European initiative for the standardisation of membrane bioreactor technology

AMEDEUS, a consortium on MBR-technology coordinated by the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water, has performed a comprehensive study on the market expectation and technological potential of the standardisation of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology in Europe. Two project partners, Anjou Recherche (Veolia Water) and Aquafin, major operators of MBR systems in Europe, have been in charge of this study, undertaken in liaison with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). They surveyed a panel of 45 selected market player of the MBR industry. The scope of the analysis focussed on two aspects: - standardisation of MBR filtration systems (geometry, capacity etc), and - standardisation of characterisation methods (fouling, module integrity etc). The outcomes of the study –a White Paper on MBR standardisation– will be soon available at www.mbr-network.eu, the web-platform dedicated to the MBR technology, and will be presented on 24 November 2006 in a workshop hosted by the German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) in Berlin. This initiative is expected to pave the way towards an appropriate standardisation process of the MBR technology, which should benefit the European MBR industry.