Nanobubble start-up reaches commercial milestone with Saudi Aramco deployment
AquaB Nanobubble Innovations, a University College Dublin cleantech spin-out based in Co. Kildare, has announced the commissioning of their flagship Vulcan-500 nanobubble generators at Saudi Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia this week, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commercial development.
The generators are being used to support more sustainable approaches to oil production, utilising AquaB’s proprietary electrostriction-based technology to address critical operational and environmental challenges in the energy sector.
Elaine Shaw, CEO, AquaB, said, “Our contract with Saudi Aramco marks a transformative moment in AquaB’s journey from research and development to commercial cleantech leader with global reach, demonstrating that we’ve successfully transitioned from technology innovation to delivering solutions that the world’s leading energy companies are actively deploying in their operations. By using our nanobubble generators to support innovation, our clients are reimagining how the energy sector can operate more sustainably whilst maintaining operational excellence. The next phase of our growth will see us scaling globally whilst continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible with nanobubble engineering.”
AquaB’s nanobubble technology uses static electric fields to create ultra-dense nanobubbles that can significantly enhance oil recovery efficiency while reducing the need for chemical additives. The technology also offers superior performance in treating produced water and drilling fluids, processes common in oil and gas operations, and in supporting algae regulation.
The deployment represents the culmination of a year of substantial progress for AquaB.
In September, the company’s founder and CTO, Prof Niall English, presented on the potential of nanobubbles in microalgal-biofuels production at the 6th International Conference on Biofuels and Bioenergy in Rome. The company then secured a top three position in the prestigious Colorado Cleantech Oil & Gas Challenge, finishing ahead of more than 40 competing companies from around the world.
Prof English said: “Seeing our nanobubble generators enter operational service with the world’s biggest energy company is the culmination of years of research and development. Our electrostriction-based approach offers the gas and oil industry a genuinely exciting pathway to significantly improve recovery rates whilst reducing environmental impact.
“For as long as the world’s economy remains dependent on gas and oil, renewable or otherwise, AquaB is committed to using our breakthrough technology to reduce emissions and environmental harm, as well as improve process techno-economic productivity.”
Unlike conventional nanobubble generation technologies that rely on high-pressure systems and membranes, AquaB’s generators use electric fields to create nanobubbles with exceptional properties. This approach delivers very low power consumption, minimal maintenance requirements due to the solid-state nature of the technology, and nanobubbles that are stable for many days or weeks, far exceeding the residence time of most industrial processes.
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