Turning wastewater into a resource This collaboration focuses on circular water reuse and wants to transform treated wastewater into a high-quality resource for industrial use. The water supplied to DESOTEC originates from Aquafin, which treats municipal and industrial wastewater before safely discharging it. Instead of letting this valuable resource go to waste, BOSAQ’s advanced and innovative water treatment technology will further purify and re-purpose the effluent providing high-quality process water for DESOTEC's industrial operations. The water will undergo central purification before being distributed to DESOTEC’s various operational sites in Roeselare.

A sustainable partnership DESOTEC is an international environmental services company that helps protect the planet with sustainable mobile filtration solutions for the purification of liquids and gases. As a pioneer in "filtration-as-a-service," DESOTEC offers clients mobile, plug-and-play activated carbon filters on a service basis. Central to DESOTEC's circular model is its industry-leading reactivation process, where spent activated carbon is collected and efficiently reactivated in specialized furnaces. This reactivation reduces the need for virgin raw materials significantly, thereby enhancing sustainability. This reactivation process requires substantial volumes of water. Through this partnership, DESOTEC aims to replace its tap water consumption with a sustainable alternative resource. This initiative will allow DESOTEC to reuse approximately 100,000 cubic meters of water annually, equivalent to about 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

This project will be further developed in collaboration with the Flemish Environmental Agency to ensure the highest standards of technological performance and innovation, maximizing its positive impact on the environment and surrounding water bodies.

“This partnership is a perfect example of the potential of industries to close the loop on water use, by transforming treated wastewater into high-quality process water, we are reducing freshwater consumption and ensuring long-term water security.” Jacob Bossaer, CEO of BOSAQ.

Commitment to a circular economy By reusing treated wastewater, BOSAQ and DESOTEC have the ambition to demonstrate a scalable solution for industrial water sustainability. This initiative aligns with global efforts to tackle water scarcity and reduce environmental impact.

“At DESOTEC, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our mobile filtration solutions are inherently circular. Integrating BOSAQ’s water technology allows us to extend this closed-loop approach to our internal processes, ensuring that our operations embody the sustainable impact we deliver to our customers.” Pieterjan Goedertier, COO & (ad interim) CEO of DESOTEC.

A future-proof water solution This 15-year agreement is proof of both companies' commitment to sustainable innovation. With climate change intensifying global water challenges, industrial players must look for alternative water sources and resource-efficient and innovative solutions in symbiosis with the environment. Through this partnership, BOSAQ and DESOTEC are paving the way for a circular water economy, proving that industries can thrive while minimizing their environmental footprint.

In pictures: Jacob Bossaer, CEO of BOSAQ and Pieterjan Goedertier, COO & (ad interim) CEO of DESOTEC.

***

About BOSAQ

BOSAQ is a CleanTech company, focusing on decentralized process water and drinking water provision, headquartered in Deinze, Belgium. BOSAQ's objective is to make companies 'future-proof' in the field of water management and to have a positive impact on the water landscape worldwide. They do this by offering an integrated approach to water management that enables efficient (re)use of water in companies (in collaboration with business leaders from all sectors) in a circular context and by building a world where everyone has access to high-quality drinking water (in collaboration with governments).

About DESOTEC

DESOTEC, founded in 1990, is the leading provider of mobile filtration solutions in Europe and is establishing this leading market position in the United States. Thanks to its unique, flexible, circular service concept and the extensive expertise built up over many decades, DESOTEC unburdens its industrial customers and helps them to make their operations or products more sustainable. DESOTEC's customer base is constantly growing thanks to a strong focus on 24/7 service and a commitment to design and deliver the best solution in close dialogue with the customer. DESOTEC has about 450 employees, who are all committed to help protect the planet by driving positive ecological change across all industries. Private equity funds managed by Blackstone acquired DESOTEC in 2021. Further information is available at www.desotec.com. Follow @desotec on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

"Capital is one thing but we also need credibility and network. Setting up a successful business is a result of an interaction between people. With more people, you can reach more!" Jacob Bossaer, founder and CEO of BOSAQ.

BOSAQ was founded in 2017 by Jacob Bossaer and Pieter Derboven. Jacob spent five seasons as a water engineer at the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica and soon realised that if it was possible to create circular water loops in one of the harshest and remotest climates of the world, it should be possible anywhere.

