Prague/Liberec – 29 November 2021 – In November 2021, Photon Water Technology s. r. o. (“Photon Water” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of the solar group Photon Energy N.V., completed the preparation of a business plan for entering the Peruvian and potentially also the Latin American wastewater treatment market. The project in the business activity preparation phase was supported by the foreign development cooperation of the Czech Republic in the framework of the Czech Development Agency’s Development Partnership Programme for the Private Sector (B2B programme).
“Preparation of the business plan proved to be a logical continuation of the business activities that Photon Water performed in Peru between 2017 and 2020”, says Dr Petr Kvapil, Managing Director of Photon Water. “So far, in the field of water treatment, we have focused on drinking water treatment plants for small and medium-sized communities. However, Peru and other Latin American countries also face a shortage of sewerage systems and wastewater treatment plants” he added. In Peru, 9 million people live without sewerage systems, and they are also subjected to extreme climatic events such as heavy rains, floods, and landslides.
The primary objective of the project, which focuses on technological solutions and the supply of municipal wastewater treatment equipment, is to support the development of the business sector in the field of water management in Peru, through business cooperation and technical and technological support of local companies dealing with this issue. Active collaboration with local companies during the performance of the project should subsequently lead to an increase in their competitiveness in the field of treatment technologies and bring new job opportunities to the local population.
The project was performed in 2021 with the financial support of the Czech Development Agency totalling 350 thousand CZK (13.6 thousand EUR) from a total project budget of 700 thousand CZK (27.2 thousand EUR), while Photon Water Technology s. r. o. financed the remaining half of the necessary funds from its own resources.
Photon Water has developed a sustainable business model for the supply of specialized municipal wastewater treatment technologies produced in the Czech Republic and the EU. The uniqueness of the selected technologies lies in their environmental friendliness, compared to traditional treatment methods they are less energy intensive (up to 50% energy savings), they need up to 80% less space, and produce up to 50% less sludge. Connection of these technologies to a solar energy source enables their use even in remote and inaccessible areas of Latin America.
The lack of technological and environmental awareness of the population and the lack of technological infrastructure are currently the main obstacles to the development of new technologies in Latin America. “The transfer of Czech know-how has an impact mainly on technological development in the target countries. The project will increase the environmental awareness of local residents. In the case of the implementation project, it will provide a direct positive impact on the environment and improve the quality of life and health of the local population”, comments Dr Kvapil on the benefits of the project.
Given the development of the economy due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Peru’s current political orientation, the results and information obtained during the preparation of the business plan will also be of interest for other Latin American markets, such as Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil.
Wastewater treatment plants - unique zone reactor (source WYDREX s.r.o.)
Packaged polypropylene treatment plant for 50–300 equivalent inhabitants (illustrative image, source WYDREX s.r.o.)
A subsidiary of the global solar energy solutions provider Photon Energy NV, Photon Water Technology develops and supplies water purification, remediation and treatment systems for a global deployment. The company boasts a team of seasoned experts with extensive experience and applies cutting-edge technologies when implementing its water solutions not only for municipalities, but also commercial and industrial customers. Photon Water Technology is based in Liberec, Czech Republic, that is becoming one of the world’s leading nanotechnology hubs.
The Czech Development Agency is a government organization established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and performs tasks in the field of foreign development cooperation. Its main aim is to reduce poverty, improve quality of life, and promote sustainable development across the world. It is primarily responsible for the preparation, financing, and monitoring of development projects, as well as providing assistance during their implementation. In relation to the private sector, its main aim is to identify and support sustainable projects in developing countries with a development effect (employment, education, wages, taxation etc.). It manages an annual budget of some 500 million CZK and implements development projects in six priority partner countries.
Martin Kysly
Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications
Tel. +420 774 810 670
E-mail: martin.kysly@photonenergy.com