure clean water either for treatment or recycling for use.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Come 13th to 15th Oct in the beautiful island of Boracay, Philippines, Hyflux will showcase its newly launched online shop, together with its comprehensive range of membrane products and capabilities at Booths 23 and 24 of the Boracay Beach Resort and Convention Center. Now in its 18th year, PhilWater 2010, which is organised annually by the Philippine Water Works Association (PWWA), brings together the experts in the local industrial scene to debate on real challenges faced by the government and the water industry in the Philippines. The theme focuses on "Sustainable Environmental Solutions on Water Safety and Security". Hyfluxshop will be promoting the online shop and recruiting members for this three day event. There will also be presentations on the Kristal® range of products.

In PhilWater 2007, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) revealed that the government set the goal of providing safe and potable water to all villages in the country between 2004 and 2010, which included the completion of 223 water infrastructure projects within a three-year period starting in 2008. This would create access to safe potable piped water to 490,000 additional service connections, for a total of more than 2.5 million additional Filipinos in the provincial areas by 2010. Following that in 2008, PWWA and the Singapore Water Works Association (SWA) signed the Memorandum of Agreement of the associations' partnership in the development of the water supply and sanitation in both countries, among others, which signified the steadfast relationship between the two countries.

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Hyflux Ltd has posted a 9% increase in revenue to US$178.2 million for the first six months of 2010, ended 30th June 2010. This increase, together with its 9% rise in net profit after tax and minority interests (PATMI) to US$24.9 million has allowed the Group to declare for the first time an interim dividend of 1.0 Singapore cent per share. With sales picking up pace for the company in both industrial and municipal sectors – the Group's industrial sector registered its best showing in six consecutive quarters while its municipal front saw an estimated US$3.2 million increase to US$89 million in the second quarter of FY2010 – Hyflux's cash position remains strong with cash equivalents at US$133.3 million at the end of June 2010, compared to US$123 million as at 31st December 2009.

Moving forward, the municipal sector will continue to be the main revenue driver for the Group particularly in the MENA region. The industrial sector is likely to show further improvement as confidence in the economic growth of China returns. Projects that were postponed due to the financial slowdown and weakened economic activities over the last two years have begun to come back in full swing. Hyflux's recent partnership with Mitsui & Co. Ltd, as well as the Chinese government expecting to double its environmental and water resource budget, will only bolster the company's competitiveness and financial flexibility to participate in larger, more complex water infrastructure projects in the China market; that will provide long-term sustainability and strategic returns. As it stands, the Group's order book is estimated at US$1.27 billion at 30th June 2010.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Held at the China International Exhibition Centre from the 19th to 20th October, Beijing will once again play host to the annual Water & Membrane China Exhibition 2010 (WMC 2010). After eleven successful sessions, WMC has made its mark to be the exhibition that showcases the latest services and technology specifically catered for the water industry. Serving as a melting pot for water experts, ministers, government officials and top industry players, WMC in 2009 alone attracted an estimated 200 participating companies from over 15 different countries and 8040 trade visitors to its event. Set to contribute to that number this year, trade event goers can find Hyflux at booth A600. Featuring key projects that highlight its large-scale membrane experience in various industries, visitors will also get a chance to learn more about Hyflux's long-term establishment in the Chinese water market. Hyflux will showcase a line-up of its latest membrane products, including live demonstrations of the Membrane Evaluation System (MES) recently launched at SIWW2010.

With an estimated population of 1.4 billion, exhibitions like the WMC could not come at a better time to highlight the technologies that will address the nation's clean water demand. With China's water supply playing catch-up with its rapid growing population and economic boom, it is estimated that more than half of China's 660 cities still suffer from water shortages and 700 million people drink contaminated water every day due to widespread water pollution. It is with these alarming figures that the country, in 20% of the world's population currently reside, has stepped up efforts to provide proper water supply and sanitation. Opening up its doors to massive investment programmes for wastewater treatment, the Chinese government set a goal to achieve 60% treatment for municipal wastewater by 2010. Doubling its budget for environmental protection and water resource development to an impressive US$450 billion from 2011 to 2015, this trend looks set to carry on in the years to come. To-date, Hyflux has over 1,000 installations worldwide, including its largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant located in Tianjin Dagang.

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Visitors can now log on to Hyflux's industrial products website (www.hyfluxmembranes.com) for a 3D explanation on how filtration works in its different membrane products: Kristal®, InoCep® and FerroCep®. In an effort to bridge the gap between innovation and membrane application awareness, each product page will feature the respective animation and a short description of its performance and material properties, including its pretreatment and recycling capabilities in various industrial applications. With factors like spiking energy cost and limited performance capabilities hampering traditional separation methods such as distillation and sand bed filtration, these 3D animations will serve as a learning platform for viewers, illustrating why membrane technology is simple yet efficient, and provides effective solutions in addressing bottlenecks in various applications.

Membrane separation is internationally recognised as technology that has the greatest potential for revolutionary development. Its advantages include having a simple separation process, process compatibility, large separation factor and economic viability. Built upon this foundation of conventional membrane technology, all of Hyflux's membranes allow for a cross-flow filtration configuration. Cross-flow filtration is different from dead end filtration in which the feed is passed through a membrane - feed flow travels tangentially across the surface of the membrane rather than through it. This gives Hyflux membranes a lower tendency for membrane fouling as solids are easily washed away by incoming feed, which allow them to handle solid-liquid separation processes even under extreme operating conditions.

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From 13 to 17 September 2010 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Germany, Hyflux will take part in one of the biggest trade fairs, focusing on water, sewage, waste and raw materials management: IFAT ENTSORGA 2010. Located at Hall A6, Booth 120, Hyflux will participate in a bi-annual exhibition that in 2008 set a new record for attendance; almost 120,000 visitors from 170 countries and 2,600 trade exhibitors from 41 different countries congregating in a massive convention hall of almost 200,000 sqm of floor space. Offering multi-faceted insights into numerous environmental industry segments and related technologies available, IFAT has dedicated 4 of its 16 halls solely to industries in water extraction & treatment and water & sewage treatment. It is on this platform that Hyflux will showcase its global capabilities as an integrated water solutions provider, from addressing the entire value chain for turnkey project delivery to actualising cost-effective, reliable and sustainable membrane technologies.

