The licensing deal provides Sulzer with global rights to incorporate the Blade Compressor design into aeration equipment for the treatment of waste water. The deal does not restrict the ability of Lontra to license the Blade Compressor across related applications such as industrial compressed air.
Water treatment is an energy intensive activity; accounting for 1% of the UK’s energy usage. Energy typically represents 28% of the operating costs of water industry operations, with aeration accounting for 55% of this1. Severn Trent Water’s chief executive Tony Wray said that the Lontra Blade Compressor would save them £1.8M a year in electricity costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 3% if rolled out across their estate.
Lontra claims that the Blade Compressor delivers significant efficiency gains over competing technologies. Its geometry design gives internal compression with very low leakage and low inlet and outlet flow losses. The low leakage allows the compressor to be directly coupled to a standard industrial motor rather than requiring a gearbox or belt drive. It is oil free and is made from standard, proven materials, the benefits coming from the geometry rather than novel materials or expensive machining.
Scot Smith, division president of Sulzer Pumps Equipment, remarked: “Incorporating Lontra’s technology into our product portfolio will provide our customers with the high-tech solutions they need to significantly reduce their energy and operations costs for this type of equipment. The advantage of the Blade Compressor is that it is the geometry of the design rather than advanced materials that deliver the superior performance. We therefore expect maximum reliability and minimal life cycle cost.”
Steve Lindsey, CEO and founder of Lontra, commented: “Today’s deal with Sulzer is significant, but it’s the first of many potential applications of our intellectual property. We’re challenging the industry to think differently about compressor technology to deliver a better performance, better reliability and significant energy savings across a wide range of industries.”
