Dutchrainmaker

Parbode Surinam Newsmagazine – Frisian Rainmaker gets water from wind

E. de Groot — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:48:38 +0000

Clean drinking water obtained from wind. This sounds utopian and as a solution for pressing water problems in certain areas of Suriname. But it is already reality. The in Leeuwarden (the Netherlands) located company Dutch Rainmaker has teamed up with technology investor Icos Capital Partners and developed a wind turbine that can convert water. The obtained water can easily be turned into drinking water. Could these unique windmills be appropriate and valuable for Suriname?

The water in the Coropina Belt alone could be able to continue the drawing of enough water for personal use and for export for over the next five hundred years. And yet there are still areas in Suriname, where residents have no access to safe and clean drinking water. But even in urban areas there are people with no regular water or brown, rusty colored water from the tap. According to the company their so-called Rainmaker can surely be used here. “Suriname is definitely interesting for Dutch Rainmaker, there are just no thorough studies on suitable locations or potential partners,” said Hans Krielen, Business Development Manager at Dutch Rainmaker. Hydrologist Sieuw Naipal, associated with the Anton de Kom University, knows several where the special wind turbines could be placed. Naipal: “I see application possibilities in Galibi and Coppenamepunt. According to the hydrologist only Galibi has access to brackish groundwater. “Especially during the dry times of the year, the water supplies are dire. Moreover, the atmospheric conditions are favorable.

With a mill, a village with two thousand inhabitants can be provided with clean drinking water. The particular windmills are not producing small quantities of water. Krielen: “A mill has a capacity of 10,000 liters, which is an effective amount of 5000 to 7000 liters per day.”

Galibi is certainly not waiting for the arrival of the Frisian windmill. Captain Ricardo Pané van Christiaankondre immediately reacts rejecting. “No, we have had bad experiences with windmills. A few years we have had two windmills here to generate energy, but they were quickly broken. The wind proved to be too strong for the mills.” His voice betrays a strong aversion to any kind of windmill whatsoever . An important argument for Pané for not wanting any Rainmakers are current plans to improve water supply in Galibi. Pané: “We are currently working on a water supply project with the Belgian municipality of Koksijde and the Domestic Development Fund. That project should begin this year. It is time Galibi gets a good water supply. For many years we are dealing here with drinking water problems and it looks like that will come to an end.”
It remains uncertain if the Frisian Rainmakers will be shown at the Suriname horizon someday. The government would have to set up an investigation into the possible options for such expensive windmills in areas such as Galibi or Coppenamepunt. For now the Frisians will wait quietly on an invitation from Suriname to discuss the possibilities for Rainmaker-systems.

Source: Parbode Surinam Newsmagazine, 19th of April 2011 (written by Paul Kraaijer)

Leeuwarden offers Dutch Rainmaker experimental space on Newton IV

E. de Groot — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:00:28 +0000

The Rainmaker AW75 is an innovative Dutch windmill that condenses water from air. The mill has to be tested and that will be done at the ‘Experimental Area’ in Newton Park IV.

This innovation is developed by Dutch Rainmaker in Leeuwarden. The company wants to use this self-sustaining system particularly for agriculture in warmer areas where little or no water is available. The quality of the water produced by windmill AW75 is similar to rainwater. Kuwait is already interested in starting a water production project with Dutch Rainmaker. Besides using the water for agriculture, the produced water can be drunk after treatment during emergencies.

Space
To test this innovation, the municipality Leeuwarden offers space to Dutch Rainmaker BV. The municipality of Leeuwarden and the company Dutch Rainmaker will sign an agreement on Wednesday the 20^th of April. By signing this agreement the municipality of Leeuwarden recognizes that the development of sustainable innovations is very important. It also fits into the municipal ambition as Capital of Water Technology.

Field Experiment
The Dutch Rainmaker system will be placed at the ‘Experimental Area’ in Newton Park IV. In this area several entrepreneurs can test their sustainable innovations. Dutch Rainmaker is the first company that will be testing its system in this area. The mayor and aldermen of the municipality of Leeuwarden have decided that last Tuesday on the 19^th of April.

New Country Power
The decision of the College derives from the structural ambition ‘Nieuw Stroomland’ to develop an experimental space for sustainable innovations.

To encourage such inventions, many new sustainable innovations in this area will be tested the next five years.

Source: Gemeente Leeuwarden

March 2011: Dutch Rainmaker focuses primarily on the industrial sector

E. de Groot — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:35:10 +0000

A windmill that makes water from air, an invention of the company Dutch Rainmaker in Leeuwarden. Gerard Schouten (45), general manager of this young company: “This technique, a self-sufficient system, may be used in particular in areas with enough wind and where little or no water is present. Our main focus are industrial projects, but the produced water may be very well drunk.”

On the test site Wetsalt in Harlingen nearby the salt factory Frisia stands a prototype of this windmill, the so called rainmaker. At the test farm Nij Bosma Zathe in Goutum a copy will be posted soon, which will produce water by the end of the year. Dutch Rainmaker wants to deliver their system in particular for industrial applications in remote areas, but also for agricultural purposes (greenhouse production), tourism applications as swimming pools and municipal use (municipalities and other authorities). A daily output up to 6000 liters of water is possible. One mill costs between € 200,000, – and € 300,000, -.