Although membrane processes are widely used for producing potable water, the market for membranes in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment has been slower to develop. Rather than inadequacies in the membranes themselves, sluggish adoption of membrane processes is found to be due to the potential users' lack of knowledge of how membranes can be best optimised and maintained for maximum technological and commercial advantage over conventional treatments. Through internationally popular exhibits such as IFAT, Hyflux aims to create more awareness of membranes in wastewater applications. Benefiting from its extensive experience and product range tailored just for the water industry, trade-goers will see how membrane technology can produce recycled water fit for reuse even in an ultrapure state, or as dischargeable wastewater meeting the increasingly stringent environmental standards around the world.

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Mitsui and Hyflux have formed a 50:50 joint venture, called Galaxy NewSpring, to serve as a vehicle for investing, developing and managing projects in the fast expanding water sector in China. The JV Company's initial project portfolio will comprise of four China-based water treatment plants that will be acquired directly from Hyflux's wholly-owned subsidiary, Spring China Utility Ltd, for US$53.1 million, with a combined capacity of 165,000 m3 per day. In addition, Galaxy has proposed an exit offer for Hyflux Water Trust (HWT) that will delist and acquire all remaining units not controlled by Hyflux at 78 Singapore cents a share. Should this proposal hold true, the JV along with HWT assets will consist of 18 water plants of a total designed capacity of 580,000 m3 per day.

Hyflux recently inked a similar deal last December with Japanese engineering company JGC Corp. The equally-owned JV bought Hyflux's flagship 100,000 m3 per day desalination plant in Tianjin. Continuing this new "asset-light strategy" and combined with comprehensive water infrastructure services and technical expertise provided by both fronts, this partnership will prove successful in laying a strong foundation and extending the JV's reach far into China's market and maybe beyond. According to Global Water Intelligence, the Chinese Government is expected to double its budget for environmental protection and water resource development to an impressive US$450 billion for 2011 to 2015, compared to US$219 billion in 2006 to 2010.

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Focused on staying ahead of the market and providing a better service for its customers in China, Hyflux continues to identify and invite prospective distributors to strengthen its Chinese corporate arm in becoming a full-fledged membrane technology provider for the region. Complementing its capability in providing turnkey solutions, Hyflux offers a full range of organic and inorganic (ceramic and stainless steel) membranes that enhances filtration processes in many industries. Pooling together connections with reliable local and regional networks, Hyflux shares with these partners it's technological expertise and industrial experience. With a handful of carefully appointed distributors, Hyflux hopes to establish solid distribution partnerships spanning across the whole of China.

To ensure a smooth communication channel between distributors and company, Hyflux organises quarterly meetings at its Shanghai office for its Chinese distributors. Using this opportunity to provide stronger technical support to its customers, and to better understand the different represented provinces, these meetings allow new and old parties to exchange ideas and formulate marketing strategies that would place both partners in the best position in the membrane market. In addition, these meetings also couple as enrichment sessions for participants on current and future Hyflux membrane products as well as industry trends. Fully equipped with the knowledge of each product's capabilities, distributors can quickly assess and provide technical advice on any specific process application that requires a membrane solution - saving precious time and money for the end users. These collaborations allow for Hyflux and its partners to remain competitive in the developing China water sector.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Breaking new grounds by simultaneously entering the Russia and Ukraine markets, orders are now on the books to provide the Kristal® ultrafiltration (UF) membranes to both of the world's leading cement and steel suppliers. By recycling wastewater for cooling, boiler feedwater or manufacturing purposes, these developments cannot come at a better time as these industries, that rely heavily on constant supply of clean water, try to strike a balance between industrial water demand and the growing global concerns over water shortage. With the Kristal® membrane pretreatment systems installed in their plants, these industrial leaders can now enjoy benefits like reducing overall water consumption, improving plant performance efficiency and reducing the loss of waste heat which is usually uncaptured by conventional cooling methods.

Conventional pretreatment methods (e.g. coagulation, sand/gravel bed filtration) cannot ensure consistent permeate water quality when treating raw surface water, or recycled wastewater produced by steel or cement plants, that have varying and unpredictable content. Conversely, the Kristal® UF hollow fibre membrane is specifically tailored for such an application. Made of modified hydrophilic polymeric material, the Kristal® range has a stable asymmetric structure that certifies long term reliability. This feature also ensures consistent particle removal efficiency, resistance to cleaning chemicals commonly used during membrane maintenance and recovery processes while maintaining a high permeate flux, all of which cater to a wide variety of feedwater conditions. In addition, with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) range of 120,000Da to 150,000Da, suspended solids such as colloidal silica and cryptosporidium - that are the main causes of boiler scaling - are easily removed from the feedwater.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Together with Hyflux's Indonesian counterpart, Indobara Bahana - the biggest local water company in Surabaya - Hyflux is set to showcase at the upcoming Indo Water Surabaya 2010 Expo & Forum. Held from 28th to 30th July 2010 at the Grand City Expo, Surabaya, Indonesia, this highly anticipated water tradeshow focuses on innovation, products and services, as well as best industrial practices, successful case studies, and practical applications of the latest water/wastewater treatment technologies. Hyflux will be presenting on "The Benefits of Membrane Treatment Filtration versus Conventional Treatment" at Theatre 2 of the Grand City Expo on 29th July, from 3pm to 3.45pm. Expecting an exhibit attendance of well over 6,000 delegates and visitors, not including the 200 exhibitors from all over the world, Hyflux will take this opportunity to interact with water quality experts and professionals; to address important issues that plague the country's accessibility to clean, potable water. Visit us at booth D07!

