Proxa Pty

Proxa Pty’s Aqua Mobile range offers flexible solutions to fit the needs of all its clients. Jane Bordenave talks to Elspeth Grahn about this exciting product.

Founded 25 years ago, Johannesburg-based Proxa is a leading provider of specialist water solutions for industrial and mining applications. It offers a wide range of products, from tailored permanent installations to mobile solutions—including the innovative Aqua Mobile range.

“Aqua Mobile is an effective water treatment solution on the move,” says Elspeth Grahn, the company’s industrial solutions director. “It allows the rapid deployment of modular, containerised water treatment facilities, which can be used in municipal, industrial and mining settings. Wherever there is an urgent need for water treatment, temporary water supply, mine water desalination, sea water desalination or protection of the environment, we can provide a suitable product.” The average number of units linked together is between four and six; however, more can be added depending on the client’s requirements, she says.

The modular design of the Aqua Mobile range is the key to its success. Grahn describes the system as being like a system of interchangeable blocks that can be rearranged to suit the needs of the client. This is a key differentiator between Proxa and its competitors—Aqua Mobile has the flexibility to work almost as a customised solution, while having a deployment speed comparable to a ‘one size fits all’ emergency installation. The units are designed for easy transportation or shipping, enabling delivery anywhere in the world.

Proxa has a full staff complement of over 2,500 employees throughout southern Africa operating and managing fixed facilities; and these highly trained staff are also available to Aqua Mobile clients for servicing and maintenance. “Our engineers and technicians can also rely on Proxa’s in-house QTRAK remote internet monitoring system, which enables them to treat waters at the right quantity and quality and to maximize the availability of our plants,” says Grahn.

One of the most specialist combinations the company provides is for acid mine water drainage. “Over a period of time, water can accumulate and pool in underground compartments in the mine,” explains Grahn. “As the water comes into contact with the rock face, where leaching takes place it becomes acidic. This creates what is called ‘acid mine water’.”

Acid mine drainage presents particular challenges, as there are many unknown factors involved, says Grahn. “It’s hard to assess the precise volumes of water needing to be treated, or the quality of the water to be treated between the different compartments, taking into account life of mine and seasonal changes. The accuracy of that information can be very variable.”

And it is in these challenging situations that Aqua Mobile comes into its own, precisely because it is modular. If there is a change in the pre-treatment requirements due to a change in the feed quality of the water, it is not difficult for Proxa to reconfigure the string of mobile units on site to deal with the new variables. “Removing one of these blocks and inserting another is easily managed at Proxa, so the risk to the client is very low, compared to large permanent facilities. Similarly, increasing capacity to deal with an unexpected increase in volume is just a case of adding additional modules.”

The modular solutions offered by Proxa’s Aqua Mobile are extremely cost-effective for the customer and mitigates risk. The system’s ability to deliver a rapid response in a variety of situations is the most risk-averse way to deal with the problem faced, at competitive cost. “By using Aqua Mobile, our clients don’t have to invest very large sums of money to put in place permanent acid mine water plants with associated infrastructure for centralised treatment,” says Grahn. “Plants are rented on a monthly basis and are flexible for their needs, allowing the set-up to change along with their needs and locations. Often there are lengthy discussions regarding who is ultimately responsible for treating acid mine water and what is required, so this kind of temporary structure is ideal.”

The rapid deployment capabilities of the Proxa Aqua Mobile system also help to protect the environment from the potential dangers of an acid mine situation. “The client does not have to wait years for a permanent structure to be constructed: as soon as the units are on site, they can begin pumping and treating, reducing the quantity of contaminated water leaking into the surrounding ground and water table,” says Grahn. The company is also continuously working to increase the efficiency of the desalination systems its engineers design and technicians operate. “We are able to achieve what is called a ‘zero liquid discharge process’. What this means is that, after desalination, there is no contaminated water left to dispose of and all the waste products are produced as solid salts. The next challenge is the management of the salts or generation of proven and sustainable by-products.”

Clients often take on Aqua Mobile plants with the intention of using them as a stop-gap before putting in place a permanent structure, only to discover that in fact, Aqua Mobile offers the complete solution they are looking for. Aqua Module has been developed alongside Aqua Mobile over the past seven years, and is designed in consultation with the client to provide a customised solution. “For customers who are looking for something that will be in place for over 10 years, we will recommend them to purchase Aqua Module, as it will be more cost effective,” comments Grahn. “We are a service-driven business and will customise a solution according to the application it will be used for. Of course, as it is not a ready-made product like Aqua Mobile, it is not available immediately; however, for a permanent, customised structure, it is available for installation relatively quickly.”

Looking to the future, Grahn foresees continued growth in the Aqua Mobile division. “We have grown the Aqua Mobile range enormously over the last five years and I think that both locally and internationally there is a noticeable move from permanent infrastructure to a more modular, mobile approach. Consequently I see huge opportunity in this area. We are driven by our clients’ needs—and the demand from them for solutions such as Aqua Mobile is moving into a higher gear all the time. The future is flexibility, and that is what Proxa has been providing for years!” www.proxa.co.za