Howden wins contract to supply energy efficient aeration solutions in South Africa.

Howden, a global provider of air and gas handling products, technologies, and services, has won a contract to provide four high-speed, single-stage integrally geared blowers and a control system to the Athlone Wastewater Treatment Works in Cape Town, South Africa. The upgrades are necessary due to population growth and migrations, which have increased the demand for the city’s wastewater treatment plants to clean water and make it safe before discharging it into the environment.

Howden’s high-efficiency SG Blowers and proprietary Bio-Active Response System (BARS) will deliver the right amount of dissolved oxygen, reduce electrical demand and generate energy savings when they are installed in 2024. Howden’s Combined Vane Control systems will work in tandem with a Howden algorithm to deliver the most efficient air required over a large turndown range of 100-45%.

Eric Vemer, President and General Manager of Africa & Middle East at Howden, said that Howden has supported the City of Cape Town over the past ten years, designing a customised solution that met the client’s stringent specifications to optimise energy consumption. Howden supplies high-efficiency blowers and compressors, and advanced digital solutions for smart aeration systems.

Howden’s aeration system design minimises energy consumption and guarantees high reliability, saving time and improving operating costs. Howden supports its equipment through an aftermarket workshop in Cape Town to ensure reliability and minimum downtime through 24/7 availability of the service team.

The Athlone Wastewater Treatment Works has been treating wastewater since the early 1920s and its upgrades are a critical investment in key infrastructure that improves environmental health. The effluent from the WWTW must meet stringent health and safety standards to ensure that there is no harm to the biodiversity of the established water stream.

Howden’s contract with the Athlone WWTW demonstrates the company’s commitment to solving real-world problems by working closely with clients to optimise energy consumption and deliver the most efficient solutions.