With event highlights such as presentations on state-of-the-art water treatment technology, as well as regional and national forums and pavilions supporting the exhibit, Indo Water Surabaya 2010 has earned a reputation of being the most influential and comprehensive water, wastewater, recycling, and waste event in Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Pooling together key industrial players and decision makers, not to mention regional authorities throughout East Java and East Indonesian provinces, this platform is essential to Eastern Indonesia's urban infrastructure development. Surabaya is known as the gateway to Eastern Indonesia, linking the country's eastern provinces with its industrial heartland in Java. With a rapidly increasing and industrialised population of 5.5 million, it is imperative that barriers such as water shortage, access to safe drinking water and water pollution are broken down in order to ensure the country's economic and social viability.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

With just days away from one of the world's largest water exhibitions held in Singapore, Hyflux is in high gear with its preparations in making this year's event another highlight of the year. Located at booth G02 from 29 th June to 1 st July at the Suntec Exhibition Centre, Hyflux will unveil its latest line of membrane products, including the highly anticipated Membrane Evaluation System (a touch-screen laboratory unit testing filtration capabilities of various membranes), and the Kristal® 2000T, Hyflux's proprietary PVDF ultrafiltration hollow fibre membranes.

With 450 participating companies globally set to meet at this year's exhibit, visitors can look forward to an array of flagship technologies, as well as products and services that underscore the immense business potential of the water industry, and vast opportunities the Water Week presents on an international level. The event-packed programme includes the convention, executive summits, regional forums, and technical tours, with Hyflux lining up its very own presentation and discussion sessions held at its booth throughout this three-day event.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

To be unveiled at this year's SIWW, Hyflux will officially announce the arrival of its new bench-top Membrane Evaluation System (MES). The MES is specifically designed to evaluate and optimise the performance of various polymeric and ceramic hollow fibre membranes for liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation, under different operating conditions. Equipped with features such as digital recording sensors, an LCD touch-screen control panel and large, upgradeable data storage capacity; users can now conduct and analyse accurate and comprehensive data from just one single location.

There is a one-off SIWW special prices of SGD25,000 and SGD20,000 (excluding VAT) for the higher end MES-S-5000and MES-S-1000 respectively, with a full Membrane Evaluation Kit (MEK), a set of Kristal® and InoCep® inserts for the MES worth over SGD1,000, thrown in for free for every MES-S-5000purchased. The MES simplify the processes of selecting the most appropriate membrane type and formulating the right CIP (clean-in-place) recipe for most applications. MES-S-5000 in addition offers components like built-in thermal controls, multiple preset testing parameters etc, while the MEK offers customers an extensive portfolio of hollow fibre membranes from MF to UF ranges, with each membrane housed in a pH and temperature tolerant borosilicate glass tube. Moreover, the MES does not restrict users to using only Hyflux membranes, but to evaluate even membranes made by others. Simple-to-use membrane potting kit options provide the necessary components and instructions for users to assemble their very own test module for use with the system.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Available only to Hyflux customers and distributors, the Hyflux Kristal® Advisor is a module sizing calculator that aims to dramatically cut down lag time between the point of enquiry and assessment of the number of Kristal® modules required for different applications, and hence, capital and operating expenses in every system involving any member of the Kristal® series of membranes. Be it surface, ground or recycled waste water, this software only requires operating parameter inputs such as quality, quantity of water/wastewater to be treated and the type of Kristal® module desired. From there, users will be able to find out essential information such as the amount of permeate produced per day, along with the recommended number of Kristal® modules for each application.

This quick mode of assessment will provide users the opportunity to analyse performance levels of the entire Kristal® membrane range. From K600B, K600ET, K600ETN to K2000T, users can evaluate each membrane's performance and permeate quality for various forms of feed water with just a two clicks of the mouse. With this software available, Hyflux customers can now save precious time and minimise the risks of error conducting a pilot plant analyses.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Launched only in April this year, the shortened Kristal® membrane module, Kristal® 600ETN, has made its official debut in São Paulo – the economic, financial and technological hub of Brazil. In collaboration with a Brazilian water and effluent treatment engineering company, the 1.2m module will be used in the pretreatment of wastewater recycling. Showcasing award winning qualities of the earlier Kristal® membrane generations which include enhanced ultrafiltration membrane performance and cost effectiveness, the Brazilian engineers believe the new Kristal® model will aid major water and sewage service utilities in addressing the state's ever growing urban water management crisis.

Brazil, a country rich in water resources, possesses between 12 and14 percent of the world's fresh water. However, only 1.6 percent of it is located in São Paulo. With an estimated population of 20 million in 2009, making it the 7th largest metropolitan area in the world, local authorities from the sprawling state are undertaking projects to raise the awareness on water scarcity and recover water from the state's five most critical watersheds. It focuses on activities that include: increasing the number of sanitation systems available and incentivising the reuse of treated wastewater. With the reuse of treated wastewater still a novel concept in Brazil - only 2 percent of its companies reuse treated wastewater - the introduction of membrane technology, like the Kristal® series, is set to increase this number significantly in the years to come.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

A Columbian company specialising in industrial wastewater recycling has taken notice of Kristal®'s NSF-certified membrane series, Kristal® 600ET. To be applied in the textile dyeing industry in the pretreatment of recycling wastewater, Kristal® 600ET replaces conventional methods like biological digestion and powdered activated carbon, with a more efficient and feasible pretreatment solution: ultrafiltration. Kristal® 600ET not only eliminates environmental and economical impacts commonly associated with the former technology; its high flux and small footprint gives it the edge to consistently produce high-grade water while accommodating to the plant footprint constraints common in such heavily industrialised areas.

The Kristal® membrane series is one of the pioneer products fully developed by Hyflux. By removing impurities such as macromolecules and suspended particles, and significantly lowering effluent BOD/COD levels, it reduces fouling of downstream RO membranes and hence increases the lifespan of the latter. Made of specially modified hydrophilised polymers with an ultra thin membrane skin layered onto its porous substrate, Kristal® membranes are able to maintain both high water flux and mechanical strength. With a simple, modular and compact design and a high operating flux, Kristal® provides a larger membrane area per unit volume at a smaller footprint size, hence lowering capital and operating expenses.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

It is that important time of the year again, when Singapore plays host to international policymakers, water industry leaders, experts and practitioners; to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world. With the theme "Sustainable Cities: Clean and Affordable Water", the Singapore International Water Week 2010 (SIWW 2010) will be held from 28th June to 2nd July and will highlight the need for efficient and cost effective solutions, to address global water problems amidst a constantly changing environment. More information about Hyflux's participation will be made available in the subsequent newsbites.

