Yes. Our technology does not make use any chemicals to prevent limescale, corrosion and microbiology. The make-up water is passed through membranes to keep the thickening of the cooling water in the cooling tower as high as possible. Pathema’s Industrial Vortex Generator prevents the use of cooling water chemicals by means of cavitation forces. This allows us to create the lowest possible footprint. Curious about how this works exactly? On this page you can read all about it.
Every membrane technology needs cleaning five to ten times a year. For this, Pathema makes use of an automated CIP (Clean In Place) system. This requires a small amount of acid (on average 225 kg per year) and lye (on average 100 kg per year). The acid and lye used for this are biodegradable and can be discharged neutralized to the waste water treatment plant or the sewer without additional treatment steps. This is a separate process and is therefore actively discharged separately. This means that the cleaning chemicals do not end up in the bleed flow and the surface water.
For comparison: a cooling tower with a traditional chemical cooling water treatment (so without our IVG technology) uses 35,000 – 45,000 kg of cooling water chemicals per year. These chemicals all end up in the surface water and are not biodegradable. Pathema's cooling water treatment is 100% free of cooling water chemicals. To clean the membranes, a minimal amount of biodegradable chemicals is required: in this case we are talking about a reduction of more than 99%.
In almost all cases, 100% chemical-free is possible. But in some exceptional situations, 100% chemical-free cooling is not possible. Over the past 10 years, we have achieved 100% chemical-free cooling water treatment for almost all of our customers. For one party, we have achieved a 92% chemical saving. As mentioned before; in almost all cases, 100% chemical-free cooling water treatment is possible. But even a saving of 92% (we call this low-chemical) already has a major impact on the environment. We are more than happy to answer your questions about this: contact us via sales@pathema.nl or call us on 013 - 782 0201 (during office hours).
Pathema's technology has been running successfully since 2008 and has therefore proven itself extensively in practice. We are transparent in everything we do and our technology is measurably effective. The essential components of our technology are multiple and therefore redundantly implemented. All data points (such as cooling water quality, scaling, corrosion and microbiology) are measured 24/7 in real time. There are no risks associated with using our cooling water treatment. In fact, we see an increase in the safety of your company's employees: after all, there is no longer a need to work with dangerous chemicals.
The ROI of purchasing a Pathema cooling water treatment system is of course different for each case. On average, a Pathema system is earned back in about two to five years. This is due to savings on discharge costs, purchase costs of chemicals, (drinking) water costs, safety costs and a longer lifespan of the cooling system.
Our IVG technology has been designated as BAT (Best Available Technology) by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). If you are required to have a permit for discharging drain water into surface water, you are obliged to apply for a BAT or to prove otherwise following your own research. Obtaining a permit to discharge (more quickly) is so crucial for a production process, that it ensures an almost immediate return on investment.
The MIA-VAMIL scheme can be applied for for the entire package, including installation, cooling tower, piping, labor hours, etc. If this is granted, a company will receive a net subsidy of approximately 9 to 10 percent of the purchase price. This makes the payback period even shorter.
Pathema's IVG technique lasts for at least 20 years. The lifespan of a Pathema cooling water treatment plant is therefore at least as long as that of a cooling tower.
The Pathema technology (Industrial Vortex Generator (IVG) and Pathema DESinfect (PADES)) has been declared Best Available Technology (BAT) by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) in 2023. This means that they recommend Pathema's technology. The Water Boards are also pleased with Pathema's chemical-free cooling water treatment, since a logical consequence of not adding chemicals to the water is that these chemicals do not have to be removed for the production of drinking water. In addition, the quality of our surface waters (where discharge takes place) remains better if no chemicals are added to cooling water.
After the installation of the Pathema cooling water treatment, drinking water is no longer needed for cooling. We prefer to use other water flows, such as surface water, rainwater and waste water. The cooling tower can therefore be completely disconnected from the drinking water network, which results in 100% drinking water savings.
The blowdown water is used circularly by our technology. By thoroughly filtering this water, we can recover up to 94%, where we previously considered this as waste. The drain water is collected in a water basin instead of flushed into the sewer. We filter this water again with Blowdown Water Recovery (BWR) to remove the solid particles and the dissolved substances. After these filtration steps, we return the recovered water as fresh make-up water. This allows us to reuse this water for cooling. Pathema's IVG technology can reduce the water footprint (the total water consumption) of your cooling tower by up to 45% through higher thickening (factor 8.0+) and reuse of the blowdown water. A cooling tower will always continue to use water to evaporate residual heat: a wonderfully circular process.
