Microvi Celebrates Years of Successful Operation of its Commercial MNE Nitrate Treatment System Outperforming Initial Projections
With four years of continuous operation, the Microvi MNE system for nitrate removal at Sunny Slope Water Company in Pasadena, CA has outperformed initial projections for performance and cost savings. While initial estimates predicted a 50% savings for operational costs compared to alternative treatment technologies, a recent data analysis found that a 75% cost savings has been demonstrated.
A portion of the cost saving comes from reduced chemical needs and a decrease in operational requirements due to controls, remote access and automation allowing for minimal operator intervention. The system has also proven a key advantage of Microvi’s sustainable biology approach where little or no biological waste has been produced over more than 48 months of operation.
“The year-after-year operation of Microvi’s full-scale nitrate treatment system has proven the unprecedented benefits offered by Microvi’s approach for sustainable biology,” said Dr. Fatemeh Shirazi, CEO and CTO of Microvi. “Microvi MNE is changing the paradigm for biological processes and driving Microvi’s rapidly growing commercial footprint and offerings across many industries.”
“Sunny Slope remains confident, supportive, and proud to have partnered with Microvi in implementing the State’s first Microvi MNE Nitrate system for potable water use. The system operates as designed with no known anomalies. We are extremely happy with the Design, Build, and Operate agreement with Microvi. It allows us to lessen the need to purchase expensive replenishment water,” said Ken Tcheng, General Manager of Sunny Slope Water Company.
The Microvi MNE technology uses novel biocatalytic composites (MNE biocatalysts) that intensify and extend the capability of biological processes, while maintaining a controlled population of microorganisms at a much higher density than existing technologies. Over the lifetime of use at the facility at Sunny Slope Water Company, no MNE biocatalysts have required replacement and consistent performance has been shown by independent testing reports submitted to California Division of Drinking Water (DDW).
The Microvi MNE system converts nitrate into harmless nitrogen gas and has consistently reduced nitrate levels to less than 3 mg/L, far below California’s regulated maximum contaminant level of 10mg/L. It also does this without producing a secondary waste stream, a 99% reduction in sludge compared to using alternative solutions, alleviating disposal costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
About Microvi
Microvi is a transformative biology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that delivers next-generation biotechnologies for the water, wastewater, bio-based chemicals, biofuels and biopharma industries. Microvi offers commercial technologies around the world to reduce waste, increase productivity and provide disruptive economics across the value chain. Learn more at www.microvi.com.
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