As it did last year, Hyflux - one of the event's Founding Sponsors and a key exhibitor of water technology and membrane innovation - looks forward to participating in several of SIWW's business and industry forums. Fostering stronger ties and forming new partnerships with industry players and researchers alike, Hyflux will take this opportunity to discuss about and gather insight into the water market's future, and to also showcase some of its major projects and membrane products recently launched.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux announces a third addition to its recently expanded line of Kristal® ultrafiltration membranes, Kristal® 2000T. Fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), it has characteristics that makes it ideal for wastewater treatment in and under aggressive environments and operating conditions. Coupled with thermal and pH adaptability, Kristal® 2000T has excellent mechanical properties that include high tensile strength, high shock- and UV- tolerance. In addition, its resistance to corrosive chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite and chlorine significantly improves its cleaning efficiency, as well as its overall membrane lifespan.

The Kristal® range never fails to ensure high permeate flux and quality, high throughput, and great system recovery. Kristal® has a proven, award-winning track record of consistently achieving optimal performance when treating industrial/municipal wastewater and seawater in large scale industrial and municipal projects - an important trait for Hyflux to be Highly Commended at the recent GWI Global Water Awards 2010 for "Desalination Deal of the Year" for not one, but two of its major seawater desalination projects. With its certified performance capabilities and internationally recognised brand name, Kristal® continues to set standards in the water industry for years to come.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux recently saw a breakthrough in its ceramic-based membrane technology with its new ZeoZap® zeolite membrane. Targeted at the process of ethanol removal from ethanol fermentation broths, this membrane shows high ethanol/water selectivities and seeks to provide isomer separation solutions, especially in the removal of xylenes and C4-C8 hydrocarbons. This will prove a key milestone in the global search for energy-efficient ethanol extraction and purification technologies as countries race for alternative sources of energy.

Bioethanol has long established itself as the world's no. 1 biofuel and the bioethanol market has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, at a CAGR of approximately 18%, last year going beyond 81 million m³. Of that amount produced, over eighty percent (66 million m³) was used in fuel applications. The increasing use of bioethanol as a replacement for fossil fuels has already been pushed for years in the USA and Brazil, with these main markets producing 35 million m³ and 24.2 million m³ respectively. There is little doubt that the demand will continue to grow as the threat of energy crises festers and the world's need for energy continues to grow while fossil fuels deplete continually. With ZeoZap®, Hyflux is poised to offer another new solution to our impending environmental needs today.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

One of the largest manufacturers of specialty chemicals in Europe has collaborated with Hyflux to improve the efficiency of their latex recovery process in rubber production. With the integration of InoCep®, larger quantities of unrecovered latex from the rubber production stage can now be separated effectively from hot caustic soda used during clean-in-place (CIP) – a method of cleaning the interior surfaces of pipes, vessels, process equipment, without disassembly. By adopting InoCep® in their recovery system, customers can now reduce operating costs by recycling a larger volume of CIP chemicals, while increasing overall latex production levels.

Polymeric membranes are often used as the filtering media in conventional latex recovery systems. However, as high temperatures are required during its cleaning process, this often causes the membrane fibres to degrade at an accelerated pace. To reduce its detrimental impact, after CIP, heat from the hot caustic soda and recovered latex mixture are extracted first before being filtered. The filtered caustic soda is then heated up again before a repeated CIP process. With InoCep®'s superior thermal stability, the heat extraction step is eliminated altogether; reducing a plant's overall energy consumption. With its proven long service life, due to its enhanced ceramic-based mechanical strength, InoCep® ensures durability when operating at such high temperatures.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

At the GWI Global Water Awards 2010 held at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel, Paris on 26th April, Hyflux was awarded the Distinction Award as "Desalination Company of the Year", and is Highly Commended having bagged "Desalination Deals of the Year" for two of its major projects in Magtaa, Algeria and Tianjin, China. Commentary made for these awards highlighted Hyflux as "the most dynamic company in the world". In addition, the aforementioned groundbreaking projects boasted "lowest tariffs" and "largest in size in the world" (Magtaa, Algeria), and "most innovative use of UF and integrated design of feed from the power plant" as well as "China's largest project thus far" (Tianjin, China) respectively. These recognitions are just one of many achievements to illustrate Hyflux's relentless pursuit to better serve the global water industry for the last 20 years, and for many more years to come.

The GWI Global Water Awards recognises excellence in the water industry on an international scale - the deals, the projects, the technologies and the people who have made a difference over the past year. The theme of this year's event was on transformation, with hopes of also delivering a clear message that will change the general perception of the industry. With water scarcity an increasingly complex issue, it focused on practical solutions and expressed views of where investments should be made over the next decade. It showcased an in-depth look at the relationship between water and energy; with major utilities showing how they have transformed the way they operate to adapt to this change. This event also brought together visionary leaders from every sector of the industry to share their expertise and educate the next generation that will shape the future of the water industry.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Water Services Corp (WSC) is the official distributor for Hyflux's Kristal® membrane product range in Turkey. Established in 1994, WSC has the unique experience and expertise in designing and manufacturing complete membrane systems. WSC also has the capability to construct a wide variety of pilot plant systems that allow customers to conduct onsite evaluations. Over recent years, WSC has progressively moved their business focus towards municipal and other major wastewater generating industries. Thus, with this lasting partnership, Hyflux aims to aid WSC in opening up more opportunities in these industries in Turkey.

