Waste management Water management (Inclusive of water purification) Alternative sources of energy Soil remediation Environmental management and consultancy Air purification and noise management Other

Overview of the Dutch Environmentally Sound Technologies

Driven by the need to optimise the use of its small and crowded country, the Netherlands has developed a dynamic 'ecosystem' of environmental technologies, systems, organisations and regulations.

This wealth of expertise is invaluable to developed and emerging economies alike. This is due to the increasing number and wealth of people on this planet and the resulting increase in consumption and waste. These factors along with concerns relating to climate change and emissions of greenhouses gases is leading to more stringent environmental standards locally, regionally and globally.

• In the area of waste disposal, Dutch expertise in recycling, incineration and the use of organic waste.
• Waste water purification, expertise in the area of dent-frication and the reuse of industrial waste water. The Dutch further excel at sensoring, control and monitoring of water systems.
• By focusing on reducing waste, the Dutch have gained expertise in environmental management and consultancy

The Dutch are famous for their flood defences, dams, levees, and storm surge barriers. The history of the Netherlands is very much the history of water defence strategies and land reclamation. Their knowledge of water extends today to broader areas of water management.

An effective and sustainable water management system involves the supply, collection and treatment of (communal or industrial) water. It is about controlling the quality of raw water, managing or expanding water capacity and knowledge of purification. This is particularly challenging in densely populated urban areas where there are complex, conflicting needs related to the environment, industry, public health, costeffectiveness and quality of water. Water produced by Dutch water supply companies is of the highest quality in the world. 95% of Customers drink water from the tap. Decades of investments in building up a body of expertise in the areas of water purification and producing high-quality water have enabled Netherlands to help other countries to do the same. One of the examples of Dutch expertise is project Sulaibiya - close to Kuwait City; which transforms industrial wastewater into potable water and water used for irrigation. Another instance showcasing dutch expertise is a pilot plant that is operational in Singapore since February 2005. It has pioneered a technology that allows for production of clean, fresh water from contaminated sea water using a technology called Memstill.

Waste Management

In a bid to create an optimal environment for current and future generations, the Dutch also focus on the development of clean technologies and clean production methods. This results in waste and energy savings, waste separation, sustainable product innovation, eco-industrial park development and environmental management. Examples: better oil separation systems, high efficiency steam boiler systems, environmentally friendly coating techniques and underground heat and cold storage.

Turning waste into energy

Land filling capacity stands at around 50Mton per year, but is discouraged through fiscal and regulatory measures. In fact, the Netherlands has the highest landfill tax in Europe, at EUR 85 per ton in 2006. There are 14 incinerators in the Netherlands, which burnt a total of 5.2 Megatons of waste in 2003. The City of Amsterdam invested an excess of EUR 300 million in the construction of a cutting edge incinerator, which increased the capital's incineration capacity from 900,000 tons to 1.54 million tons and its electric yield from 22% to 30%, while reducing CO2 emissions by 42%.

Renewable energy

The Netherlands is particularly strong in the areas of R&D, Energy Efficiency and Development and assembly of concepts. The Netherlands is an undisputed leader in research conducted in the area of energy, specifically off shore energy production, pre-treatment and handling of biomass and energy used in greenhouses. They are recognised worldwide for their energy efficient systems in urban areas that include ventilation systems, heat exchange boilers, heat exchange pumps, solar boilers, and combined cooling-heating heat pumps which are designed to reuse energy that would otherwise be dumped into the environment, such as heat caught in ventilated air. The Dutch approach to energy efficiency also entails long-term agreements with the private sector, which makes it easier for it to make a practical contribution.

Environmental management and consultancy

Since the Tsunami hit Sri Lankan Shores the local government has vested interest in protecting its civilians from a disaster of such drastic scale anytime in the future. The Dutch are world renowned for its flood systems and Storm surge barriers.

Water management

Supplying safe drinking water supply to a greater population of Sri Lankans - Sri Lanka's access to safe drinking water is estimated to be around 74% compared to the South Asian average of 63%. However not even 68% of the population receive pipe borne water. Private sector participation is being sought to change this equation.

Solid waste disposal

Till a few years back solid waste from residential, commercial and industrial areas were collected and dumped in the outskirts of the city… with scant attention to proper disposal practices, resulting in vast areas of ugly, unhealthy polluted areas. Private financiers/developers are being sought by the local government to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly waste management projects on BOO/BOT basis.

Dutch expertise for Sri Lanka

• Need for urgency of climate change and related problems
• Need for stringent regulations and issues of sustainability
• Need for expertise in:
  
  
  • Recycling, incineration, organic waste
  • Cleaning and managing water
  • In situ, biological soil remediation
  • Management and consultancy