Since then, BOSAQ has built a strong, diverse team of professionals, that works together in a culture of continuous improvement to provide future-proof standalone process water and drinking water production solutions to its customers in the most demanding environments.

"Our patented innovations enable for the first time advanced membrane technology to be used even at the most extreme locations or most demanding customers, with the lowest total cost of ownership for the customers. 3 key innovations establish the unique standalone operation of Q-Drop. It generates its chemical consumables for cleaning and disinfection resulting in cheaper, much safer, and environment-friendly operations of membrane cleaning. Close monitoring of in- and output by in-house developed quality sensors feed our AI optimization engines, enabling full predictive maintenance." Pieter Derboven, CTO and co-founder of BOSAQ. Jacob’s idea of providing decentralized high-quality water anywhere anytime is put into practice by Pieter’s engineering and development team, the masterminds behind realizing the innovative water technology solution Q-Drop, which can convert any type of water source (surface water, WWTP effluent, rainwater, borehole) into high-quality drinking water (for communities) or process water (for industries).

"If we can develop and operate our systems in the most harsh environments in the world, we can do it anywhere. Our clients appreciate our knowledge of reliable operations and a continuous solution-oriented approach.'' Jacob Bossaer, founder and CEO of BOSAQ.

To date, Q-Drop has helped provide 20% of the hinterland in Suriname with access to clean drinking water and is active in Rwanda, Ghana, and Ukraine. It has also helped industrial companies save thousands of cubic meters of water by reducing the pressure on groundwater reservoirs and creating circular water loops.

This capital investment marks a significant milestone in BOSAQ’s growth and underscores investors' confidence in the company’s mission and vision. BOSAQ strives for a future where every person and company has access to high-quality potable water, no matter where they are in the world, one Q-Drop unit at a time.

Photo credits: Josefien Tondeleir

***

About BOSAQ

BOSAQ is a CleanTech company, focusing on decentralized process water and drinking water provision, headquartered in Deinze, Belgium. BOSAQ's objective is to make companies 'future-proof' in the field of water management and to have a positive impact on the water landscape worldwide. They do this by offering an integrated approach to water management that enables efficient (re)use of water in companies (in collaboration with business leaders from all sectors) in a circular context and by building a world where everyone has access to high-quality drinking water (in collaboration with governments).

Press contact

Arne Pensaert: [email protected]

Schoten –28 May 2024: TotalEnergies, Arteco, and BOSAQ are joining forces with a project aimed at sustainable water management in the production of coolants. This collaboration focuses on innovative technologies to purify local surface water into demineralized water, which will then serve as a reliable raw material for coolants with a reduced ecological footprint. The production site in Schoten (Belgium) can thus reduce its consumption of tap water by at least 25,000 m³ per year, which is an important milestone in the sustainable production of coolants.

Innovation as a key element in a changing market

Arteco is known for its relentless pursuit of innovation in an ever-changing market. Over the years, the company has constantly adapted to technological developments within the industry, thanks to a combination of flexibility and responsiveness. «This project perfectly aligns with Arteco's sustainability ambitions. Our pioneering spirit has always been a core value at Arteco. By joining forces with BOSAQ and TotalEnergies, we are taking an important step towards sustainable coolant production» says Alexandre Moireau, General Manager of Arteco.

Sustainability as a central policy

Safety and sustainability are at the heart of TotalEnergies and Arteco's policies and business processes. «The TotalEnergies production plant is constantly looking for opportunities to optimize production and reduce its footprint. Some examples include switching to 100% renewable electricity, reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste streams, and recycling rinsing products. The collaboration with BOSAQ to manage the available water resources successfully while reducing the pressure on the tap water supply is fully in line with our sustainability policy» says Kristof Vermeire, Manager of the coolant production plant in Schoten.

Positive impact of sustainable water management

Through this partnership, the Schoten production plant will save at least 25,000 m³ of tap water per year and will have a future-proof process water solution that considers possible future capacity expansions. «With BOSAQ's Q-Drop unit, we are not only eliminating our dependence on the public drinking water network, but our production site is also switching to a locally managed alternative» confirms Kristof Vermeire.

Operation of the Q-Drop unit installed by BOSAQ

The compact water purification solution, installed in a container on the site, was custom-designed by BOSAQ's water and electromechanical engineers to purify local surface water into a reliable source of demineralized water.

BOSAQ's membrane treatment modules purify water in two stages to achieve stable quality.

