Environment

Hydromx: greater energy efficiency for heating and cooling systems

Heating and cooling systems in homes, businesses and factories account for 50 % of the EU’s annual energy consumption. There have been big advances in heat generation, and exchange and storage technology, but efficiency levels of fluid used to transfer heat between two points have largely stood still. Hydromx International was established in Turkey in 2000 in order to tap into this opportunity.

The company began building a research and development team of international academics and industry experts. Over a decade later, it has come up with a fluid that has made a giant leap in heat transfer efficiency. The fluid helps to save energy by reducing the time needed for systems to heat or cool rooms to a comfortable temper-ature. This cuts energy bills, and translates into lower CO2 emissions, thus reducing the carbon footprint of heating and cooling systems.

‘Hydromx is a revolutionary heat transfer fluid that contains Nano-Thermo technology to increase the speed of the heat transfer process. As a result, the fluid reaches the target temperature in a shorter amount of time, thereby requiring significantly less energy than conventional solutions,’ says Operations Manager, Cenk Göker, adding that, ‘Hydromx is an all-in-one solution for cooling and heating system perfor-mance and reliability needs. With its wide operational temper-ature range of -61°C to 118°C, Hydromx allows heating and cooling systems to work seamlessly and achieve energy savings of up to 35 %.’

Its thermal operating range means that Hydromx can be used in extreme temperatures without the need to add chemicals such as antifreeze. This saves both money and time for users. Given the energy-efficient and low-maintenance nature of Hydromx, the

company claims that customers get a return on their investment within 2-3 years of purchase of a product which has a guaranteed 15-year lifespan.

The fluid is highly versatile and has the potential to open up a range of opportunities for research and development of clean technolo-gies. It can also help to cut development costs for clean technologies and energy efficient products, making them more widely available. Research into use of Hydromx in the automotive, IT and marine transport industries is already under way, as is work on a version for the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

‘Hydromx provides support for countries which are committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Globally, funds, commit-ments and infrastructure for green energy are in place. However, the missing part for achieving such a strategy was a product, an agent… This gap can now be filled by Hydromx, which is commercially available for all. Also, Hydromx can be installed without any changes in systems, which makes it very practical. Last but not least, Hydromx has a wide range of application areas,’ explains Cenk Göker.

With its international patent, Hydromx is now exported from Turkey to more than 10 countries worldwide, including the Benelux countries,

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

WINNER OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AWARD

The 2016-17 shortlisted companies for the Products and Services Award are:

• Aquarden Technologies ApS (Denmark) for Destruction of toxic

and environmentally problematic substances in industrial

wastewater with Waterox;

• FELOR (France) for ALGO PAINT: Sustainable and eco-friendly

algae-based decorative paint;

• Hydromx International A.S. (Turkey) for Energy efficient heat

transfer fluid for heating and cooling;

• ONYX SOLAR ENERGY S.L. (Spain) for Photovoltaic building

material for buildings and urban furnishing.

China, India, Romania, Saudi Arabia and the UK. The company also has a subsidiary in the United States. ‘Hydromx is certified for use in non-food contact systems by NSF International (the leading product testing, inspection and certification organisation) and authorised to bear the NSF registration mark. Installation, monitoring and verification of efficiency, periodical checks in systems for concentration levels of Hydromx and representa-tions in new countries will create job opportunities for both white and blue collar workers,’ says Mr Göker.

Data centres are a prime target for Hydromx. The number of data centres worldwide is expected to reach 8.6 million in 2017. At a conservative estimate, 20 % use hydronic cooling systems and a 5 % share of that market could translate into profits of around EUR 5 billion. Thanks to this, along with other commercial, indus-trial and residential markets, the company expects sales to reach 20 000 tonnes in 2017, rising to 250 000 tonnes by 2019.

Presenting Hydromx with the 2016-17 European Business Award for the Environment in the Products and Services category, the jury acknowledged its capacity to cut energy consumption and carbon emissions. They also recognised its suitability for use in extreme conditions. The potential to lead to the creation of a new range of clean technology products was another factor setting Hydromx apart.

The Products and Services Award

The Products and Services Award recognises the successful mar-keting of a product or service that makes an outstanding contribu-tion to sustainable development.

The product or service can be new, a modification or innovative use of an existing design so as to promote sustainable and equitable production and consumption. It must be economically viable and meet consumers’ needs while making more efficient use of natu-ral resources and minimising use of hazardous substances, waste and emissions of pollutants.

Nominees are at the cutting edge of sustainable product and ser-vice development, setting examples for others to follow.