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Eagleridge's  Mission

Eagleridge's mission is to help solve the world's waste water treatment issues with simpler and more cost effective technologies.   

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MicroPoP Technology

Our flagship MicroPoP technology is for the elimination of WAS (Waste Activated Sludge) - excess waste bacteria for disposal from microbial waste water treatment methods from:

  • Municipal Waste Water Treatment,

  • Pulp and Paper,

  • Oil Refining,

  • Food and Beverage Industry,

  • and Meat Processing.  

 

The MicroPoP key is that bacteria readily metabolize liquids, not solids.  MicroPoP breaks apart (lyses) all of the bacteria in the WAS using high pressure homogenization methods making a readily available liquified food source for the bacteria back in the process, whether aerobic or anaerobic.   The bacteria can quickly metabolize this liquefied WAS.  This simple and sustainable technology has large cost savings, reduces GHGs, and increases biogas production for RNG or CHP projects, amongst other positives.  As the WAS is eliminated, no polymers are required for WAS dewatering, nor are there any further WAS handling and disposal costs.   MicroPoP eliminates the difficult WAS waste stream while lessening environmental impacts, with up to 2X biogas from WAS digestion.  Nutrient recovery technology modules for phosphorus and nitrogen (released from inside the cells) can be added to produce useable fertilizer.

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MicroPoP Brief History

MicroSludge is the cell lysing technology innovation that had been validated and de-risked over 14 years with approx $28 Million invested up to 2014.   Over that time 3 full scale demonstration projects were conducted at municipal waste water treatment plants.  Also, a $6 Million 3 year pilot plant project at a pulp and paper mill where a major innovation improvement (MicroPoP) was discovered, and USA patent applied for.   Then the predecessor company to Eagleridge entered receivership unexpectedly in 2014 just before a full scale project for Metro Vancouver was to start.   Eagleridge acquired the assets out of receivership in 2015 and continued the journey to commercialization.  The applicable MicroPoP patents were issued in the USA (2015 and 2017) and EU (2022), along with additional trade secrets.

In 2020, the phosphporus and nitrogen (ammonia) recovery technology modules were were added in a licensing arrangement with Muddy River Technologies, for applications where the 3 technologies work synergistically together.  By lysing microbes, MicroPoP releases the cytoplasm of microbes where the nutrients were concentrated and locked in, and can now be recovered as fertilizer.

Today, the MicroPoP offering is much improved with better and more widely applicable technology for the most cost effective solution for a specific facility, improved ancillary equipment systems, and enhanced with the synergistic nutrient recovery technologies for phosphorus and nitrogen (ammonia).  Together, these technologies are getting set to transform the waste water treatment industry worldwide.   We are seeking the first few full scale demonstration sites for operation of the these 3 synergistic technologies together, that will mark the launch of commercialization.

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Helping the World to Zero Waste

MicroPoP eliminates waste activated sludge where it is produced.  This allows for resource recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen as useable fertilizer for value creation, thereby saving operating, processing and disposal costs and at the same time lessening the impact to the environment.   Benefits are from reducing GHGs, increasing biogas production on RNG or cogeneration CHP projects, and from other factors reducing the environmental footprint of a facility.  

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Pulp and Paper

For the Pulp and Paper industry nutrients locked inside the bacteria of WAS are usually disposed of or incinerated.  MicroPoP breaks apart the bacteria in WAS, so that nutrients are released and can be re-introduced to feed the bacteria in the process, thereby reducing nutrient purchase costs, and at the same time lessening WAS handling, dewatering and disposal costs.  This also lessens GHGs in a sustainable manner.

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Municipal Waste Water Treatment

MicroPoP fiits into existing  installed systems by processing the WAS that comes from secondary clarifiers.  The WAS from secondary clarifiers is generated 24/7.  MicroPoP uses cell lysis and re-circulation modifications to eliminate the WAS beneficially onsite.  Whether anaerobically with up to 2X biogas generated from WAS digestion for RNG and cogeneration CHP projects, or aerobically, WAS is eliminated.   Solids handling, dewatering and disposal costs are minimized, with corresponding GHG reductions.  Nutrient resource recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen (ammonia) is done with Muddy River's simple and cost effective add-on technology modules.  MagPi for phosphorus recovery and Misty for nitrogen (ammonia) recovery. 

 

Getting Noticed around the World

MicroPoP addresses a universal and fundamental issue for waste water treatment plants everywhere.

Eagleridge is getting noticed in many ways:

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  • is currently a contender as in the top 2 Canadian companies with “UK Water Dragons” (looking at water treatment technologies) this spring

  • have a page on the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) Lift Techlink website.