Pathema's technology ensures major CO2 savings throughout the chain. How much exactly? That differs from case to case. Because the Pathema cooling water treatment plant works without the use of chemicals, these chemicals no longer need to be produced. A logical consequence is that these chemicals no longer need to be packaged and transported, which saves a lot of CO2 emissions.
The most important saving, however, is no longer having to purify the cooling tower’s discharge water. This water no longer contains any chemicals thanks to our cooling water treatment. Last year, all Pathema installations together saved a total of more than 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
Subsidy schemes are certainly available. This means you can invest in our technology with tax benefits. For example, the MIA-VAMIL scheme can be applied for for the entire package, including installation, cooling tower, piping, labor hours, etc. If this is granted, a company will receive a net subsidy of approximately 9 to 10 percent of the purchase price. This makes the payback period even shorter.
The Pathema installation operates with 24/7 Remote Monitoring & Assistance (RMA). We can always monitor remotely if necessary. A continuous process that you can count on, anywhere in the world. If necessary, a technician from Pathema or its partners will come to the installation site to solve the problem. The IVG technology is a mechanical water treatment, which makes it easy to maintain and repair. Critical components, and even the entire installation, can be redundantly implemented.
You can read all about our technology on 'The solution' page. All the components of the Pathema cooling water treatment are explained in the three steps: Cooling water pre-filtration, Cooling water treatment and Recovery.
Certainly. On our 'cases' page you find examples of some of our cases. Are you looking for a specific case? Please contact us at sales@pathema.nl or call us at 013 - 782 0201 (during office hours). We are more than happy to help you.
Placement depends on the size and shape of the installation, but is always achieved within 1 day. Pathema delivers customized solutions, which means that we make the best possible plan for every situation. A skid can be placed anywhere (indoors). One (or more) shipping containers are placed with a crane.
Pathema's technology is suitable for all cooling towers, but for cooling towers of 5MW and higher our installation often provides the greatest return.
Currently there are over 100 cooling water treatment plants all over the world that are running Pathema's IVG technology. Sustainability knows no boundaries, and neither does Pathema!
Our cooling water treatment plants can be purchased or leased. A lease agreement saves you money, water and chemicals for a fixed price per month, without it costing you a one-off large investment. Curious about what we can do for your company? Contact us via sales@pathema.nl or call us on 013 - 782 0201 (during office hours). We are happy to share our thoughts about the future of your company.
Yes, certainly. Pathema's cooling water treatment has been ISSO 55.3 certified since 2008. Furthermore, it has also been designated BAT (Best Available Technology) by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) since 2023.
We gladly assist you! Send an email to communicatie@pathema.nl and we will contact you as soon as possible.
That's a nice story. In 2007, Pathema imported a vortex treatment from Sweden. This was mainly intended to freeze ice rinks better, cheaper, and more energy-efficiently. This was achieved without the use of chemicals. Apart from the fact that it was cheaper and the ice quality improved, the ice masters of the ice rinks also saw that their cooling towers were cleaner than in previous years. Pathema was not yet familiar with this at the time. Subsequently, a study was started with TU Eindhoven, and Pathema fully immersed itself in the world of cooling water. A chance discovery! Not much later, Pathema started building the first chemical-free and circular cooling water treatment installations. Something we still do with great pleasure and satisfaction!
Many tonnes of chemicals are discharged into surface waters in the Netherlands (and abroad). The surface water of the Netherlands is among the worst in the whole of Europe. At the moment, only 1% of the Dutch surface water meets the requirements set by the Water Framework Directive. If the quality of our surface waters does not meet the guidelines by 2027, European legislation threatens to impose fines of tens of millions per year. In addition, it is incomprehensible that so many (cooling water) chemicals from industry end up in our water, while there is a good, safe and affordable alternative. This is at the expense of all life in the water and around it.
The answer is simple: because it is unnecessary. It can be read everywhere in the news: drinking water companies are having increasing difficulty in providing the population with sufficient drinking water. People are called to take shorter showers and to water their gardens less often. And of course; every bit helps. But the real difference can be made in the industry! Here, tens of thousands of liters of drinking water are used every day as cooling water. And that while with the right (reliable, affordable and safe) technology, such as Pathema's technology, other water flows such as surface water, rainwater and waste water can easily be used instead.
Cool, isn't it? We are rightly proud of our innovative, chemical-free and circular cooling water treatment, and can guarantee that our technology really works. With almost 20 years of experience and over 100 successfully operating cooling water treatment installations all over the world, we have proven our technology extensively in practice. Do you have any questions? Then you can always reach us via sales@pathema.nl or 013 - 782 0201 (during office hours). We happily answer all your questions. We act and communicate in a way that is honest, direct and completely transparent. Simple really: exactly the way we would like to be treated ourselves.