EEI appreciate that the world is facing unprecedented health and economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thoughts go out to our clients, suppliers, staff, and community during these challenging times.
We would like to reassure our clients that we are still here to help with all of your environmental management and engineering needs. Our staff are currently working from home to play our role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. The safety of our staff, clients and other stakeholders is our number one priority.
Innovation is always at the heart of everything EEI does. We are excited to find new ways of connecting with our clients, delivering our solutions, and planning for the future. Once regular business practice resumes, we will be eager to further utilise the facilities of our new premises in West Perth.
The new location combines EEI’s research and development lab with the consulting office in two levels at the Lincoln House. The new lab has facilities for bench scale and pilot scale studies for developing innovative solutions for complex wastewater such as lithium and alumina industries. Students who get selected to join EEI as interns will get to perform hands on experiments during their training with us. They can learn more about EEI’s innovative technologies such as ANRUPANAMMOX and SPORE.
The new office is also just a short walk from the bustling commercial centre of West Perth and is easily accessible by free public transport from the CBD. With plenty of cafes and food places to choose from, there are plenty of options for external meetings or a lunch break for employees to rejuvenate themselves. Kings Park is just across the road, perfect for a stroll after work.
For more news about developments in EEI, subscribe to our page on https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-engineers-international/ or contact us to discuss how we can help with your current challenges and future needs.
Environmental Engineers International Pty Ltd (EEI) has been recognised at the Australian Water Association (AWA) WA Water Awards for the second consecutive year. The company was proud to receive the 2017 Research Innovation Award, and the Water Professional of the Year Award for CEO Dr Raj Kurup. The awards are testament to the excellent year that EEI has had, fostering innovation and technical excellence across a range of projects in the water industry.
EEI received the 2017 Australian Water Association (WA) Research Innovation Award for the development and implementation of its ANRUP Anammox Process for nitrogen removal for an abattoir wastewater treatment plant . The objective of this project was to understand the process, requirements, and the difficulties in implementing anammox in an existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The anammox process is an exciting state of the art technology for nitrogen removal.
The project has verified that the anammox process offers significant environmental and economic benefits. The reduced aeration requirements, and elimination of carbon dosing offer WWTPs a clear pathway to cut operating and capital costs. Overall it has been determined that the payback period for the implementation of the anammox system has been less than 18 months, and included a suite of operation and maintenance benefits. The project also has demonstrated that a pure anammox culture was not required for start-up, and the technology is eminently scalable and applicable to both new and existing plants.
The prestigious WA Water Professional of the Year for theaward for Dr Raj Kurup has been 25 years in the making. Raj has made tremendous contributions within the water sector as an engineer and researcher. He has authored over 60 publications, and delivered key note addresses for several international conferences. Raj's research has led to the development of EEI's innovative technology, including the High Rate Anaerobic Reactor (HART), ANRUPAnammox process, Self-Regulating Suspended Biogas Collectors (SSBC), and phosphorus removal products.
Another key criterion for the judgement of the Water Professional of the Year Award was the nominee's voluntary contribution to the water industry, particularly the development of future water professionals. The engineering internship program at EEI has been one of Raj's proudest achievements, and it has given him great satisfaction to mentor the WA water engineers of the future. Upon receiving the award, Raj wanted to relay his thanks to his family, excellent clients, and mentors that have been such a large part of his career journey.
Peter Rice accepted the WA Water Professional of the Year Award on behalf of Dr Raj Kurup as Raj was away overseas then. You can click the link below to listen to Peter's speech at the award ceremony.
The Institution of Engineers Australia (EA) has selected Dr Raj Kurup, CEO of EEI as Australia's Most Innovative Engineer in Consulting for 2017 for the development and implementation of the Anammox process for nitrogen removal from wastewater.
Environmental Engineers International (EEI) has been selected as the inaugural winner of the Innovating for Sustainability (Small Business) Award (Sponsored by the Department of Water and Water Corporation) of the Australian Water Association (WA).
The award cited the project "Development and Implementation of the Anammox Process for Nitrogen Removal from Wastewater" undertake by EEI. The anammox plant has been in operation at DBC Picton for over two years. The EEI anammox system installed at the 0.5 MLD wastewater treatment plant at DBC is capable of reducing 450 mg/L of total nitrogen to up to less than 10 mg/L (achieving over 98% TN removal) with only 45% of the conventional energy requirement and with no chemical addition.
EEI received the award at the AWA Awards Dinner event on 21 October 2016.
EEI and South Australia based CRC CARE have signed an MOU for undertaking collaborative projects. Prof Ravi Naidu, CEO of CRC CARE and Dr Raj Kurup, CEO of EEI signed the agreement on 31 July 2015. This MOU will strengthen the project delivery capabilities of both CRC CARE and EEI, particularly in the area of pollution control. Under the agreement, CRC will provide project management services and EEI will provide technical support, in addition to making their innovative technologies available for CRC CARE projects.
