❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?
💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!
📈 We talk water investment, water tech, water entrepreneurship and water market with entrepreneurs, thought leaders, book authors, scientists, investment funds, VCs, and C-Level experts from water majors.
➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices
🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)
🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show
Currently in its 10th Season, the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast has already welcomed around 250 guests from Water Majors (SUEZ, Veolia, Jacobs, Xylem, Kemira, Evoqua, Aquatech, SKion Water...), Scale-Ups (Cambrian Innovation, Epic Cleantec, Gradiant, Liqtech, 374Water, Gingko Bioworks...), Start-Ups (Puraffinity, KETOS, 120Water, ZwitterCo, Membrion, Source...), Universities (Berkeley, the Columbia Water Center), Investment Funds (Sciens Water, Mazarine, Burnt Island Ventures...), Business Accelerators (Imagine H2O, Elemental...), Book Authors (Seth Siegel, David Sedlak, David Lloyd Owen...) or Market Intelligence Companies (BlueTech Research, Global Water Intelligence, World Bank, OECD, Isle Utilities...). Or simply water legends like Gary White, Mina Guli or Andrew Benedek!
On the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast, I strive to make the Water Industry easy to understand for everyone, starting with water professionals, executives, and investors. Hence, he opens the microphone to seasoned, inspirational water experts to discuss their field of excellence.
No one can claim an all-around in-depth understanding of a matter as complex as Water. But piece by piece, you can rebuild the puzzle. With curiosity, patience, and passion, Antoine Walter explores topics such as Advanced Treatment Technologies, Water-Energy Nexus (Hydrogen, Lithium...), PFAS removal, Nature-Based Solutions, Wastewater Reuse, Distributed Water Treatments, Water Finance, and Water Entrepreneurship.
I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"
A particular field of interest is how innovation forms, grows and gets widely adopted in a complex and conservative field like the Water Industry. This may be one of the keys to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal n°6 - #SDG6.
Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Site
RSS
Apple
Classements récents
Dernières positions dans les classements Apple Podcasts et Spotify.
Liens partagés entre épisodes et podcasts
Liens présents dans les descriptions d'épisodes et autres podcasts les utilisant également.
S11E16 - How SUDOC Manufactures a 100x Smaller and 1000x More Powerful Catalyst
Saison 11 · Épisode 17
mardi 27 août 2024 • Durée 59:54
When traditional chemistry or oxidation processes fall short, SUDOC gives them a hand by putting their efficiency on steroids. Better: it applies the Cuckoo Tactic and may well outgrow its host process, something you may want to emulate! Wanna learn how? Listen to this episode!
01:28 The Chemical Challenge: Endocrine Disruptors
03:33 Sudoc's Innovative Catalysts
04:34 Investment and Market Strategy
07:49 Sudoc's Dual Business Model
13:06 The Science Behind New TAML Catalysts
19:24 Commercial Applications and Market Adoption
25:46 Future Goals and Scaling Up
30:52 Industrial Wastewater Treatment Innovations
31:23 Addressing PFAS and Emerging Contaminants
33:38 The Broader Water Treatment Conversation
36:45 The NABC Methodology and Water Sector Challenges
38:02 Sudoc's Commercial Focus and Future Plans
39:47 The Impact of Chemicals on Human Health
44:43 Sudoc's Recent Fundraising Success
47:56 Production and Scaling Strategies
49:48 The Vision for Sudoc's Future
54:06 Personal Reflections and Company Mission
57:13 Rapid Fire Questions
#Catalyst #EndocrineDisruptors
About this Episode: Welcome to the (don't) Waste Water podcast! In each episode, Antoine Walter from DWW Media shares water, wastewater & water entrepreneurship stories. This show will teach you the water industry like you've never seen it. If you're asking how the water sector will overcome the water crises ahead, this episode is for you.
REPLAY - How Gradiant Became the First and Only Water Tech Unicorn
Saison 11
mercredi 14 août 2024 • Durée 01:02:20
How do you go in just a decade from an MIT lab to a billion-dollar valuation in Water Tech? Everybody thought it was impossible until... Gradiant did it! Wanna find out how and what's next? Listen to this episode!