The emerge of Dutch Rainmaker

The idea for this technique originated in 2004 by following the impact of a major famine. In 2007 the idea for this technology became reality and in 2008 the first prototype was posted at Wetsalt. Dutch Rainmaker works with the capital of the investment company Icos Capital, an investor in clean technology. The purpose of this invention is that a range of new products and technologies will emerge eventually.

Development of DRM within the industrial market

In the United States, Schouten has been able to close an agreement with three oil and gas companies. He can’ot tell which companies these are because of the confidentiality clause as a part of the contracts. Aid or development organizations are not yet willing to invest in this innovative technology. Schouten: “The way water is transported through pipelines and tankers to the place of destination, is working after all. Such organizations operate preferably with proven solutions that are already working in many places. De Dutch rainmakers were an excellent solution for Haiti when it was was struck by cholera and a severe earthquake, thinks Schouten.

After all, the industrial market offers enough potential for wind turbine technology of the Frisian company. That was further explored and then our second concept arised: the water-to-water concept. This allows destillation of fresh water from salt and brackish water. “During this year we will refine the desalination technology.” He points out that this technique is relatively inexpensive for large scale applications. And again: we only use wind as a renewable energy source.(Only parts of the whole article are shown in this summary)

Source: Kijk op het Noorden, March 2011

22-03-11: Currently we have two vacancies at Dutch Rainmaker!

E. de Groot — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:07:38 +0000

Please don’t hesitate to take a look at our two current vacancies: Engineer Cooling Technique and Process Engineer.

You can find these on our website under About us/Vacancies.

14-02-11 Spits: Water as a threath and a challenge

E. de Groot — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:28:08 +0000

Do students and starters have to be gloaming about their future or will they make our country stronger and more beautiful? Sp!ts-reporter Alexander Bakker (22) speaks with influential compatriots which are now in charge about the Netherlands in 2030. This week: senior executives Margreeth de Boer (71).

Margreet de Boer has an exceptional track record, but also took a number of specific steps in her career. She refused to become the new minister of traffic in the new Cabinet, after spending her years as minister of Environment. She was also asked to become the mayor of Amsterdam, but as history tells us, Job Cohen eventually became the new mayor. Margreeth is living in Noord-Holland for years and has become one of the most important people in the Netherlands concerning water.

You will take us into the world of water. What is the biggest threat in the future?

‘Water is one of the biggest threats in the future. Not only because of the public health, but also for peace and safety.’ As an expert, Margreeth says that environment has become a matter of international diplomacy. The captains of industry take their responsibilities. Now it is the job of Foreign Affairs to tackle the challenge. ‘I have only minister Rosenthal have not noticed that he was aware of this task. The issue will come back on the agenda.’

When?

‘When there is a disaster, I think. Sustainability is still stored in the corner of soft-gooders. It is not soft and it is not about improving the world. What matters is that we try to maintain the world as it is right now.’

Tackle the challenge. Like you’re doing at Wetsus. What do you guys really do in Leeuwarden?

‘We need to use water more efficiently. So reuse and look for opportunities to clean up polluted water. In Leeuwarden, there are currently eighty companies that take a part in these issues. This is done through the institute Wetsus. The companies bring a problem in itself and together with universities, we solve this problem. The companies buy the patent and make it a product.’

A child’s play. Do you have any examples?

‘In Leeuwarden we are working on blue energy. By using the difference in salt concentration between seawater and fresh water creates smartly, a force arises that can be used to generate energy. At this moment, a test facility is being built at the Afsluitdijk.
Another company that emerged from Wetsus is Dutch Rainmaker. This company is now experimenting on a small scale with a miracle: making rain from clouds.’

Good news for Leeuwarden. What about Wetsus in 2030?

‘It seems quite natural that we have worldwide contacts in the field of water technology. Leeuwarden will be some kind of Silicon Valley in the area of water.’

Source: Spits, 14th of February 2011

(Only parts of the interview where shown in this summary.)

Wetsus Congres 2010

E. de Groot — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:05:33 +0000

The Wetsus Congres, on the 18th & 19th of October this year, was visited by about 800 people. The event took place for the sixth time and also this year, the venue was the Leeuwarden city theatre ‘De Harmonie’. Dutch Rainmaker was one of the twenty companies from the water sector that presented their technology and products on the Wetsus Congress exhibition floor.

The first day of the congres, interesting speakers gave their views on the importance of know-how clusters in a globalizing world from a water technology perspective.

As usual, the focus on the second day was on international scientific developments in the field of water technology. Renowned speakers from the Netherlands and abroad spoke about subjects related to Wetsus’ scientific themes.

During lunch and drinks, networks where expanded at the Wetsus Congress exhibition floor. Together with Water Alliance and her partner companies AquaExplorer, Capilix and Stichting Well, Dutch Rainmaker was part of a jointed stand. Taking into account the overwhelming interest from visitors in our innovative technology and also gaining a lot of interesting contacts, it can be said that the Wetsus congress of 2010 was again a great success!