With highly skilled staff, WSC has over the past 16 years designed, built and supplied membrane systems and components to a diverse range of industries, including sugar manufacturers, micro processors, fruit juice manufacturers and power plants. WSC, based in Turkey, has also designed and installed many systems for processes such as those for drinking water and wastewater reclamation.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Through innovation and technological advancement, Hyflux has moved from a water plant turnkey solution provider and major membrane user to a being a full fledged membrane technology provider also, offering the full range of organic and inorganic (ceramic and stainless steel) membranes and MBR technologies to customers around the world. As part of this development, Hyflux has proceeded to actively identify and invite prospective distributors with good local and regional networks to partner its global network. Putting together local connections with Hyflux's technological expertise, industrial experience and capital standing, the synergy will allow for Hyflux and its partners to leapfrog into an even more prominent position on the global water stage.

To date, Hyflux's membranes and systems have been installed in more than 1,000 plants in over 400 locations across the globe. With 2,000 staff positioned worldwide, a proven track record and the ability to draw on its comprehensive capabilities across the entire value chain, Hyflux is positioned to deliver the most effective and efficient environmental solutions to meet its customers' needs.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Only one of seven UF membrane products in the world to be NSF certified, Kristal® 600ET is one of the latest additions to Hyflux's polymeric hollow fibre Kristal® membrane range for 2010. Coupled with design features like simple to remove end-caps and a locating base support, both to facilitate easy installation and maintenance for any treatment system, Kristal® 600ET will effectively remove pathogenic viruses and bacteria to produce safer, cleaner drinking water which meets NSF Standard 61. A standard recognised worldwide, and more importantly, criteria strictly adhered to by water utilities and regulators across the North American (U.S.A and Canada) market.

To obtain NSF certification, 5 Kristal® 600ET modules were submitted to various NSF testing protocols. These tests challenged the membranes capability in removing bacteria such as Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts, as well as small-size viruses of approximately 24nm. A membrane integrity test was also conducted to ensure its durability and quality performance under high pressure and flowrate. From results gathered, NSF demonstrated that the performance of the Kristal® 600ET modules surpassed the strictest standards set by the industry (greater than 6 log reduction for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts, greater than 2.35 log reduction for small-sized pathogenic viruses). In a separate test conducted by an independent party, Kristal® 600ET also showed greater than 6.93 log reduction for Raoultella terrigena bacteria. If present in levels over safe drinking water limits, bacteria and viruses aforementioned will cause severe infections that would require immediate medical treatment.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Another member to join the Kristal® family this year: Kristal® 600ETN. Constructed from Kristal® 600E fibres encased in a shortened module housing of just 1.2 meters, the shorter Kristal® module provide customers with a containerised solution (of smaller footprint) for full scale process treatment systems facing height limitations. In addition, customers can enjoy the simplicity and ease of integrating Kristal® 600ETN into pilot plant tests without compromising on performance offered by the Kristal® series. With a strong demand for shorter membrane modules in the market, industrial membrane users across the globe are already showing interest in Kristal® 600ETN prior to its official launch.

With its specially formulated hydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) material, uniquely designed asymmetric profile with a finger-like structure, proprietary composite potting technique and an optimised process, the Kristal® range never fails to ensure high permeate flux and quality, high throughput, and great system recovery. Kristal® has been proven to consistently achieve optimal results in treating industrial/municipal wastewater and seawater, even in aggressive environments.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Held annually in recognition of outstanding achievements in the international water industry, Hyflux and its projects have been nominated this year for several categories in the prestigious Global Water Awards 2010. Having already won two project awards in 2005 and clinching Water Company of the Year in 2006 (Hyflux also received a distinction award that year), Hyflux is in contention this year for awards acknowledging its contributions to the desalination industry. This includes Hyflux's ongoing projects in Magtaa and Tianjin Dagang. With the voting ballot already closed, results will be announced at the Global Water Awards dinner held at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel, Paris on Monday 26th April.

Within each category, four contenders are shortlisted by the GWI Awards Panel - nominees are chosen by subscribers of Global Water Intelligence and Water Desalination Report. The voting process is then opened to subscribers of GWI, WDR and the members of the IDA. The "Winners" and those awarded "Distinction" in each category are presented with an engraved crystal trophy, and framed certificates are given to all shortlisted entries. Last year's ceremony was a memorable one, as the guest of honour, Al Gore, delivered an inspiring speech and presented the Awards for that night. This year's award looks to be the same, with an expected attendance from the guest of honour, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, and 350 leaders from international water and finance sectors.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Through the successful collaboration with a Taiwanese partner, Hyflux is now expanding its reach further into the market with the introduction of its ceramic membrane product range, InoCep®. Already popular with a wide variety of industrial applications (beer filtration, skim latex recovery and laundry wastewater treatment), InoCep®'s ability in handling extreme processes, combined with its simple installation and operation, give customers in the field of research the edge in developing analytical and biotechnological instrumentation. With this partnership, Hyflux continues to forge strong ties with research institutes locally and around the world, providing a platform that bridges innovation and marketable membrane products and services together.

From microfiltration to ultrafiltration application, InoCep® modules cater to different needs across various industries. From 800nm to 20nm, InoCep® is available in other sizes that include 200nm, 100nm and 40nm. With enhanced membrane performance, backed-up by long service life, the development of InoCep® has not only widened the range of applications for ceramic membranes, but also put it at the forefront of ceramic membrane separation technology.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux identified Sepra as its official distributor for its Kristal® membrane product range for Italy. Active for more than 25 years in the design, manufacturing and sales of components for membrane-based cross-flow filtration systems, Sepra has not only the experience, but also the unique expertise required for this field of technology. Moreover, the team has the capability of manufacturing pilot plants for in-house and on-site field testing of new water applications. Dedicated to providing value-added services, these pilot plants can be further customised to suit any specific design requirements (e.g. low pH, high temperatures etc). Together with Sepra, Hyflux looks forward to a world of opportunities in the Italian market with this new found partnership.

Equipped with a modern facility backed with skilled staff specialising in membrane technology, Sepra constantly collaborates with leading international membrane manufacturers to supply components and semi-engineered products to major OEM and related companies. From diverse market segments such as water treatment, F&B and pharmaceuticals, contractors trust Sepra to fully design and oversee the installation of its membrane systems into their processes. With a reputable reference list, Sepra also serves a large number of smaller, but very specialised OEMs, active in industries that involve wine treatment, oily emulsion separation and degreasing surface treatment.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Due to increasing demand for smaller modules for pilot testing, FerroCep® has come up with two new module sizes of 2.4m2 and 5.4m2. With these two new models, a wider selection of FerroCep® membranes will be available for customers to choose from. Catering to their filtration requirements rather than restricting them to what the industry has to offer, this latest selection will also give partners the chance to experience the performance and economic advantages of FerroCep®.

