The Hindu Business Line : Norit eyeing desalination, water purification projects

System flow
Proposals include systems in remote areas in N. India and along the South and East coasts.
Plans to source components locally for Indian projects.
India contributes about €5 million/year to Norit’s global revenues of over €350 million.

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Chennai, Aug. 27 Norit India Pvt Ltd, subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Norit group that offers components, systems and solutions catering to water and beverage processing, is in talks with State and Central Governments to set up water purification and desalination plants across the country.

This includes proposals for setting up small standalone water purification systems in remote areas in North India and desalination plants along the Southern and Eastern coastal regions, according to Mr Menno M. Holterman, Member, Board of Directors, Norit Proces Technologie Holding BV.

“We have been showing authorities our membrane technology and trying to convince them that their investments would break even in 2-3 years,” he said at a press conference on Monday announcing the launch of its sales office in the city. It is understood that it costs 80 cents to $1 (Rs 30-Rs 40) to produce a cubic metre of recycled water.

Deal target

He mentioned that the company was aiming to bag deals for two proposed 150 million-litres-a-day plants in and around Chennai.

The company has so far implemented about 30 projects that include a sewage treatment and recycling plant for Chennai Petroleum Corporation, effluent treatment plants for some textile units in Tirupur, and is expecting to bag deals from some tanneries in Tamil Nadu.

Other clients include Hindustan Coca-Cola, Va Tech Wabag, United Breweries, Cipla, and Indian Oil Corporation.

“We plan to source components locally for Indian projects,” Mr Holterman said. Currently components such as membranes, pumps, valves, and activated carbon are produced in Europe and imported into India, where they are assembled onsite.

These components are subject to import duty of 5-20 per cent, depending on the component.

When asked if Norit would consider setting up a components manufacturing unit in India, Mr Holterman said it wouldn’t.

“We want to gain sufficient market share before deciding on a manufacturing unit,” he said.

India contributes about €5 million a year to Norit’s global revenues of over €350 million. Globally, Norit purifies 15 million litres of water a day.