Danish embassy holds presentation on solar-driven drinking water treatment unit

The Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh in association with the Danish companies Suez Water A/S and Vand og Teknik hosted the presentation of a solar-driven compact and automated  drinking water treatment unit, called UCD, currently operational in Bangladesh. 

Local communities, especially those living in remote and rural areas in southwest Bangladesh face challenges in accessing drinking water, reads an official press release.

One such community is in Pachim Khada village under Sharankhola upazilla of Bagerhat district in the southwest of Bangladesh. 

The community in this rural and climate-vulnerable area is located in one of the most sensitive places regarding access to drinking water.  

Based on local context and needs, a solar-driven compact and automated drinking water treatment unit, called UCD,  has been implemented by the Danish companies. 

The UCD technology, designed by SUEZ, is a compact prefabricated water treatment plant, which can be deployed even in the remotest locations. 

The plant at Sharankhola has a production capacity of 15 m3/h. The water is pumped from a rainwater harvesting pond located next to the project site. 

The UCD treats the surface water of the pond to provide drinking water of a quality that is in compliance with the standards required by Bangladesh and WHO.

Before its deployment, the population in this village had no access to safe drinking water. 

The entire plant operates on solar energy, a sustainable energy source. It uses solar panels located on the roof and a  battery system to extend the operation time at night. The plant does not use any other fuel.  

This drinking water plant has been deployed in Bangladesh within a project supported by the Danish government's  Export Credit Agency (EKF) – "EKF Green Accelerator" fund. 

Though the UCD products have been successfully installed in many parts of the world, including countries in Africa and Asia, it is the first time that this technology is implemented in Bangladesh. 

'As we celebrate 50 years of friendly bilateral relations in 2022, I am delighted to see that concrete impactful actions are being taken to further augment our bilateral relations for the future to come,' said the Danish Ambassador to  Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen. 

She also commented that this initiative is aligned to Denmark's triple bottom line approach that prioritises people, planet and profit.  

The Danish companies SUEZ and Vand and Teknik are very happy to successfully conclude this full-scale Danish-funded demonstration of safe and sustainable water supply. 

'We now invite interested stakeholders to work with us in order to use the proven UCD concept to assist vulnerable communities in Bangladesh," said Per Kroyer Kristensen,  Managing Director of SUEZ Water A/S. 

The Danish companies are available to assist interested stakeholders to implement UCD to assist such vulnerable communities in Bangladesh.