Irish nanobubble start-up AquaB secures Saudi Aramco deal.
AquaB Nanobubble Innovations, a University College Dublin spin-out, has reached a major milestone with the commissioning of its Vulcan-500 nanobubble generators at Saudi Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia.
The deployment marks the company’s transition from research to commercial operations and positions it as a cleantech player with global reach.
“For as long as the global economy depends on hydrocarbons, AquaB is committed to using our technology to cut emissions and improve process efficiency”
The generators will be used to support more sustainable oil production methods, leveraging AquaB’s proprietary electrostriction-based technology to improve recovery efficiency and reduce reliance on chemical additives. The system also enhances treatment of produced water and drilling fluids and can assist with algae regulation.
The science of small
Elaine Shaw, chief executive of AquaB, said the contract represents a turning point for the business.
“Our agreement with Saudi Aramco demonstrates that we have successfully moved from technology innovation to delivering solutions that the world’s leading energy companies are actively deploying,” she said. “The next phase of our growth will see us scaling globally while continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible with nanobubble engineering.”
Unlike conventional nanobubble systems that rely on high-pressure membranes, AquaB’s generators use static electric fields to create ultra-dense nanobubbles with exceptional stability. The approach delivers low power consumption, minimal maintenance and bubbles that remain stable for days or weeks, far exceeding typical industrial process times.
The Saudi deployment caps a year of progress for AquaB. In September, founder and chief technology officer Professor Niall English presented on nanobubbles in microalgal biofuels at the International Conference on Biofuels and Bioenergy in Rome. The company later secured a top-three finish in the Colorado Cleantech Oil & Gas Challenge, ahead of more than 40 global competitors.
In November, AquaB showcased its technology at ADIPEC’s Low-Carbon Technologies Pavilion and won two awards from Ireland’s Project Management Institute.
Professor English said the move into operational service with the world’s largest energy company reflects years of research. “Our electrostriction-based approach offers the oil and gas industry a pathway to improve recovery rates while reducing environmental impact,” he said. “For as long as the global economy depends on hydrocarbons, AquaB is committed to using our technology to cut emissions and improve process efficiency.”
The company completed the European Innovation Council Accelerator programme last year, enabling its technology to progress from proof-of-concept to commercial deployment.
Support from the EIC Business Acceleration Services has helped AquaB bring its nanobubble systems to market and prepare for global scale-up.
Top image: Professor Niall English, Founder and CTO, AquaB and Elaine Shaw, CEO, AquaB, with a small submersible nanobubble generator. Photo: Paul Sherwood Photography
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