On September 11, 2024, Her Majesty Queen Máxima officially opened the new membrane factory of NX Filtration in Hengelo, Netherlands. During the festive occasion, she was accompanied by NX Filtration’s founder, Prof.dr.ir. Erik Roesink, CEO Floris Jan Cuypers, the mayor of Hengelo, Sander Schelberg, and the King’s Commissioner, Mr. Heidema. The opening attracted over 300 guests from both the Netherlands and abroad, including representatives from the water sector, technology, and government, emphasizing the importance of water and innovation.
NX Filtration, a member of Water Alliance, produces advanced membrane modules capable of filtering out micro-pollutants such as PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, dyes, microplastics, viruses, and bacteria from water. These harmful substances are increasingly found in higher concentrations in rivers, lakes, and even drinking water across the globe, posing serious risks to public health, ecosystems, agriculture, and economic development. NX Filtration’s cutting-edge technology is already being used worldwide, playing a vital role in delivering clean and affordable water.
Milestone for NX Filtration
The opening of this new factory by Queen Máxima marks an important milestone for NX Filtration. The new factory, for so-called hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes, enables NX Filtration’s customers to build more efficient installations on a larger scale, converting polluted water, such as river and wastewater, into drinking water. This innovative membrane consumes significantly less energy and eliminates the need for chemicals compared to traditional methods.
What makes this innovative factory even more remarkable is its commitment to sustainability and self-sufficiency. In addition to over 1,350 solar panels and heat recovery systems, the factory is the first in the Netherlands to use heat exchange with a neighboring data center. Moreover, NX Filtration uses its own membranes to produce its own process water based on water from the nearby Twente Canal.
Royal Interest in water challenges and solutions
During her visit, the queen showed particular interest in water-related challenges and the innovative technologies NX Filtration develops and produces to purify contaminated water in an environmentally friendly manner. Her commitment to sustainability and technological progress aligns perfectly with the values of NX Filtration.
The festive day was also used to delve deeper into the urgent issues surrounding water management, water quality, and growing concerns over the availability of sufficient water. In various roundtable discussions, guests and experts discussed how to accelerate the global water transition. The event provided a platform for exchanging ideas and strengthening collaborations to address the challenges surrounding clean and affordable water.
Dutch innovation leading the water transition
Prof.dr.ir. Erik Roesink, founder and Chief Technology Officer of NX Filtration, proudly spoke about this milestone: “The presence of Her Majesty Queen Máxima and the large turnout of stakeholders from both the Netherlands and abroad underscore the importance of technological innovations for the water sector and society as a whole. We are particularly proud of NX Filtration’s contribution to the water transition and the fact that Dutch technology is leading internationally in this field.”
Source: NX Filtration