How Going IPO Boosted This Water Tech Start Up's Confidence - Matt Boczkowski (Aquaporin)
Saison 11
mercredi 3 juillet 2024 • Durée 01:30
Aquaporin, led by CEO Matt Boczkowski, is at the forefront of integrating biotechnology with water treatment. The company's journey began with the Nobel Prize-winning research of Peter Agre on aquaporins, which inspired Aquaporin to develop membranes that mimic these natural water channels. Initially focusing on forward osmosis due to its natural alignment with aquaporin proteins, the company has since expanded into reverse osmosis to tap into established markets and ensure revenue growth.
Aquaporin's strategic shift from a primarily residential revenue base to a balanced residential and industrial mix reflects its adaptive market approach. High-profile partnerships with companies like Gallo and Philips underscore Aquaporin's innovative edge and market credibility. The collaboration with PUB in Singapore to create energy-efficient reverse osmosis membranes exemplifies the company's commitment to addressing global water challenges through cutting-edge technology.
The company's branding, inspired by the fashion industry, sets it apart in the traditionally conservative water sector. This unique approach not only enhances Aquaporin's market presence but also resonates with consumers and industrial clients alike. Despite the challenges of being a publicly listed company, including the need for financial transparency and rigorous compliance, Aquaporin leverages its public status to secure significant partnerships and investments.
Aquaporin's focus on niche applications for forward osmosis, such as wine concentration and lithium extraction, demonstrates a strategic approach to market penetration. By concentrating on specific, high-potential sectors, Aquaporin aims to create impactful solutions that can scale effectively. The company's commitment to innovation and strategic growth is evident in its diverse product portfolio and ongoing efforts to develop new applications for its technology.
Looking ahead, Aquaporin aims to achieve profitability within the next few years, balancing growth with financial sustainability. The company's vision includes expanding its technological capabilities, particularly in making its aquaporin protein structures more universally applicable across different membrane technologies. This forward-thinking approach positions Aquaporin to continue leading in the water treatment industry, driving both technological advancements and market success.
How the Salton Sea may become a Lithium Cash Cow
Saison 9
jeudi 22 juin 2023 • Durée 15:14
According to the US Government, the Salton Sea could produce up to 600'000 tons of Lithium per year, which at today's spot price would be worth $26 Billion a year.
For a Sea that's turning into a chemically polluted swamp, that's an unexpected twist of fate!
Especially when it doubles down to being a pretty green way to produce that lithium, as direct lithium extraction technologies would co-locate with geothermal energy production.
But wait: isn't that too good to be true? Aren't Berkshire Hattaway, Controlled Thermal Resources, and Energy Source Minerals struggling a bit to unlock that resource? Didn't Simbol Materials actually... die on that spot as a company in that endeavor?
Well, it seems like Salton Sea lithium projects are about to seriously accelerate, as Controlled Thermal Resources just announced a $1 billion contract with Aquatech International to build the Lithium Refinery the site will need to reach battery-grade products for their customers, Stellantis and General Motors.
Let's cut through the fog and review this aspiring Salton Sea miracle!
More information:
Vulcan's Project in Germany: https://dww.show/vulcans-clever-strategy-to-take-off-its-zero-carbon-lithium-sell-it-years-ahead/
The mysterious company that may well work with Berkshire Hattaway at the Salton Sea (my pure speculation): https://dww.show/the-game-changing-company-with-60-patents-thats-disrupting-the-battery-industry/
▶️ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
S9E6 - Vulcan's Clever Strategy to take off its Zero Carbon Lithium: Sell it Years Ahead!
Saison 9 · Épisode 6
mercredi 21 juin 2023 • Durée 29:30
with 🎙️ Cris Moreno - Deputy CEO at Vulcan Energy Resources
💧 Vulcan aims to decarbonize the transition to electric mobility through its world-first Zero Carbon Lithium Projects for electric vehicle batteries and its renewable energy business.
What we covered:
🥇 How Vulcan aims to become the world's first integrated lithium chemicals company while also producing renewable energy...
