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As part of this bi-weekly newsletter, we bring you the latest industry news, technology innovations and appointments from across the industry including:
Grundfos appointment, Acquisitions, and Touching distance for Wilo!
To quick things off, we have an exciting new CEO appointment to the GRUNDFOS Water Utilities Division!
Hamed Heyhat, who will be part of Grundfos’s Group Management, brings more than 20 years of experience from the utilities industry gained at international companies such as Alstom, General Electric Company and most recently Honeywell. He joins Grundfos from a role as president of Honeywell’s Smart Energy business.
“Hamed Heyhat brings deep knowledge from the utilities industry, many years in senior leadership and a proven track record in roles with profit and loss responsibility, as well as mergers and acquisitions. He has an ambitious, present and authentic leadership style, and I am confident that he is a great fit for Grundfos, and our Water Utility division.”
said Poul Due Jensen, Group CEO. Heyhat added:
“I am truly excited about the prospect of joining Grundfos and the Water Utility division. I am passionate about making water a resource for everyone. As part of our global team, I look forward to advancing the development in this vital area, making an impact globally with sustainability and digitalization as key levers.”
Heyhat has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology, and an MBA from Manchester Business School.
Best of luck!
Workdry International Ltd, the parent company of Selwood Ltd, Siltbuster Ltd, and Vanderkamp, has announced a strategic expansion into the North American market through the acquisition of Florida-based Holland Pump Company.
The acquisition of the water handling and pump rental services provider will give Workdry an established presence in the East and Gulf Coast regions of the US, strengthening the combined group’s offering to the infrastructure, construction, municipal, and manufacturing sectors.
Workdry is acquiring Holland Pump from a shareholder group led by XPV Water Partners. Since taking ownership in 2019, it has supported a series of strategic acquisitions to grow Holland Pump into one of the largest pure-play pump rental and service providers in the US, with over 1,000 pump assets, across 15 locations, and over 120 employees.
Workdry plans to support the existing Holland Pump management team, operating as the North American division of Workdry, in pursuing a high-growth strategy in its core markets, expanding through organic pump rental solutions growth, further mergers and acquisitions and leveraging its base of operations and Workdry’s expertise and asset solutions to introduce a modular wastewater treatment offering in the US market.
“Our acquisition of Holland Pump brings a well-established and respected business into our group, providing us with a strong entry point into North America which is the largest pump rental market in the world. Our colleagues already know Holland Pump very well, having worked with them over many years to supply Selwood equipment to US customers.”
said Dan Lee, Group CEO of Workdry.
Holland Pump CEO, Thomas Vossman, will continue to lead the US business, working closely alongside Workdry’s leadership team to integrate best practices and share expertise across the group. Vossman, based in Texas, is an experienced leader in growing manufacturing, infrastructure and asset rental businesses who has delivered Holland Pump’s strategic plan over the past three years. He was appointed after XPV acquired Holland Pump from former owner and president Win Blodgett.
Wilo’s major Wilopark construction project at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany is getting closer to completion.
The final construction phase of the Networking Cube has concluded and the new market partner meeting centre will soon be in operation. In addition, construction of the new Health Cube health centre is about to begin. Following the submission of the building application, the plot was prepared and is now ready for construction.
Oliver Hermes, president & CEO added:
“We are delighted to celebrate two further milestones in the largest construction project in our company’s history. The Networking Cube and the Health Cube are the final pieces of the Wilopark puzzle to make it the sustainable headquarters of the Wilo technology group. Our ambitious, overarching sustainability strategy is clearly reflected in the design of both buildings.”
Wilo will welcome its network of partners from all over the world in the Networking Cube with space for discussion and interaction. A highlight of the new meeting place is a 191 sq m LED wall with over 50 million pixels. Wilo employees worldwide and throughout the entire Dortmund region will benefit from the innovative Health Cube health centre at Wilopark, wuth the official opening planned for early 2026.
Once construction work is complete, the approximately 200,000 sq m Wilopark will comprise five main buildings: the Smart Factory, the Pioneer Cube administration building, the Innovation Cube research and development centre, the Networking Cube, and the Health Cube. In total, Wilo has invested over €400 million in the development of the site.
British power company Drax Group has appointed Voith Hydro to progress its plans to build the UK’s first pumped storage hydro scheme in 40 years.
The proposed 600 MW underground plant would be constructed adjacent to Drax’s existing Cruachan facility near Oban in Scotland.
Voith Hydro will complete a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for the mechanical and electrical components of the design. This work will produce a series of reports, data and models that will provide a well-defined project scope, design, cost estimate, and schedule, enabling informed decision-making and reducing uncertainties before proceeding to the detailed engineering, procurement, and construction phases.
Drax’s proposals received development consent from the Scottish Government last year, but the project’s continued progression requires an updated policy and market support mechanism from the UK Government. Despite their critical role in decarbonisation, no new pumped storage hydro plants have been constructed in the UK since 1984 due to the current lack of a suitable framework. Earlier this year, the UK Government launched a consultation on its plans to introduce a new framework which could unlock billions of pounds worth of private investment in the technology.
Steve Marshall, Drax’s Development Manager, said:
“A new generation of pumped storage hydro plants will strengthen the UK’s energy security by enabling more homegrown renewable electricity to come online to power homes and businesses across the country.”
We look forward to seeing the project unfold!
Two bosses of Yorkshire Water have been handed a combined £616,000 in bonuses for a year in which thousands of its customers “struggled to go about their daily lives” for weeks due to a burst water pipe.