• As a first step, the suspended solids and bacteria are removed by means of ultrafiltration, and
• Then the salts and the remaining organic matter are removed via reverse osmosis

The Q-Drop system adapts to the seasonal changes in the surface water quality and reduces biofilm build-up on the RO membranes. The latter significantly reduces the need for chemical cleaning and the chemical footprint of the entire unit. « The objective of BOSAQ is to help our customers use water sustainably in a cost-efficient way to prepare the company for the future » Jacob Bossaer, CEO and Founder, BOSAQ.

***

About TotalEnergies in Belgium

TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company active in the production and supply of energy: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gas, renewable energies, and electricity. In Belgium, TotalEnergies has 4,000 employees who are committed to energy that is increasingly affordable, cleaner, more reliable, and accessible to as many people as possible.

About Arteco

Arteco is a leading international joint venture between Chevron and TotalEnergies, specializing in high-performance coolants and Heat Transfer Fluids for automotive and industrial applications with innovative and efficient solutions, they provide optimized thermal heat transfer and corrosion protection for your cooling system. Arteco is a market leader in the automotive coolant industry, and its dedicated team is happy to go the extra mile for their customers to meet their needs. They are constantly striving to improve all aspects of the business. The baseline "Engenious Coolants" stands for engine and ingenious, both keywords in the industry.

About BOSAQ

BOSAQ is a CleanTech company, a leader in sustainable water, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. BOSAQ's objective is to make companies 'future-proof' in the field of water management and to have a positive impact on the water landscape worldwide. They do this by offering an integrated approach to water management that enables efficient (re)use of water in companies (in collaboration with business leaders from all sectors) in a circular context and by building a world where everyone has access to high-quality drinking water (in collaboration with governments).

Warning

The terms "TotalEnergies", "the TotalEnergies company" and "the Company" used in this document refer to TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly controls. The terms "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE has a direct or indirect shareholding are separate and independent legal entities.

This document may contain forward-looking statements. These may prove to be inaccurate in the future and depend on risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation or responsibility to investors or any other interested party to update or revise any of the statements, forward-looking information, trends, or objectives contained in this document in particular, as a result of new information or future events. Information on risk factors that could have a material adverse effect on the financial results or activities of TotalEnergies is also available in the most recent versions of the Universal Registration Document filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French Financial Markets Authority (l'Autorité des Marchés Financiers), an institution similar to the FSMA (Financial Services and Markets Authority) in Belgium, and the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

When we think of water, we imagine it falling from the skies, waves on a beach, water easily flowing through our taps, or available in the markets under various brands.

As a matter of fact, access to drinking water is the least of our worries.

But did you know that while 70% of the earth’s surface is water, only 0.5% is use-able and available freshwater, one-third of the world’s population live without access to safely managed drinking water, and this includes 80% of the people living in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF).

The conventional solution i.e. centralized water supply results globally in a drinking water loss of about 30% due to pipe leaks, can be as expensive as €250,000/km, especially when large distances need to be covered, and is vulnerable to failure, making it not fit for rural areas.

People living in rural areas and remote communities have to rely on the nearest available water source. These sources can be at large distances and/or are contaminated. According to the UN, at least 1.2 billion people worldwide are estimated to drink water that is not protected against contamination from feces, and even more consume ‘drinking’ water of dubious quality, that is delivered through a system without adequate protection against sanitary hazards.

In most cases, the water is boiled, using wood fires, before being used for drinking. This results in huge CO2 emissions. Also, in the wet season during floods, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, the source water becomes even more polluted, so boiling is not an option anymore.

What is needed?

To have easy access to plug-and-play decentralized solutions that can be used day in and day out anywhere in the world from the jungles in Africa to the remote corners of Asia.

How can it be achieved?

Q-Drop is a decentralized, stand-alone system that can be deployed and used anywhere and in any climate.  i.e. from the jungles in Suriname to the war-torn Ukraine. It is a stand-alone, plug-and-play, modular water technology, which is readily set up. It can be powered by renewable energy and is 100% CO2 neutral. It purifies any source of water (river, lake, rainwater, borehole) into high-quality drinking water (meets EU and local water regulations) while requiring minimal maintenance. The energy storage systems in the Q-Drop units are optimized to achieve maximum CO2-emission reduction and are +95% recyclable. It is completely automated, monitored remotely, and through AI predictive maintenance is performed. The most important innovation of Q-Drop is the elimination of chemical handling, storage, and transport by producing all the needed chemicals for periodic membrane cleaning on-site to ensure maximum performance through its entire lifespan.