0️⃣ ... and how they do all of this with net zero greenhouse emissions and without using any fossil fuels in their process
🔁 How Vulcan's Zero Carbon Lithium projects feature a 24'000 t/y first stage and what might be the next ones
💰 How Vulcan leapfrogged its path by acquiring an existing geothermal power plant in Hinsheim, Germany
👨🔬 How the company tested various Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) methodologies to end up developing a proprietary sorption process
🇪🇺 How this sorption material belongs to the Dow / Dupont / FMC / Livent family, but with the added touch that it's made in Europe
🌊 How Vulcan desorbs it with fresh water, and how water availability is one of the perks of producing in the Upper Rhine Valley
🤑 How the company plans an 84% EBITDA on its Zero Carbon Lithium product, despite a forecasted lithium price way below the current spot
🚗 How, to whom, and under which conditions Vulcan sold its Zero Carbon Lithium product to battery and car manufacturers years ahead of actually producing it
🏗️ How 2023 shall be pivotal for Vulcan to transform from a development company into an actual production company
📈 How the Company has €120 Million in its bank account... and actively looks to increase its financing in order to cover for the first phase of the project
[Extract] "It's not a complex Mining Project, it's a very easy Oil & Gas Project!" - Cris Moreno - Vulcan Energy Resources
Saison 9
mercredi 21 juin 2023 • Durée 00:59
Cris Moreno is Deputy CEO at Vulcan Energy Resources. Vulcan aims to decarbonize the transition to electric mobility through its world-first Zero Carbon Lithium™ Project for electric vehicle batteries and its renewable energy business.
This exploration of the Lithium World has taken me far from home. Canada, USA, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, UK... But one of the most exciting projects in this new wave actually happens to be a dozen kilometers away from where I cut my wastewater engineering teeth, and Vulcan, the project developer, just signed an off-take agreement with a car factory I can see if I climb up my village's hill.
And this makes sense for a ton of reasons! First, the Rhine Valley used to be a Salt Flat, exactly like the Atacama Desert nowadays, and this was just 35 million years ago. So on the geological scale of things, it makes sense.
Then, it is a geothermal region, and Germany actively pushes to add more geothermal plants to its energy mix, which means thousands of cubic meters of water that are pumped from that lithium-rich aquifer anyways, which allows you to emulate the example we heard from Standard Lithium, piggy-backing on Lanxess' Bromine business.
But maybe most importantly, Europe is actively building about 30 battery gigafactories. And that's a staple in the zero-carbon transition of mobility! But to feed those factories, Europe will need lithium at some point. Today, 97% of that lithium is imported from China. And with China's own plans to further build up the battery value chain, they may well use all their lithium themselves, which would leave Europe without any white oil.
So Vulcan's endeavors in the Upper Rhine Valley, today on the German side and anytime soon on the French side, would not only be one of the largest lithium projects in the World. But from 2026 on, it might also be Europe's EV strategy lifeline - as long as I'm not fully up to speed with my own backyard project.
S9E5 - The Game-Changing Company with 60 Patents That's Disrupting the Battery Industry
Saison 9 · Épisode 5
mercredi 14 juin 2023 • Durée 33:45
with 🎙️ Teague Egan - CEO & Founder of EnergyX
💧 EnergyX is on a mission to become a worldwide leader in the global transition to sustainable energy
What we covered:
🌵 How the story of EnergyX started in the salt flats of Uyuni with Teague Egan's initiatory journey to Bolivia
🗓️ How EnergyX has a masterplan and how this one goes beyond "just" supplying lithium extraction technology to the World
🔒 How the company's claims of a disruptive approach to direct lithium extraction are backed by an impressive amount of patents all along the value chain
☀️ What the problem with existing lithium evaporation ponds is, and how that offers significant potential for improvement for new technologies
📜 How lithium-ion battery legend and Nobel Prize recipient John Goodenough endorsed EnergyX's efforts in the battery space and how the company breeds his legacy
4️⃣ The four key aspects to consider when working on a lithium extraction process
🚱 How EnergyX's take at Direct Lithium Extraction needs water neither on the membrane nor on the solvent extraction side
🛑 How the company got kicked out of Bolivia's lithium tender for questionable reasons, and how they might come back in the game given their unique technological perks
🚼 How pure end-to-end DLE probably is the future of lithium extraction, but how DLE enhanced ponds are the best hybrid for a smooth transition
💰 How Global Emerging Markets Group placed a $450 million check on the table for the day EnergyX goes public, what it enables, and what it involves
🚀 How you scale a lithium extraction approach from pilot to demo and ultimately down the road to commercial-scale applications
[Extract] "We have the best technology to complement an existing evaporation pond infrastructure! " - Teague Egan - EnergyX
Saison 9
mercredi 14 juin 2023 • Durée 00:59
Teague Egan is the CEO and Founder of EnergyX. EnergyX is on a mission to become a worldwide leader in the global transition to sustainable energy with breakthrough direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies, as well as more effective battery and energy storage solutions.
