Aqua Membranes expands manufacturing to Knoxville – WBIR

Report on Aqua Membranes’ Expansion and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Aqua Membranes, a company specializing in reverse osmosis technology, is expanding its operations with a new facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. This report details the expansion’s economic and environmental impact, with a significant focus on its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Investment: $6.6 million
• Job Creation: 95 new positions
• Location: Forks of the River Valley Industrial Park, Knoxville, TN
• Core Technology: Advanced reverse osmosis membrane elements for water purification.

Technological Impact on Water and Energy Resources

Aqua Membranes’ core technology provides a critical solution for water purification across various sectors. The company’s innovative process is designed for high efficiency, contributing directly to sustainability objectives.

1. Water Purification: The reverse osmosis elements effectively remove harmful contaminants, including Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs) and lead, making water safe for consumption and industrial use.
2. Industrial Application: The technology is essential for industries requiring purified water, such as beverage production (e.g., Coca-Cola) and electronics manufacturing, ensuring product consistency and safety.
3. Energy Efficiency: A key feature of the company’s process is its reduced energy consumption compared to traditional methods. This lessens the strain on local power grids, a critical factor in promoting sustainable industrial practices. As stated by CEO Craig Backman, reducing manufacturing demand on the grid provides a universal benefit.

Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The expansion project and the company’s operational model directly support several key SDGs:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  By manufacturing technology that purifies water and removes hazardous substances like PFAs and lead, Aqua Membranes directly contributes to the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. This is crucial for both potable water supplies and industrial processes.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The company’s emphasis on creating a reverse osmosis process that uses less energy aligns perfectly with SDG 7. By improving energy efficiency in the water purification sector, the technology helps reduce overall energy demand and promotes more sustainable industrial operations.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The creation of 95 new jobs and the $6.6 million investment in the Knoxville community are direct contributions to sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. This provides stable employment and stimulates the local economy.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility represents an investment in resilient and sustainable industrial infrastructure. The company’s innovative approach to reverse osmosis technology fosters industrial upgrading and enhances technological capabilities in the region.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  Aqua Membranes enables other industries to adopt more sustainable production patterns. By providing an energy-efficient method for water purification, it helps companies reduce their environmental footprint, thereby promoting responsible resource management throughout the supply chain.

Conclusion

The expansion of Aqua Membranes into Knoxville is a significant development that integrates economic growth with profound environmental and social benefits. The project serves as a model for how industrial investment can align with global sustainability targets, particularly the SDGs related to clean water, clean energy, economic growth, and responsible production.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues and initiatives that connect to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus on water purification technology, energy efficiency, job creation, and industrial innovation links directly to the following SDGs:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The core business of Aqua Membranes is water purification using reverse osmosis, which is essential for providing clean water.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The article explicitly mentions that the company’s technology uses less energy, addressing energy efficiency.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The expansion of the company involves a significant financial investment and the creation of new jobs, contributing to local economic growth.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The company represents an innovative technology and is expanding industrial infrastructure by constructing a new facility.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the information provided, several specific targets within the identified SDGs are relevant:

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.1: “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.” The article states that the purified water is used for “drinking water” and the technology can remove harmful substances like “lead,” which directly contributes to making water safe for consumption.
• Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution…” The technology’s ability to “remove Polyfluoroalkyl Substances — also known as PFAs — or lead” is a direct action towards improving water quality by eliminating hazardous chemicals.
• Target 6.4: “By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors…” The article mentions that companies like “Coca-Cola” use this technology for purified water in their manufacturing process and that it is also “used to rinse electronics.” This points to improving water-use efficiency in industrial sectors.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.3: “By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.” The article highlights that the company’s process makes “cleaner water, with less energy.” The CEO reinforces this by stating their goal is to “take demand off the grid,” which is a direct contribution to energy efficiency.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation…” The company is bringing “innovation to Knoxville” through its advanced reverse osmosis technology, which represents a technological upgrade for the region’s industrial base.
• Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all…” The announcement that “Aqua Membranes will create 95 new jobs” is a direct contribution to employment in the Knoxville area.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.2: “Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization…” The company’s expansion, including the construction of a “newest facility in the Forks of the River Valley Industrial Park,” represents a direct investment in and promotion of industrialization.
• Target 9.4: “By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies…” The company’s technology is presented as a cleaner and more energy-efficient process (“cleaner water, with less energy”), which aligns with the adoption of environmentally sound technologies in industry.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides both direct and implied indicators that can be used to measure progress:

Indicators for SDG 6

• Implied Indicator: Improvement in drinking water quality. The article’s mention of the technology’s ability to remove specific contaminants like “PFAs” and “lead” serves as a qualitative indicator for progress towards providing safe drinking water (Target 6.1) and improving water quality (Target 6.3).

Indicators for SDG 7

• Implied Indicator: Reduction in energy consumption per unit of purified water. The statement that the process uses “less energy” and helps “take demand off the grid” implies a measurable improvement in energy efficiency (Target 7.3).

Indicators for SDG 8

• Direct Indicator: Number of jobs created. The article explicitly states the creation of “95 new jobs” (Target 8.5).
• Direct Indicator: Amount of foreign or domestic investment. The article specifies a “$6.6 million” investment by the company (related to overall economic growth).

Indicators for SDG 9

• Implied Indicator: Adoption of advanced and environmentally sound technologies. The expansion of a company based on an innovative and energy-efficient reverse osmosis process is an indicator of industry upgrading to cleaner technologies (Target 9.4).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: wbir.com