The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR ) has invited EEI CEO Dr Raj Kurup as their distinguished speaker at the 2014 MIECF in Macao on 27 - 29 March 2014. Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF) is a premier event initiated by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), with a strategic aim to nurture environmental business, technology and information exchange between the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region in Southern China and the international markets.
The theme of the 2014 MIECF is Energising Green Business Growth. Dr Kurup will deliver his speech on "Waste or wasted resources" on 28 March 2014.
Further details of 2014 MIECF is available on http://www.macaomiecf.com/MIECF2014/about.html
EEI opened its Indian office on 1 November 2013. The Indian division has been registered as EEI Solutions Pvt Ltd. A number of Govt and private sector projects are on the final stages of being awarded. EEI strongly feels that it is in a position to provide the best sustainable solutions in the areas of water and wastewater treatment, industrial pollution abatement, solid waste management and bio-energy development based on its 13 years of experience in Australia and other countries.
The Indian office will be based in Trivandrum.
Environmental Engineers International (EEI) is pleased to announce that Dr Raj Kurup will be the presenter for a special upcoming event hosted by Sustainable Engineering Society WA. Raj will be speaking about the successful retrofit of the EEI-Anammox process for Dardanup Butchering Company's (DBC) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The seminar will be held on Wednesday the 20th of June at the Engineers Australia WA Auditorium. Registration is available to anyone, and EA members and students can attend for free. More information can be found at:
https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Event/implementation-eei-anammox-process-wastewater-treatment
Since the implementation of the EEI-Anammox process two years ago, the DBC WWTP has consistently achieved excellent nitrogen removal, without any extra carbon addition. The plant is monitored online for various parameters to ensure its effective operation. The WWTP has achieved over 20% savings in overall electrical power since the implementation of the anammox process. Unlike the European case studies, the DBC WWTP has achieved over 95% TN reduction even during the winter months when the temperature has fallen below 15o degrees Celsius.
Dr Raj Kurup is an internationally reputed and award-winning environmental engineer and project manager with over 25 years of professional experience in various facets of environmental monitoring, water and wastewater treatment engineering, sludge management, odour control and management and nutrient removal technologies. Raj has a long history of providing innovative solutions to challenging problems that are economical, environmentally and socially informed, technically advanced and operationally simple. He was awarded the title of Australia's Most Innovative Engineer in the Consulting Category from Engineers Australia in 2017 for his work in developing EEI's anammox technology, and the WA Water Professional of the Year (2017) from the Australian Water Association.
EEI hope you can attend this exciting event.
EEI's strength in research innovation has been recognised for a second consecutive year at the WA Australian Water Association (AWA) Water Awards Dinner 2018. The Self-Regulating Suspended Biogas Collector (SSBC) Technology developed by EEI won the coveted Research Innovation Award. While EEI's field study of sensor technology for wastewater treatment plants was also an awarded finalist in the Sustainable Water and Environmental Outcomes category.
The SSBC is a new approach to gas capture for reactors and lagoons. The global biogas industry market is expected to grow to $48.8 billion by 2026, and there are significant economic and social benefits for Australian industry and the community resulting from the development of the SSBC technology.
EEI have always been passionate about implementing anaerobic technology where conditions are appropriate. It is the most energy and cost-effective treatment pathway for high organic wastewater streams. When engaging with local industry however, there is typically an inherent trepidation surrounding biogas collection and the anaerobic pathway.
The conventional biogas capturing technologies have a number of problems such as limited access to the internal of the reactors, risk of damage to the cover that can cause complete loss of methane produced, and difficulty in retrofitting to open reactors.
The SSBC can capture and retain produced biogas while floating on top of anaerobic lagoons or reactors. The system consists of a number of small floating biogas capturing modules that operate independently. The system also integrates live weighting to stabilise the modules from capsizing or to control internal pressure.
SSBC's modular design negates the need to shut down the entire anaerobic system for maintenance. Desludging and crust removal operations of the anaerobic system itself have been shown to be much more accessible in contrast to the current technologies. The patented SSBC technology presents an opportunity for business to implement biogas energy generation with reduced maintenance costs and better production efficiency using a flexible system that can be retrofitted to current reactors or irregularly shaped lagoons.
The community also benefit through the improved environmental outcomes associated with increased renewable energy use to combat climate change, and odour prevention through improved opportunity to capture harmful gas emissions.
EEI wish to congratulate our fellow award winners and finalists and are keen to showcase continued innovation in 2019 and beyond.
EEI were proud to represent WA innovation at the 2019 Australian National Water Awards held at the Ozwater'19 Gala Dinner on Wednesday the 8th of May 2019 in Melbourne. The SSBC was a finalist in the Research Innovation Award category.