Imagine you're listening to "The End" - the famous hit of The Doors. You vaguely remember there's something pressing on your to-do list, but hey, who can resist the captivating voice of Jim Morrisson, right? 11'44 passes by, and you return to that to-do list. What's on top? Oh yeah, submit that folder for Bolivia's Direct Lithium Extraction tender.
But... 11'44 was 1'44 too long, and time is over; you're out. Kind of bitter, right? I obviously romanticized the anecdote, and I don't know if Teague is a fan of The Doors, yet one part of that story is true: EnergyX got kicked off of Bolivia's DLE tender for submitting 10 minutes late.
I wouldn't allow myself to joke about it if Teague wasn't seeing the positives in it: EnergyX leverages 60 patents across the lithium value chain, and they've leveraged Bolivia and Uyuni as a great proof of concept! Their technology suit stands the field test, and they're able to produce lithium in a country that maybe boasts the World's largest lithium reserves, but also a quite demanding 25 to 1 magnesium to lithium ratio that defeated many challengers in that race to get Bolivia's white oil off the ground.
In today's conversation, you'll get to explore how a Direct Lithium Extraction pure player builds its path to a future EV supply chain vertical, how there may be bumps on the road, but also how exciting it is to move an Idea from the lab to a pilot then a demonstration stage and down the line, a first commercial reference.
You'll hear of the lithium godfather and Nobel Prize recipient, John Goodenough, which is the second Nobel Prize winner we get to hear in this lithium series after Barry Sharpless that collaborated with Standard Lithium; you'll understand how an investment fund committed 450 million dollars on EnergyX and how Teague won his crown as Shale Magazine named him the Lithium King.
S9E4 - How 'Reverse ZLD' made the World's Largest Water Company a Lithium Refinery Expert
Saison 9 · Épisode 4
mercredi 7 juin 2023 • Durée 43:28
with 🎙️ Jim Rieke - VP of Process Engineering at Veolia Water Technologies
💧 Veolia Water Technologies specializes in water treatment solutions while providing a complete range of services for industrial & public authorities
What we covered:
👷 How HPD onboards all its hires through its service and commissioning groups and how that's the best learning experience to Veolia Water Technologies' portfolio
🤝 How the milestone Naraha Lithium Refinery reference started through a collaboration between Orocobre (now, Allkem) and HPD and what was the step by step road to success
🧩 How there might be standard building blocks but how every lithium carbonate is slightly different and hence requires a tailor-made lithium refining process
🏭 Where do impurities appear in a lithium refinery process and how to remove them to guarantee a battery-grade output
🧰 How extracting lithium from clay is still a very new process and what it changes in the lithium refinery set up
🛠️ How Veolia Water Technologies' holistic approach is a key differentiator in the development of a lithium refinery
🌍 How geopolitics and government incentives play a role in the economics of a lithium refinery
👰 How the newly wed SUEZ and Veolia offer an even broader portfolio of complimentary technologies to better serve the lithium market
📈 How DLE "suddenly" makes much more lithium available and how HPD's lithium refinery process copes with the source's specificities
[Extract] "Veolia's involvement helps Junior Projects getting financed!" - Jim Rieke - Veolia Water Technologie
Saison 9
mercredi 7 juin 2023 • Durée 00:59
Jim RIeke is Vice President of Process Engineering at Veolia Water Technologies. Within the Veolia Galaxy, we focus today on HPD: Large-scale, highly-integrated process solutions utilizing evaporation, crystallization, and more.
If you recall what Tony Strobbe shared on this microphone a couple of weeks ago: "if you ship spodumene concentrate across the ocean, you ship 6% what you want, and 94% what you don't want."
6% is the highest you will get in lithium from hard rock, after onsite concentration from the natural 1.5% lithium content in the best spodumenes.
To get to the battery grade 99.95%, you hence need to refine that lithium, a quite specific and key process along the EV material supply chain, in which HPD specializes - in a way Jim will explain in a minute.
