Omnia Unit Teams up With US Firm
Friday, 11 June 2010 |   |  0 comment

A division of JSE-listed specialist chemical services group Omnia has formed a joint venture (JV) with a US firm to provide water and process treatment services to the African market.

The JSE-listed group's Protea Chemicals division has joined forces with water treatment firm Nalco to form the Nalco Africa JV.

"This JV will enable Omnia to assist its clients to significantly reduce their environmental impact using Nalco's industrial water and process treatment technologies. This partnership complements our existing chemicals business and demonstrates our continued commitment to growing our business through proactive management of South Africa's scarce water resources," Omnia MD Rod Humphris commented.

Nalco's patented 3D TRASAR® cooling water automation technology to reduce industrial water use, has, since its introduction in 2004, saved more than 596-million cubic meters of water worldwide, Omnia noted.

Nalco Africa's services would include solutions for the mining, petrochemicals, pulp and paper and food and beverage sectors, as well as for broader industrial water and effluent treatment applications.

"Africa is an important growth market [with a] total accessible market estimated at more than $400-million a year and [which] is expected to grow significantly over the next ten years. This is a great opportunity to bring together our expertise and experience in the water, energy and air sectors, our global research facilities, and a well-respected partner who understands the needs of the industrial services market in Africa," said Nalco chairperson Erik Fyrwald.

The company is expected to start operating in the first quarter of this year.

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/omnia-unit-forms-water-and-process-treatment-jv-with-us-firm-2010-01-28