CirTec

The Oosterwold district in Almere is a unique residential area where sustainability, self-sufficiency and innovation are central design principles. To support this vision, a decentralised sewage treatment plant was developed to serve approximately 800 households. The challenge was to create a compact, future-proof system that not only treats wastewater safely, but also recovers valuable resources and removes micro-pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues.

In a consortium with Royal Oosterhof Holman (main contractor), Akanova and Van Remmen UV Technology, CirTec played a key role in delivering an innovative solution. The system had to perform reliably under fluctuating influent conditions while meeting strict environmental and water quality requirements. The municipality of Almere deliberately chose an unconventional approach, pushing technological boundaries to realise a sustainable, circular water treatment concept.

Project’s context & challenges

Searious BV, based in Beetgumermolen, Netherlands, developed a sustainable tanning process to convert fish skin into exotic leather without using harmful substances like chromium, brine, or fungicides. To close the loop in this innovative process, CirTec from Purmerend provided a key water treatment component. The challenge was to treat a liquid stream with high water content and transform it into a reusable, resource-rich concentrate using low-grade energy. This collaboration supports Europe’s circularity goals by turning a by-product of fish processing into a high-value product without generating waste. The collaboration agreement signed at Aqua Nederland trade show.

Municipal sewage treatment plants across Europe are increasingly under pressure due to rapid urbanization and population growth. WWTP Beemster, located in the heart of a protected UNESCO area, faced significant operational challenges as existing infrastructure was pushed to the limits of  its design capacity. Conventional solutions such as expanding biological treatment or installing Primary Settling Tanks (PSTs) were impractical due to high costs, long construction timelines, and severe space limitations.

The challenge was to implement a cost-effective, space-efficient, and easy-to-integrate solution that would reduce operational strain, improve compliance with discharge standards, and future-proof the plant for growing loads—all without major civil works.

Shrimp peeling operations generate wastewater with high concentrations of suspended solids and organic load. If not treated effectively, this wastewater can place significant pressure on downstream treatment processes and pose a risk to surface water quality.

A shrimp processing company faced the challenge of achieving strict discharge compliance while maintaining a reliable, low-maintenance treatment process. The solution needed to be compact, energy-efficient, and capable of removing fine particles and organic matter without complex operation or high operational costs.