That said specialization doesn't stop at lithium from hard rock, though, as we'll discover with use cases from clay, Direct Lithium Extraction, and maybe the most spectacular example, with Veolia's latest reference in refining lithium from evaporation ponds.
The way these projects are built is quite revealing of the pace of this sector as well, as Jim will describe how it can sometimes take up to seven years to freeze the process design. It's also a fascinating blueprint for circular economy and resource recovery, as by-products can be upcycled and sometimes even directly used again in the refining process.
From a business perspective, it's also an interesting configuration at the edges of the traditional EPC approach, an integrator path, and sometimes a service and operation play.
Wanna get how a 200-headcount division of a Water Giant became a leading lithium refining actor? Then you're at the right place
🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️
33:41 What's next after their record-breaking Series D?
36:53 Will Gradiant ever enter the municipal market?
38:04 Are Gradiant's founders ready to pass the baton?
39:53 Gradiant's new verticals: PFAS & DLE
42:20 Gradiant's two aces up their PFAS Removal sleeve
45:33 Gradiant's M&A tricks
48:18 Succeeding with H+E Mission Impossible?
50:07 Gradiant's plans for Europe
50:46 Gradiant's next M&A moves
51:50 What makes Gradiant the 2024 Water Company of the Year?
54:38 Rapid Fire Questions
57:53 7 Insights from the First Ever Water Tech Unicorn
#WaterTech #WaterUnicorn #WaterEntrepreneurship
About this Podcast: Welcome to the (don't) Waste Water podcast! In each episode, Antoine Walter from DWW Media shares water, wastewater & water entrepreneurship stories. This show will teach you the water industry like you've never seen it. If you're asking how the water sector will overcome the water crises ahead, this video is for you.
🫰 How the Upper Rhine Valley is Europe's largest lithium resource, and a globally relevant one and how CAPEX might be the only thing to slow it down to cover for the entirety of Europe's lithium needs
🛢️ How DLE combined with geothermal energy production might be seen as a complex mining project... or as a very easy oil and gas one!
📅 Kicking off production in 2025, producing renewable power & heat, next projects in the Upper Rhine Valley - and on the French side, building the right team to execute the project, kicking off the commercial scale in Q3 2023... and much more!
🔥 ... and of course, we concluded with the 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 🔥
So what's Vulcan's plan to a - quote unquote - "Glorified Water Processing Facility" able to deliver 24'000 tons of lithium hydroxide in its first phase, but also 300 GWh of renewable power and 250 GWh of renewable heat? Cris will be our guide, just after this reminder that if you like what you hear, if all of this is of any value to you, please take this episode and share it with a friend, a colleague, your boss, or your team, and I'll meet you on the other side!
➡️ Check out the entire article on how Vulcan enabled its Zero Carbon Lithium project by selling its products years ahead, including a teaser, a slider, and a full transcript on the (don't) Waste Water website!
👨🔬 EnergyX's Edisonian approach, the special sauce to the company's lithium extraction process, the lowest permissible lithium concentration for their technology (and why it's different than their competition), the company's bet as to the place where it will go full-scale first... and much more!
🔥 ... and of course, we concluded with the 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 🔥
➡️ Check out the entire article on how the Lithium King got 60 patents for its battery vertical pure player, including a teaser, a slider, and a full transcript on the (don't) Waste Water website!
♻️ How batter-grade lithium is just one of the outputs of a lithium refinery: Veolia Water Technologies' expertise also allows to valorize several more by-products along the way
💰 How Veolia Water Technologies' involvement in projects can help get junior lithium companies get financed as a valuable reference partner
🗺️ Building a Lithium Refinery step by step; leaching, evaporation, crystallization, ion exchange: the lithium refinery keywords; lithium refining in the broader scheme of the EV battery vertical; turning sodium sulfate into sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid; empowering circularity... and much more!
🔥 ... and of course, we concluded with the 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 🔥
➡️ Check out the entire article on how 'reverse ZLD' perfectly defines the Lithium Refinery process including a teaser, a slider, and a full transcript on the (don't) Waste Water website!
Découvrez des podcasts liées à (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World. Explorez des podcasts avec des thèmes, sujets, et formats similaires. Ces similarités sont calculées grâce à des données tangibles, pas d'extrapolations !