The SSBC is a new approach to gas capture for reactors and lagoons. The global biogas industry market is expected to grow to $48.8 billion by 2026, and there are significant economic and social benefits for Australian industry and the community resulting from the development of the SSBC technology.
Conventional biogas capturing technologies have a number of problems such as limited access to the internal of the reactors, risk of damage to the cover that can cause complete loss of methane produced, and difficulty in retrofitting to open reactors.
The SSBC can capture and retain produced biogas while floating on top of anaerobic lagoons or reactors. The system consists of a number of small floating biogas capturing modules that operate independently. The system also integrates live weighting to stabilise the modules from capsizing or to control internal pressure.
SSBC's modular design negates the need to shut down the entire anaerobic system for maintenance. Desludging and crust removal operations of the anaerobic system itself have been shown to be much more accessible in contrast to the current technologies. The patented SSBC technology presents an opportunity for business to implement biogas energy generation with reduced maintenance costs and better production efficiency using a flexible system that can be retrofitted to current reactors or irregularly shaped lagoons.
EEI would like to congratulate all of the National award winners and finalists, and we look forward to working towards further innovation in 2019 and beyond.
2019/20 Engineering and Science Summer Internship Program Placements Open
In the interests of developing future engineers and scientists, EEI wants to offer practical work experience to aspiring students. We offer you the opportunity for practical learning by working alongside a capable multi-disciplinary team on a diverse range of projects. The internship program is structured, with an aim to develop your skills to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations, and to start your journey to become a good professional.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
What We're Looking For:
The summer engineering internship program is voluntary and runs from late November to the end of Febuary. As this is a voluntary program, we are flexible with contact hours with an objective to achieve the best outcome for both parties.
To Apply
To apply, please submit a short cover letter and resume to info@enviroengineers.com.au
The SPORE Solution
For the fourth consecutive year, EEI is recognised for its innovative engineering solutions. Environmental Engineers International CEO Dr Raj Kurup was selected as one of the most innovative engineers in 2019 by Engineers Australia for the development of EEI’s SPORE sodium oxalate waste (SOW) removal process in alumina production.
The SPORE technology provides the most efficient and economical way of tackling the sodium oxalate waste problem, with an estimated additional net revenue of $4 million of by-product from a singular SOW lagoon with potential operational savings of $20 million a year.
The Australian economy thrives off a growing mining industry, in which alumina production through refining bauxite plays a major role. Australia is the largest producer of bauxite in the world, with 80.4 million tonnes produced in 2013/2014. EEI’s new technologies offer a more effective and economical waste management system for a key challenge in alumina refinery, sodium oxalate waste.
The process of refining bauxite to produce alumina will generate SOW, conventional methods of dealing with SOW involve storing it in lagoons with the excess undergoing thermal or aerobic treatments which have high operating costs. The SPORE solution (Smart Priming Oxalate Removal Enabler) offers anaerobic treatment of sodium oxalate waste lagoons in which it also produces valuable by-products such as methane and sodium bi-carbonate without on-going addition of pH neutralisation chemicals.
Once the SPORE process has been implemented on a storage lagoon it negates the need for building additional treatment facilities or infrastructure. This ensures a safer processing environment due to reduced risk of exposure to highly hazardous chemicals on site.
For further information on the SPORE process please contact us through the contact form.
To view the CREATE Engineers Australia innovation citation please visit: https://www.createdigital.org.au/innovative-engineer/dr-raj-kurup/
EEI's SPORE - the Smart Priming Oxalate Removal Enabler - technology was the winner for 2019 AWA WA Research Innovation Award. The award night was on 25 October 2019.
This patent-pending technology has already led to Dr Raj Kurup, CEO of EEI being selected as one of the 30 Most Innovative Engineers (first in the category of Mining, Oil and Gas category) by the Create Magazine of Engineers Australia for 2019.
EEI appreciate that the world is facing unprecedented health and economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thoughts go out to our clients, suppliers, staff, and community during these challenging times.
We would like to reassure our clients that we are still here to help with all of your environmental management and engineering needs. Our staff are currently working from home to play our role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. The safety of our staff, clients and other stakeholders is our number one priority.
Innovation is always at the heart of everything EEI does. We are excited to find new ways of connecting with our clients, delivering our solutions, and planning for the future. Once regular business practice resumes, we will be eager to further utilise the facilities of our new premises in West Perth.
The new location combines EEI’s research and development lab with the consulting office in two levels at the Lincoln House. The new lab has facilities for bench scale and pilot scale studies for developing innovative solutions for complex wastewater such as lithium and alumina industries. Students who get selected to join EEI as interns will get to perform hands on experiments during their training with us. They can learn more about EEI’s innovative technologies such as ANRUPANAMMOX and SPORE.