All of this helps BOSAQ achieve the lowest total cost of ownership with maximum operational control through chemical-free operations to maximize sustainability.

To date, BOSAQ's technology, Q-Drop, has enabled approximately 20.000 thousand people (including women and children) to access safe and clean drinking water easily at low cost while eliminating carbon emissions (~1.380 tons per year). Due to the low cost, micro development is stimulated, and local committees can set up water vending points. Significant time is saved when women and/or children don’t have to fetch water daily. They have more time for education, contribute positively to society, and live a healthier life.

We are transforming the lives of communities from the jungles of Suriname, remote areas in South Africa, to providing water to schoolchildren, in their playground in Rwanda, to aiding people in the war-torn Ukraine by providing easy access to a fundamental human right. Easy access to clean and safe drinking water.

We are also helping companies make their process water use circular. In our recent projects, Q-Drop purifies alternative sources for high-quality process water and drinking water production. Even domestic wastewater treatment effluent is being reused for high-quality drinking water and process water production.

We are creating a positive impact across the globe, one Q-Drop unit at a time. Do you want to be part of this change? Find out more about BOSAQ's positive impact in Suriname and Rwanda.

Quarter 1

Ghana: Working together with the National Agency for Community Water & Sanitation, CWSA, Ghana to provide ~ 7.000 people with easy and safe access to decentralized high-quality drinking water.

In the news: BOSAQ was in De Tijd, for its positive global impact, providing decentralised drinking water to communities in remote areas, especially in times of climate change and water scarcity.

Aquafin: The BOSAQ team together with Aquafin successfully commissioned its pilot installations for water reuse (Q-Drop Vikos) and rainwater use (Q-Drop Iguazu) to test the potential for circular water use thereby reducing the pressure on groundwater reservoir.

Quarter 2

TotalEnergies: The BOSAQ team together with TotalEnergies, and Arteco joined forces for sustainable water management, in the production of coolants, by reducing its consumption of tap water by at least 25.000 m³ per year.

Expansion: BOSAQ is growing fast. To meet the growing demand, BOSAQ has expanded its operations to Bulgaria. Meet our wonderful Bulgarian team.

Suriname II: The CEO and founder of BOSAQ, met the President of Suriname, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador from Suriname to Belgium, to present the cheque valued at €2.5 million, from the G-STIC Climate Action Program. This project will benefit 13 villages, by providing them with easy access to clean and safe drinking water.

Quarter 3

Moldova: The Moldovan Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister of Environment, and the Moldovan Ambassador met the CEO and founder of BOSAQ, to discuss the decentralized drinking water project in Moldova, resulting in the issuance of the priority letter by the Prime Minister of Moldova.

Rwanda: After the successful commissioning of Q-Drop Iguazu in 2022, which provided 2.000 school children with access to clean drinking water in their playground, BOSAQ has now also installed the tap water system for the community. This will enable the excess drinking water to be sold to the community fostering well-being and sustainability.

Prominent leaders visit BOSAQ: The BOSAQ team had the honor to host prominent national and international leaders including the Chairman of the National Assembly and the Minister of Natural Resources from Suriname, and the Member of Belgium Federal Parliament, at its headquarters in Deinze.

Quarter 4

Key global events: BOSAQ participated in COP-28 as part of the Belgian delegation, which included 20 technology companies offering sustainable solutions to combat climate change.

In the news: BOSAQ was published in Trends as an inspirational technology company with a positive global impact. ''Het gaat niet om moeilijk doen, maar om het juiste doen'', Jacob Bossaer, CEO and Founder of BOSAQ.

Visit of the Prime Minister of Belgium: The BOSAQ team was honored to host Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Mayor Jan Vermeulen, Governor Carina Van Cauter, Ambassadors from across the globe, and business giants from the water sector at its headquarters in Deinze.

As we step into 2024, we are fully geared up and motivated to further our impact and reach by delivering on the multi-million projects in the pipeline. Stay tuned for more information about these projects.
If you want to join us on our mission, contact us.

Do you want your friends and colleagues to be part of our community? They can join by registering at the link below.

Jacob Bossaer, CEO and founder of BOSAQ was invited to share the key insights from successfully growing BOSAQ’s B2G footprint across Europe, Africa and, Latin America in a short period of time. Jacob shared 6 Do’s and Don’ts on growing B2G and selling to governments with Gilles Toussaint, Founder and podcast host at Mission First podcast series.