Based on proven technology which combines a rugged tube made of sintered stainless steel powder with patented coating technology, FerroCep® is capable of processing a wide variety of difficult, dirty or hostile streams in a broad range of chemical conditions, pressures and temperatures. With FerroCep®'s unique welding technology, customers will also no longer need to worry about leakage problems caused by aging potting and seals.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Together with an European partner that develops and supplies membrane filtration systems to dairies all over the world, InoCep® has gained a strong foothold in the industry by helping manufacturers extend the shelf life of extended shelf life (ESL) milk by up to 20 - 25 days after production – regular pasteurised milk has a shelf life of only 4 - 8 days. In addition, by eliminating the need for high heat treatment and leveraging fully on its inert nature, InoCep® membrane systems do not alter the taste of or denature the milk: a common symptom that affects traditionally processed ESL milk. Not only will InoCep® be recognised as being able to produce higher quality, longer-lasting ESL milk, it will soon also produce specific protein concentrates with specific properties desirable for a wide range of new value-added dairy based products.

Sterilisation techniques such as pasteurisation and thermisation are traditionally used to extend the shelf life of dairy products and, to produce ESL milk free from bacteria and germs. These techniques utilise heat to denature pathogenic micro-organisms. An alternative for these energy consuming and taste effecting routes is cold sterilisation, where micro-organisms are filtered out using membrane technology at around or above ambient temperature. With InoCep®'s efficiency of removing 99.5% bacteria content at moderate temperatures of 50-55 deg C, these advantages may prove to have positive implications on the dairy industry's future.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

With the commitment of providing water of the safest quality, Kristal® has received the NSF mark of approval, one of the seven UF membrane products in the world that has received such recognition. Used in various ground-breaking and award-winning water plant projects, including the world's largest seawater reverse osmosis plant and producing 1 million m3 of permeate water to the RO trains daily, Kristal® has been recognised yet again by third party for its excellent filtration quality and operational stability. NSF is an independent, non-profit, global organisation committed to public health and safety. It is also an internationally recognised standard for food, water and consumer goods worldwide.

NSF Standard 61 is recognised worldwide, especially by water utilities and regulators across the North American (U.S.A and Canada) market. No other independent testing programs require companies to comply with the strict standards imposed by NSF and its product certification programs. From extensive product testing and material analyses to unannounced plant inspections, NSF is the only third-party testing organization to undertake a complete evaluation of every aspect of a product's development before it can earn its certification.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Constructed from inert and highly durable stainless steel and coupled with its unique seamless fabrication, FerroCep® has helped usher a major China-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company into a new era of antibiotics production. Due to the successful integration of FerroCep® into their production process, this manufacturing company is now onto their second collaboration with Hyflux and has since expanded to become the world's largest producer of one of the key constituents found in antibiotics - Potassium Clavulanate.

FerroCep®'s ability to operate under the utmost extreme conditions allows it to significantly improve extraction yield and greatly reduce production cost of pharmaceutical processes by resolving key technical issues faced during manufacturing. One clear illustration is its ability to clarify industrial streams of high viscosity and solid content without the addition of any chemical coagulants or flocculants. This reduces waste loading to downstream treatment facilities, thus bringing down production cost. With its long service lifespan, FerroCep® is an ideal membrane filtration system that companies in the same industry can look towards in helping them remain competitive in the international market.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux has been awarded a US$25.5 million contract by PUB, Singapore's national water agency, to design, construct, test and commission the largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant in Singapore. With a designed capacity of 68,000m3 per day, the plant will also be the largest MBR project to be built by Hyflux to-date. Construction of the plant is expected to be completed within 18 months. Using biological processes and microfiltration membranes, used water from the industrialised Jurong catchment will be treated for use by industries located on Jurong Island.

Hyflux expects to leverage on its integrated design and engineering, procurement and construction capabilities to deliver a truly competitive solution, including in the operation and maintenance of the plant. Other key water installations in Singapore in which Hyflux was the main contractor for include: Bedok and Seletar NEWater plant, Chestnut Avenue Waterworks and Singapore's largest seawater desalination plant, SingSpring Desalination Plant.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Hyflux has been awarded a US$31 million contract by TP Utilities Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of leading power company Tuas Power Ltd, to undertake the EPC works for stage one of the Tembusu Seawater Desalination Plant. Work on stage one is scheduled to start immediately and is expected to be completed in approximately 20 months. Hyflux believes that this project will serve as a springboard for it to participate in the increasing demand for large scale desalination of seawater in the commercial space of power, petrochemical and other basic resources worldwide.

The Desalination Plant is part of Tuas Power's Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex on Jurong Island. The Desalination Plant, which will be developed in stages, will have a designed capacity to produce approximately 182,000m3 of high grade industrial water per day for petrochemical factories to be situated in the Tembusu area of Jurong Island.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

By integrating InoCep® with membrane diafiltration, an European dairy products manufacturer saw first-hand the advantages of InoCep® in casein extraction and concentration from milk, thereby producing cheese and other casein-fortified dairy products via an innovative and cost-effective alternative to conventional processes. Powdered casein filtered by InoCep® is five times more concentrated than in its original form and a wide range of products can be made around that extraction.

A continent famous for its dairy products, powdered casein production has made Europe the largest exporter of cheese worldwide (with casein being the main ingredient in cheese), producing an estimated 520 kilotonnes in 2009 alone. The dairy industry also contributes to an annual turnover of 15% in the overall F&B industry in Europe.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

Traditionally, perfumeries have gathered a bad name amongst environmentalists for poor quality wastewater (WW) discharges; the alternative would have been exorbitant and complex treatment costs paid to waste management companies. Gone are those days with them now having the freedom to treat and discharge their own WW with InoCep® membrane systems. Having worked with one of the world's largest perfumeries, InoCep® filters the WW in batches at the perfume manufacturing site itself, ensuring that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of WW from the manufacturing of perfume is significantly brought below the criteria set for suitable sewage discharge (<600 mg/L), all that using only a fraction of the cost and time.

