SAWEA concludes study mission to Japan
A Saudi study and business mission related to water and wastewater toured Osaka, Iwakuni and Tokyo from May 15-23.
It was headed by Nidhal S. Al-Dossary, president of the Saudi Arabian Water Environment Association (SAWEA).
The purpose of this tour, which was at the invitation of the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME), was to gain information on the latest cutting-edge technologies for water and wastewater treatment in Japan.
SAWEA is a non-profit organization established on Jan. 1, 2012, by a group of professionals within Saudi Aramco working in water and wastewater treatment. The objective of SAWEA is to preserve and enhance water quality in Saudi Arabia and the world.
On the first day of the mission, the nine SAWEA members visited the Center for Membrane and Film Technology at Kobe University.
On the second day, the participants visited Hirano Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sewerage and Rivers Division, Osaka Public Works Bureau. From this site visit, they gained information on the production of solid fuel from sewage sludge and the reduction of sewage sludge by sludge incineration.
A B2B meeting was held between the participants and several Japanese companies in Osaka on the third day. Al-Dossary made a presentation, after which several Japanese companies made presentations about their products and technologies.
On the fourth day, SAWEA members traveled to Iwakuni City, which is located next to Hiroshima. At the Toyobo Iwakuni Membrane Plant, they attended a lecture on the latest products, including RO (Reverse Osmosis) and FO (Forward Osmosis) membrane and future business in Saudi Arabia.
On the fifth day, the members visited Yokogawa Electric Corporation/Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation, a reputed electrical engineering and software company. They then visited Hitachi, Ltd., where several presentations about water solutions — including desalination technology, pumps and pipe network management were made.
On the — sixth day, JFE Engineering Corporation received the participants. The company delivered a presentation about water technologies such as water purification, wastewater treatment, water distribution and sewerage sludge treatment. However, the main topic was FO membrane desalination.
The final day consisted of a B2B meeting with Japanese companies. In his speech, Al-Dossary mentioned the Water Arabia 2017 event, which will be held in Alkhobar in October.