How can AVK products contribute in taking care of our planet and climate?

The UN estimates that by the year 2030, up to 700 million people will move because of water. Either away from too much water, or because of water shortage. This will put a significant strain on existing water infrastructure; water systems which may already be stressed must supply to even more consumers, and if water resources are already scarce, the challenge is even greater.

Since the UN General Assembly defined the 17 goals of sustainable development back in 2015, sustainability, circular economy and the green transition have become a recurring point on the international agenda. Recently, the Danish government passed a bill which places the country under an obligation to reduce CO₂ emission by 70% by the end of 2030. Some would shake their head and claim that a country as small as Denmark cannot make a global difference when the contribution to the global emission of greenhouses gases constitute a meagre 0,11%. But that is not the point. The point is to make green solutions, facilities and systems which create jobs, are exportable, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

So where can we contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gases?

Control water losses, and avoid unnecessary energy consumption
Water loss leads to an unnecessary consumption of energy. Energy consumption depends directly on the amount of water that must be pumped. In other words, the less leakage the less energy you will need. Leakage translates directly into additional energy consumption. The International Energy Agency has calculated that an average municipality will spend 30-50% of their energy bill on handling the water supply and wastewater. In other words, the potential savings from optimisation of the water supply are huge.

Mainly, AVK can contribute to a supply system run by modern principles where the distribution pipe network is divided into smaller zones, so-called DMA’s (District Metered Areas) and where gate valves play a crucial role. Each DMA must be sealed in such a way that no water can flow from one DMA to another. Each DMA has one or maximum two defined inlet in the shape of a well with a water meter. This way you can keep track of the amount of water entering each DMA.

When you compare this amount to the amount consumed, you have an indication of the amount of leakage. If much more water enters the DMA than what is ultimately consumed, it is indicative of leaks and water loss. If the difference is caused by water flowing through a leaking valve to its neighbouring DMA, the water is not actually lost. It is therefore crucial to be able to trust one’s own data and components in the distribution network, including the valves. If you want to be in control, you must know what is going on. And if valves do not seal properly, you cannot know. Find a step-by-step guide to gain control of water system activities here.

Further, we can contribute with products that handle wastewater. From the household, wastewater flows using gravity to the nearest pumping station and from here it is pumped to the wastewater treatment plant. The check valves, whose function is to prevent backflow, must be properly sealed; otherwise the wastewater has to be pumped once again if it flows back to where it came from. 

At the wastewater treatment plant, we supply shut-off valves that are reliable, easy to maintain and fit for purpose. If you want to go trendy and transform your wastewater treatment plant to an energy producing plant, you will need to set up a digesting tank, gas tank, and either a gas engine power plant or a boiler plant in order to transform the biogas to energy. You will also need valves, and sturdy, functional, long lasting valves are the backbone of your plant.

If we are to continue working on reducing global CO₂ emission, it is crucial that we start linking sectors to make different utilities work together. When traditionally produced energy should be transitioned into renewable sources of energy like sun and wind, it is imperative to consider how society should be supplied with energy when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. The solution is to store excess energy in e.g. the natural gas grid. Excess power can produce hydrogen in a pyrolysis plant which enables the hydrogen to be stored in the natural gas grid. The hydrogen can also be included in the Carbon Capture installations retaining CO₂ in fuel gas and turn it to methane which in turn can help produce energy. And all these processes need valves.