In conventional perfume wastewater treatment, chemical additives and flocculants are added as part of the treatment process in removing high levels of oil and grease. Not only does this add to the production cost for perfume manufacturers, it is also environmentally harmful. Simply by passing the wastewater through InoCep® membrane systems, perfume manufacturers have the convenience of direct discharge into public sewer systems. InoCep® now provides an affordable, simple and environmentally-friendly method of wastewater treatment for the perfume industry.

For more information, please contact us at sales@hyfluxmembranes.com

In line with its commitment to furthering membrane research frontiers with technology leaders, Hyflux is the Gold Sponsor at the 6th Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Membranes Materials and Processes in New London, NH from 25-30 Jul 2010. It will also be sharing breakthrough technology from its own R&D efforts at the Conference with scientists and industrial players, details of which will be released only later.

The GRC is a series of conferences initiated by Dr. Neil E. Gordon from the Johns Hopkins University in the late 1920s. With a goal of establishing a clear and direct channel of communication between scientists working in the same subject area or interdisciplinary research, this NPO encourages exchanges of ideas at research frontiers of the biological, chemical and physical sciences to develop breakthroughs to propel membrane technologies forward.

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Hyflux has gone to the Land Down Under, collaborating with an Australian company that designs, constructs and supplies commercial laundry wastewater (also known as greywater) recycling systems spanning Australasia. Today, many industrial laundry plants still use screens and chemicals additives as part of a complex and costly wastewater pretreatment process. With Hyflux's InoCep® ceramic hollow fibre membrane, the industry can now look forward to a cheaper, faster and more durable method of recycling such wastewater fit for washing purposes and does not compromise cleaned linen quality. Other than being able to remove a significantly higher percentage of fats/oils/grease (FOG) and total suspended solides (TSS) (thus being more environmentally friendly), InoCep® also provides a stable flux and a longer service lifespan.

Laundry wastewater has a high content of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), FOG, lint, TSS, total dissolved solids and detergents/surfactants which pose challenges to the traditional treatment processes. For example, FOG consumes and depletes dissolved oxygen in water, while TSS imparts a cloudy appearance and has the ability to harbour harmful bacteria such as coliforms. It is of no help commercially and environmentally that with traditional methods, additional chemicals such as acid, flocculants and coagulants are added. Through collaboration with partners like those in Australia, InoCep® has been proven to be a promising solution to the laundry industry in drastically reducing water consumption and operating expenses.

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An Asian traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) company has used Hyflux's InoCep® ceramic hollow fibre membranes to provide a preservatives- and chemical-free clarification process of TCM herbal broths. Replacing conventional extracting processes that incorporate steam distillation or supercritical gas, clarification through InoCep® eliminates the need for high temperature or pressure respectively. InoCep® has the capability of rejecting constituents such as proteins and tannic acid that are big enough to cause precipitation and browning. Where foulants like these have detrimental effects on organic membranes, inorganic InoCep® membranes simply filter them out while ensuring stable flux during extended periods of operation.

Previously popular only within Asian markets, TCM has in recent years grown acceptance among foreign countries like Europe, especially in Germany. Given this opportunity to expand their business overseas, manufacturers are now optimising their TCM manufacturing processes towards greater efficiency. Thus by integrating modern technology with time–honoured methods of preparation, manufacturers are now looking to InoCep® to help them meet the increasingly stringent of this industry.

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Hyflux has made its entry into the Taiwanese market by collaborating with a key partner entrenched in the market. Core to its business is the development of membranes for ultrafiltration (UF) water applications, and to that extent, this partnership provides the opportunity for Hyflux to showcase Kristal's capability as a UF pretreatment membrane in producing cheap, potable water for a market that sees greater sophistication and a growing demand for clean water.

In 2006, Taiwan was ranked 18th as one of the world's most water-scarce countries. Because of factors like narrow rivers, high population densities and an unsuitable geology; problems in supply are also compounded by an increasing demand for water. Looking towards foreign and private investment in public construction projects (e.g. desalination plants and sewerage systems); $1.72 billion, together with an estimated $2.56 billion from the Taiwanese government was generated for 36 planned construction projects that year. By 2021, Taiwan forecasts its total water demand to be 19.98 billion m3, 1.38 billion m3 more than that in 2001. With that, its Water Resources Agency continues to fund investments in improving its water supply and protecting its water resources. This in turn presents an opportunity for foreign and international investors like Hyflux to showcase their membrane technology in the growing Taiwan water market.

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Hyflux was invited to present at the Strategic Opportunities in Water Technologies in San Jose and its senior representative shared insights on the water industry in China and Hyflux's involvement in that market. Having over 15 years of experience in China and over 40 major desalination, water recycling and water treatment plants in 26 out of China's 31 provinces, including the recent completion and full operation of China's largest SWRO plant in Tianjin producing 100MLD of freshwater, Hyflux shared with the attendees its challenges and perspectives of what lies ahead in this major market.

Other than PRC, the forum covered water technologies for India, Mexico and US, as well as the various water challenges, government incentives that drive investment, frameworks for partnering foreign companies, and approaches to water solutions. During the panel of discussion, many views were also exchanged about the use of water in industries ranging from the F&B to oil and gas. The event also highlighted investment opportunities in innovative technologies, services and business models as well as offered opportunities to network with developers, vendors and buyers.

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InoCep®'s durability to withstand extreme conditions has resulted in its growing demand by international universities and research institutions all over the world, including South Africa, Hungary and Canada, for further research studies in the field of ceramic membrane filtration. Its superior thermal, chemical and mechanical stability allows researchers to explore a wide range of possibilities in the field of filtration technologies.