Jacob shared his entrepreneurial advice 💡 on;

• how crucial it is to know the key decision-makers in the organization
• how to do research
• how to not forget the human touch
• to be patient
• the importance of “What’s in it for me?”
• how to listen actively

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode below 👇

Currently, over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate, 80% of them are living in rural areas. Climate change and demographic expansion are putting more pressure on water sources with potentially half of the world population living in areas facing water scarcity by 2025 (UNICEF 2022). Besides the increasing predicted demands from the agricultural sector, currently responsible for 70% of the global water abstractions, also sharp increases in water withdrawal are predicted for the industry and energy utility companies (WWAP 2015, WWDR 2021). Also in Europe, at least 30% of the population and 20% of the territory is affected by water scarcity with an increasing number of severe droughts having caused an estimated cost of several 100 billion euros in the past 30 years (EEA 2021). In particular, in the EU, it is predicted that more than 50% of all river basins will be affected by water scarcity (Water Reuse Europe 2020). Water scarcity has also economic impacts as droughts can directly induce economic losses, for instance for farmers that feel the impact on their harvest, as well as indirect potentially even bigger losses, such as a reluctance to invest in an area at risk which directly impacts the competitiveness of the EU economy. Furthermore, water scarcity can easily induce geopolitical conflicts as even only in the EU 60 % of river basins extend beyond the borders of a single member state (EPRS 2020).

Groundwater: The invisible resource

Groundwater is globally the most widely used source of drinking water, either through central piped supply after treatment or through decentralized wells for the community, agricultural or industrial use. The main advantage of groundwater is the stability of the water quality when properly managed. However, groundwater levels are decreasing globally as abstraction rates are surpassing the replenishment rate through natural phenomena. Furthermore, decreasing groundwater levels also increase the cost for pre-studies and corresponding drilling depths and induce legal restrictions on withdrawal quantity and borehole depth (aquifer layer). Borehole water solutions are by far the cheapest, but only if the source is of drinking water quality and if it has enough pumping capacity. It was therefore already indicated back in 2011 by the European Commission that water abstraction should stay below 20% of available renewable water sources (EEA 2011).

The challenges on water scarcity are pushing policies and directly affected actors more towards the consideration of alternative water sources, such as water reuse. It is estimated that water reuse can decrease European water stress by 5% in the coming years (European Law Blog 2020). Water reuse can be either bounded to a single premise in which internal waste streams are valorized up to the required process water/drinking water quality or by collaborative projects in between companies and even public utilities in which process streams are interchanged and shared for valorization or consumption at maximum efficiency and as such increasing water availability in a sustainable way. The main challenges of water reuse are the financial feasibility, the need for infrastructure, the legal framework, and the public perception and resulting acceptance (for instance for drinking water production out of wastewater treatment effluent).

Solution: Innovation in the water sector

Innovations are key to providing an answer to these challenges and moving towards future-proof water management. The wide industrial application of membrane technology has been one of the main drivers for the adoption of water reuse for high-quality purposes as it provides a compact and reliable solution that is easily controlled by simple process parameter supervision and lots of opportunities for process automation. Until today, membrane processes are getting every day smarter, more efficient, more reliable, and with less impact on the environment through minimization of energy use, chemical usage, and wastewater discharge, by innovative technological solutions for monitoring, membrane cleaning, or remote standalone operation. Besides water reuse, alternative sources also include rivers, canals, and docks characterized by a large seasonal or tidal variation in water quality and therefore previously not considered as stable sources. Also on the level of site management synergies between domestic wastewater treatment plants and surrounding industrial sites are gaining importance. Also (sub)urban decentralized rainwater buffering, greywater treatment, and subsequent treatment to second circuit water and drinking water that can be even reinjected in aquifer storage layers are examples of future-proof water innovations that currently are already in the implementation process in green-field and brown-field construction projects.

It is the responsibility of governments to keep supporting these innovations by financing promising pilot projects and as such increase the sustainability of water provision to be able to face the upcoming challenges of climate change. The European Green Deal and regional Flemish Blue Deal, to specifically  overcome the consequences of drought, are very good examples of these future-oriented support policies.

BOSAQ’s circular water technology, Q-Drop systems, encompass the latest water technology innovations, to ensure a reliable high-quality water supply both for businesses (process water) and communities (drinking water).