WATER TREATMENT SERVICES FROM AN EXPERIENCED PARTNER
Operon has long and diverse experience in delivering water treatment solutions
and services for both industrial and municipal water treatment plants.
Operon’s services address the challenges faced by both industrial and municipal
water treatment plants. These challenges may relate to the inefficiency of the
facility, limited personnel resources, or technological difficulties.
“We identify our customer’s current state, challenges and root-causes, and then we seek the most suitable services and technologies for the solution”, says Jussi Mikkola, Business Development Manager of Operon.
Often, the solution does not require new equipment, but a cost-effective change in operational methods or organization.
SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS THROUGH SMART IMPROVEMENTS
Operon’s cooperation with clients begins with a thorough audit process conducted by Operon’s experts.
“When we get hold of the problem, we delve deep into it and consider the most suitable solution alternatives. We propose easily implementable operational measures and subsequently technical development projects. Operational measures ensure cost-efficient and spot-on implementation of technical development projects”,
Mikkola explains.
One example is a pretreatment plant of a large food industry company, where operational and technical improvements resulted in a 30 percent improvement in wastewater treatment results. Once the project reached its goal, Operon continued to operate the facility and ensured that the achieved results were maintained.
Operon also provides solutions to reduce energy consumption in water treatment plants.
“We achieved a 10–15 percent reduction in electricity consumption at a medium-sized municipal facility. At the same facility, we increased the dry content in sludge by 40
percent. Drier sludge reduces the volume, thus reducing transportation and gate fee costs.”
COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICE IN HAAPAVESI
Operon manages the wastewater treatment plant for approximately one thousand households in the central urban area of Haapavesi and wastewater of a dairy company. Co-owned by Haapavesi City, the plant treats around 1,000,000 m3 of water annually.
“Operon’s experts are responsible for operating the facility and managing the treatment and drying of wastewater sludge. The dried sludge is delivered for use at district heating plant”, says Jarkko Aakko, CEO of Haapavesi Energy and Water.
The energy cycle in Haapavesi is excellent: the energy generated from the sludge at the wastewater treatment plant is used to heat the homes of the city’s residents.
According to Aakko, the collaboration between Haapavesi Energy and Water and
Operon has been so smooth that he has never had to complain about the operation in the seven years he has been in duty. The cooperation is effortless for Aakko, as he regularly receives weekly reports from Operon on the progress of the treatment.
The partnership is profitable for Haapavesi, particularly due to the savings in personnel resources. With Operon’s experienced experts managing the facility, Aakko doesn’t lose sleep over wastewater management.
The seamless cooperation and hassle-free solution for Aakko are something he can recommend to his colleagues. “Our cooperation with Operon is more economically viable than operating the plant ourselves”, Aakko states.
WATER PURIFICATION REQUIRES EXPERT KNOWLEDGE
When Operon initiates cooperation with industrial players, it’s often evident that water treatment isn’t the core competence for the client. Therefore, they are cautious with costs while ensuring that the treatment results meet environmental requirements.
“It’s not reasonable to expect industrial players to have the same level of expertise as us in water treatment”, says Mikko Laitinen, CEO of Operon.
He emphasizes that with its extensive experience, Operon understands how to restrain the investment needs for water purification by improving operational efficiency.
“It’s essential to maximize the benefits from existing equipment. If the business is expanding, we need to calculate the optimum investment required for water treatment that corresponds to the business growth”, Laitinen explains.
REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION THROUGH REMOTE SERVICES
Operon’s service operates in two ways: larger plants have continuous control and monitoring by Operon, ensuring the facility’s operation. Medium-sized and small plants are managed by Operon’s regional experts, who remotely support plant operators.
“We are currently implementing intuitive digital systems, where data visualization plays crucial role. The most efficient model is to have our expertise in one place, and then we train local staff to work in conjunction with our experts”, Mikkola says.
When the plant operates, water is treated, and the responsible personnel receive reports according to the agreed schedule, making it easy to be satisfied with the service.
“Water treatment operation is like maintenance in the long run. People get used to its
level. Sometimes they might not see how the situation could have been if the plant operation were in their hands”, Mikkola concludes.
GROWTH CONSIDERATIONS PONDERED FOR THE LISTING
Operon Group was formed in 2019 when Aquazone Oy, Operon Finland Oy, Solid Water
Oy, and Suomen Ekolannoite Oy joined their decades of experience and expertise in water processes into a comprehensive service offering. The company delivers its water supply solutions to Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, among other regions.
Operon is a part of the Finnish owned Auroora Companies Plc. Auroora comprises 20 SMEs employing approximately 600 people. Auroora is evaluating its options for a stock exchange listing.