With a key focus on areas such as research and development and technology commercialisation, Hyflux continues to forge strong ties with institutes locally and around the world, providing a platform that bridges innovation and marketable membrane products and services together. Able to cater to industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to food and beverage, the filtration quality of InoCep® is backed by academically proven research to illustrate its capability in handling extreme process conditions and feeds with high solids content.

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The InoCep® ceramic membrane has found a strong foothold in replacing traditional methods for concentrating latex. From the tropical plantations of Southeast Asia, a multinational conglomerate with a division specifically devoted to this agribusiness has entrusted Hyflux's InoCep® with the duty of improving this process. InoCep® has successfully increased the production yield and produced a higher quality product, with lower cost and zero-pollutant discharge.

In 2009, Southeast Asia alone produced an estimated amount of 7.4 million tonnes of natural rubber and exported 6.17 million tonnes to the rest of the world. Traditionally, the skim rubber is treated with sulphuric acid to produce cheap rubber products of 5% skim rubber content. Not only does this method use large quantities of sulphuric acid which results in high production cost, it is more importantly an environmentally harmful pollutant. InoCep® however offers a safer, cheaper and greener alternative to produce skim rubber products of better quality.

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Hyflux's membranes have found their way to Haiti through an European integration partner, providing safe drinking water to the countless victims of the recent earthquake. These membranes are installed in mobile water purification units that produce inexpensive, potable water by removing all forms of pathogens. Using only sunlight, they save on expensive disposable filters, UV lamps, electricity and chemicals.

Massive outpours of humanitarian aid and relief funds continue to make their way to the victims of Haiti. Safe drinking water is critical in preventing the spread of communicable disease where the makeshift living conditions are cramp and unsanitary. Developed specifically with the idea of helping those without access to safe drinking water, the water purifier units - alongside the membranes in them - need to be extremely robust and easy to operate and transport.

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Ceramic or polymeric? Which pore size to use? Hyflux has come forth with an easy method for membrane users in universities, engineering firms and drug/chemical research institutes to select the right type of membranes for their application or process needs. Individually housed in glass tubes, Kristal® PES fibres and InoCep® ceramic fibres with different pore sizes are now available for testing and evaluation purposes under laboratory conditions. Research-scale membranes have an easy "plug and play" installation step and provide the ease with which users can assess the membranes using liquid/liquid and solid/liquid separation under different operating parameters.

With these membranes, key decisions such as membrane suitability for a particular application and approximate design parameters (e.g. flux) to be implemented for a production scale plant can be made without the hassle of setting up and running the plant itself. This significantly reduces the costs and lead time involved in the preliminary phase of any filtration project.

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Hyflux has developed its reputation as a water market leader in the countries of China, Algeria and the like, delivering mega turnkey water solutions. But with its membranes also gaining traction in various markets, more and more parties are looking to them as a highly cost-competitive alternative to the other players. In Turkey, Hyflux recently found interested parties to work with them both in the distribution of its Kristal® membranes, use of them in original equipment and even partnering for major water projects.

In light of the country's ambition to join the EU, Turkey has undergone a programme that included infrastructure investment and modernisation of environmental legislation. This move was largely intended for the country's areas of water and wastewater treatment and solid waste management, so as to facilitate a complete harmonisation with European law. However, so successful was this push that the 5th World Water Forum, held in Istanbul from 16th to 22nd March 2009, proved to be the world's largest water-related event to date. With 33,058 participants from 192 countries taking part in the Forum, including high level representatives from government and inter-governmental organisations. This open reception to address Turkey's water issues only proves to be an added advantage for Hyflux to further showcase its ability to compete with other industrial players.

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A South American engineering services company recently expressed confidence in Hyflux's InoCep® ceramic membranes in the area of fruit and vegetable juice clarification processes for industrial scale projects. Given its sharp pore size distribution and hollow fibre configuration that ensures higher flux than standard multichannel ceramic membranes in the market, Hyflux's award-winning InoCep® has found another new application in the beverages industry without compromising standards of organic acids or vitamin content.

The main purpose of clarification treatment employed in industrial juice processing is to eliminate constituents responsible for the turbidity and cloudiness in freshly produced juice. Conventional methods of filtration in a clarification process include filtration through plate-and-frame and rotary vacuum filters. With conventional filtration however, the final product is often left with a higher level of undesired constituents than that preferred by industrial standards. By providing a higher rate of removing these unwanted components while reducing the fouling potential of the membrane, thus increasing cost effectiveness, InoCep® ceramic membrane is quickly gaining acceptance as an important filtrating step to include in many process industries worldwide.

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After rigorous testing that entailed raw beer fresh from an industrial brewery, Hyflux's InoCep® ceramic hollow fibre membranes have expanded the scope of application within the F&B industry in seeking to replace the hazardous Keiselguhr-based beer filtration process. With strong interest in the beer industry, the InoCep® membrane is finding new opportunities within the European and Chinese beer industries with interested parties enhancing filtration processes for the various beers produced.

Known for its chemically inert nature, the ceramic material of InoCep® allows it to operate under stringent beer clarification conditions, conditions of which, polymeric membranes are not suitable for. As well as separating hazy proteins for the end product to achieve a crystal clear appearance, the membrane configuration of InoCep® such as its wall thickness and pore size also make it ideal in retaining the flavour, nutrients and aromatic compounds present in beer.

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Hyflux's membranes are seeing heightened levels of interest amongst Japanese engineering firms, most recently in the food processing industry. The parties in question have repeated tests using Hyflux's InoCep® ceramic hollow fibre membranes and expressed confidence to raise the level of collaboration, giving Hyflux an even stronger foothold into the stringent Japanese food processing industry.

Japan has one of the world's largest and technically advanced food manufacturing sectors, food processing being one of the major contributors. With its overall food industry commanding a value of US$600 billion with food processing alone being worth US$209 billion, Japan's food industry remains comparable to that of the United States and the EU. Due to constraints in industrial water supply, strict laws and regulations, and even personal responsibilities that Japanese food manufactures adhere to, there is a continuous effort to make significant investments in efficient wastewater treatment facilities to keep hazardous content within the limits of effluent standards.

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