Business Briefs: biogas, drinking water, a new wind farm, and energy and water management

German bioenergy company Farmatic Biotech Energy AG has announced an above average increase in new orders over the past few months for bio-power plant technology. According to Peter Schrum, the company’s CEO, the rise is due to the tightening of environmental legislation and increasing eco-awareness, but also because of the strong decline in operating costs.

Netherlands-based Activated Carbon-producer Norit has announced that it now provides more than 100 million consumers worldwide with pure drinking water. Water companies use Activated Carbon to remove organic materials, odours, taste, chlorine, pesticides and the remains of cleaning products from water in an environmentally-friendly and cost effective way, says Norit.

In Belgium, energy company Electrabel has announced that it has obtained planning permission for the first wind farm in Wallonia, thanks to the determined support of the Bütgenbach municipal authorities. The planning permission allows for the construction of four wind turbines with a unit capacity of 2,000kW, which should produce sufficient energy for 5,000 households.

Finally, French company Suez has announced that it has won a contract from food company Groupe Danone for energy supply, utility management and industrial wastewater processing for its production sites.