The new office is also just a short walk from the bustling commercial centre of West Perth and is easily accessible by free public transport from the CBD. With plenty of cafes and food places to choose from, there are plenty of options for external meetings or a lunch break for employees to rejuvenate themselves. Kings Park is just across the road, perfect for a stroll after work.
For more news about developments in EEI, subscribe to our page on https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-engineers-international/ or contact us to discuss how we can help with your current challenges and future needs.
EEI appreciate that it is a daunting time for engineering and science students trying to plan their futures in an uncertain economy. We want to reassure prospective students that we are still considering future internship applications.
In February, prior to social distancing, we sat down with the interns who completed our summer vacation program to reflect on their experiences. We hope it is good motivation for students to continue to look for practical experience opportunities and stay engaged with EEI.
“What really drew me to it was [that] I knew that the things I studied in University were going to be applied in this specific role, which is what I wanted.” -Ted, 5th year mechanical engineering and finance student
“It was a wastewater engineering consulting company; I’m very interested in water engineering, so I decided to take this opportunity.” -Calvin, 4th year civil engineering student
“What drew me to the position was that I would be able to participate in meetings with clients and practical stuff like project management.” -Thanh, graduate chemical engineer
“For the first few months… I was given a project [to select a pump]. I had to learn about all of this because I didn’t really learn pump selection in University. I knew the general theory about [my project], how the environment affects materials, what flow rate means… I knew that, but I did have to do a bit of study on how to apply that to pump selection. But after that I was able to contact suppliers and seek specific pumps that would cater towards the project details.”-Ted
“During my three-month placement I worked on the master plan project … I worked on a wastewater treatment plant design, and also worked on the water balance for an evaporation pond design as well.
I worked with my supervisor on the master plan… and it was quite challenging, but he guided me through the master plan and I gained a lot of skills, such as efficient research, and also to judge and make engineering assumptions.” -Calvin
“It was quite different from my previous experiences. For example, we had contact with the CEO, so if we had any questions or we were struggling with the project, we could just go to Raj’s office for help.” -Calvin
“The best part of this placement was modelling the water balance. I had a great opportunity; I did everything in Excel, and once I had finished the water balance modelling, I designed an evaporation pond for the project. It was a good experience for me; I learned a lot of good things from the project.” -Calvin
“[I remember] Thanh worked on the Anammox project, and he needed some help with sourcing materials and designing the setup of the experiment. The best part [of the internship] was working with him to design the setup of the experiment. It was like we were both learning at the same time.” -Ted
“I would not have done anything differently because I would not have learnt what I know now. I wouldn’t change anything; I gained a lot of experience from working here.” -Calvin
“I would come into the internship with a more positive attitude. There were times where I would be given work, and I would think, “I don’t want to do this!” … So if I did have to do it again, I would say, don’t expect to do what you want to do; just expect to learn with the work they give you.” -Ted
“I had the pleasure of working with Peter Rice, who helped me with the water balance modelling. And Nathan, he was a great mentor for me; he guided me, and we worked together most of the time for the master plan.” -Calvin
“I think [Peter] was one of the best mentors I have ever met. He knows what it’s like for an intern to struggle, to get frustrated, so he always encouraged me to keep moving forward.” -Thanh
“I learned from Raj, even if university takes you four years… the learning doesn’t stop there… you’re always constantly learning. If you stop learning, you start becoming useless. It’s a constant form of education, and you have to better yourself as well, to remain competitive in the job market.” -Ted
“Come into the internship with a very open mind… I would say don’t expect anything so you won’t be frustrated in the work they give you. Because with the work they do give you, you will learn no matter what. Just keep in mind, with every problem something different has to be learned. And that might not be something you want to do at the moment, but at the end of your career every little bit helps.” -Ted
“I think the best advice I could give is don’t get frustrated easily, keep pushing forward. Sometimes the project might be delayed, sometimes people might not have time for you. So take initiative, be patient, and believe in yourself.” -Thanh
From the team here at EEI, we want to thank our interns for all of their hard work over the summer vacation period and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
Every year EEI’s vacation program gives university students and graduates the opportunity to gain experience with hands on projects to equip them for future success. We are currently advertising for expressions of interest in the internship program.
EEI’s staff are working from home to play our role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Successful internship applicants may be engaged for remote interview and desktop work experience from home while our office is closed. The safety of EEI’s staff, interns, and clients is our number one priority. EEI aim to welcome successful interns to our West Perth office for further practical experience once the relevant government authorities have recommended normal business practice resume.
EEI are very excited to announce that our CEO Dr. Raj Kurup has won the Engineers Australia 2020 Professional Engineer of the Year Award for Western Australia!
In particular, the award highlights:
It is great to see his hard work and determination recognised by such a prestigious organisation. Wishing Raj all the best into the future to continue making the world a better place.
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