The payouts, part of a bonus system that could be banned in future under proposals outlined by the Labour government in this week’s king’s speech, were detailed in the companies annual report.
The awards cover a period that also includes nine months of 2023, a year in which Yorkshire Water was named the second-worst water company in England for sewage spills.
The company’s chief executive, Nicola Shaw, was paid salary and benefits worth £657,000 for the year to the end of March 2024, topped up by a £371,000 bonus. Shaw, who was appointed in 2022, forfeit her bonus the previous financial year amid public outrage over sewage spills.
Yorkshire Water’s chief financial officer, Paul Inman, was paid £436,000 in salary and benefits, as well as a £245,000 bonus.
Yorkshire Water, which serves 5.5 million customers across Yorkshire, parts of Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, has provisionally been given the green light by Ofwat to increase bills from £430 a year to £537 over the next five years.
Every water company in England and Wales is under investigation by Ofwat over sewage spills, it emerged this week.
Hidrostal has developed HidroSmart, a new monitoring and control unit for all types of pumps.
Both the device itself and the web application have been designed with flexibility in mind, offering a solution for every installation.
Through the Hidrostal web application, it is possible to access live and historical data at any time and ensure that pumps are operating as they should. Alternatively, HidroSmart can be integrated into existing SCADA systems via Modbus or be modified in many other ways if required.
With the HidroScope vibration extension module, advanced vibration analysis can be performed.
The respective sensors are connected directly to the HidroSmart and HidroScope units installed in an electrical cabinet. They are lightweight, easy to mount on a DIN rail and powered by 24 VDC. The HidroSmart can also be connected to a laptop on site by Ethernet to read out the stored data through the Hidrostal technician tool.
The information obtained with HidroSmart and HidroScope can be used to plan and improve pump maintenance, check pump performance, and send alarms to the operator in case of problems. The data can be viewed online in the web application, in the customer’s own SCADA system, or exported through the web application or the technician tool.
Celeros Flow Technology (Celeros FT) is providing two new water injection packages, including the electric motors and variable frequency drives (VFDs), for the AKER/OKEA power from shore project in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.
The new pump packages will replace gas turbine-driven units to take advantage of Norway’s abundant renewable electricity resources, helping to reduce the customer’s carbon footprint. The contract will be fulfilled by Celeros FT’s ClydeUnion Pumps brand, with the skidded packages being assembled at its flagship site in Glasgow.
Celeros Flow Technology has been appointed by Aker Solutions to supply the two new water injection packages as part of the Draugen platform electrification project. The Draugen platform is situated approximately 145 km off the coast of Norway. Aker Solutions has lead responsibility for the platform engineering and upgrading involved in its electrification. The project involves replacement of both the main power and water injection pump turbines with an electrical power supply from a new substation onshore. It is estimated that the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2026, will yield a CO2 saving of up to 200,000 tonnes per year.
Tommy Kassem, CCO of Celeros FT, said:
“Decarbonization of the global energy supply chain is a critical part of reducing climate change impacts and securing a cleaner future. This involves upgrading existing oil & gas assets as well as developing new renewable resources. Celeros FT is primed to support both new and existing operators as they adapt to using alternative, greener sources of energy.”
Sustainable chemical company Sudoc has received capital commitment worth $4 million from water tech fund PureTerra Ventures, and its backer European Investment Fund (EIF), as it prepares to launch its product into the European water treatment market.
This follows a recent $6 million capital commitment from Dutch investor Momentum Capital, bringing the total investment so far to $20 million.
Nic Pannekeet, partner at PureTerra said:
“Sudoc is a company that perfectly aligns with our own business ethos. We want to help develop disruptive water technologies that offer innovative solutions to enable a sustainable water cycle. Its innovative products are designed with the intention of putting chemistry back in balance with nature, and both human and environmental health.”
he further added:
“By removing harmful chemicals from a range of applications, including wastewater, we believe Sudoc is uniquely positioned to play a decisive role in removing toxic chemicals from our planet. This is why we are investing in Sudoc, because we believe in the company’s potential for helping to make the earth a cleaner, healthier place to live.”
The investment will help Sudoc takes its sustainable cleaning products to the water treatment and water intensive industrial processes markets. The company has recently opened its first office in Amsterdam, thanks to the funding from Momentum Capital.
The water regulator is taking action against four more water companies, including Severn Trent and United Utilities, meaning every wastewater company in England and Wales is under investigation over sewage spills.
Ofwat said it had several formal notices on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities, asking them to provide evidence for its investigation into companies’ wastewater management in England and Wales.
The regulator has looked at the companies’ environmental performance and data about how often they spill from storm overflows. It said this had heightened its “concerns that these companies may not be fulfilling their obligations to protect the environment and minimise pollution”.
This means Ofwat is taking enforcement action against all 11 water and wastewater companies in England and Wales over sewage pollution. Once it has fully investigated, it will publish its findings and where appropriate take action over any breaches of legal obligations.
Along with the Environment Agency, the regulator is investigating water companies over suspicions of widespread illegal sewage discharges across the network from thousands of treatment plants.
This is the largest and most complex investigation Ofwat has undertaken. However, Ofwat is committed to concluding these cases as quickly as possible, so that the sector can focus on delivering the £88bn expenditure the 2024 price review will unlock to deliver cleaner rivers and seas.
Europe:
North America:
For more information on any of these opportunities, please get in touch with Lyle King, Will Brockbank, Max Fraser-Krauss or Joe Michie.
That's it for Volume 17! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to follow Influx Search for the latest industry news and job advertisements.