  • have a page and “labelled” by the expert panel at Solar Impulse in Switzerland as being one of the innovative new technologies to save the environment.   https://solarimpulse.com/

  • was a finalist in the Leading Cities – QBE Accelicity Smart Cities Resilience Challenge – one of 10 companies out of over 500 applicants worldwide (Leadingcities.org [leadingcities.org]

  • was a finalist in the Water Council (Milwaukee, USA) Technology Challenge for the management of waste activated sludge

  • was in top 60 out of over 500 in Free Electrons 2023 Challenge, funded by 6 utilities around the world

  • was a finalist in the CMPC waste sludge technology challenge (world’s largest pulp mill company), in Chile

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How MicroPop Works

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This is what a full scale cell disrupter machine looks like.  It is about the size of a pool table and weighs 6 tonnes.  It can process the waste activated sludge produced from approx 200,000 population.  They can be lined up like lego pieces for larger populations serviced, as required.  These machines are sourced from large corporate machinery manufacturers, and have been customized and adapted for processing this particular aggressive WAS waste feed for 24/7 operations.

Other ancillary equipment is also part of the MicroPoP technology, including hydrocylcones, self cleaning screens, pumps and mixers.

The WAS feed is ideally at 8 -10% solids, so typically some WAS thickening equipment such as a centrifuge will also be required.

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The cell disrupter machine pressurizes the WAS feed through positive piston pump action and a series of check valves.  The opposing valve stem located in a massive steel block at the front of the machine is adjusted until the WAS feed pressure reaches 12,000psi for a feed rate of 4 m3/hr.

This results in a small gap between the valve stem and valve seat, creating a high shear zone for the WAS feed, as it flows out radially.  The WAS feed is accelerated to approximately the speed of sound before it hits the impact ring where all of the microbes are popped, much like bugs going splat on your car windshield, before exiting past the valve stem.  The WAS feed is heated by approx 15 deg C during this cell lysing process, and the WAS feed is converted from a porridge like consistency to that like chocolate milk.

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                      2 page summary description of the MicroPoP technology:

 

 

 

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Our Team

Dr. Robert Stephenson - Chief Technology Officer

Vancouver, Canada

Inventor of technologies. Chemical Engineer with over 40 years of experience in industrial waste processing and environmental technologies.   Inventor of MicroPoP and technical lead of technology validation and improvements since the beginning in 2000.  Dr. Stephenson has also developed other innovations to treat water, wastewater and contaminated soil, including the MagPi and Misty technologies (Muddy River Technologies) for removal of phosphorus and nitrogen as fertilizer, an important technology add-on for MicroPoP for the municipal wastewater industry.  Co-founder of Eagleridge.

 

Erik Rehtlane - Chief Executive Officer and President  

West Vancouver, Canada

Environmental Engineer with over 40 years of experience in a variety of multi-disciplinary projects and project management in Environmental Engineering, Hydrogeology, and environmental technology startup companies.

Co-founder of Eagleridge. 

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Thomas Koger - Director of Strategic Planning

Toronto, Canada

Thomas has been leading a consulting company for over 20 years specializing in company valuations and taxation issues.

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Ann Peets - Commercial Director

Foley Beach, USA

Ann is an accomplished executive from the Pharmaceutical Industry.

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Dale Harvey - Chief Financial Officer

North Vancouver

CPA with over 35 years of experience

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Oyen Green Wiggs Mutala - Intellectual Property Lawyers

Sager Nairne LLP - Corporate Lawyers

OUR APPROACH

MicroPoP provides an innovative and cost effective solution for processing and elimination of WAS coupled with the synergistic nutrient recovery technology modules MagPi (phosphorus recovery) and Misty (nitrogen recovery). We can quickly assess your process setting for MicroPoP/MagPi/Misty technology applicability and prepare a MicroPoP business case estimating cost savings, increased biogas production, GHG reduction and other benefits.  This business case presents the economic and other benefits possible at your facility using the MicroPoP/MagPi/Misty technologies.

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Questionnaire for a MicroPoP Business Case:

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PROCESS REVIEW AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICABILITY ASSESSMENT

Each industrial facility is unique and made up of many finely tuned intermeshing and well integrated components and processes. Like clockwork, a small change in one element of the process can affect the other elements.
The Eagleridge team can recommend how our technologies can be best applied into your unique setting.  Your technical team and your chosen Process Engineering firm will take this further into the detailed design and integration steps into the existing process and control system.

The key is to provide this technology at low cost and  in gradual incremental and reversible fashion, minimizing risk. 

Every facility is unique for annual operating cost savings but are typically in the $100,000s per year for smaller facilities and in the $Millions per year for larger facilities.  MicroPoP also typically triples the throughput capacity of the existing anaerobic digestion system, deferring for many years capital costs for facility expansion.

Cogs in the Machine
Engineering Sketch

MICROPOP DETAILED DESIGN

The client's preferred process engineering firm will conduct the detailed design of MicroPoP's integration into the facility's process.  Together, Eagleridge and the chosen engineering firm will provide the detailed design documents, engineering drawings, engineering estimate and other documents to deliver the project.

This will be done with additional oversight and review as desired.

COLLABORATION and TEAMWORK

A project specific collaborative team  will be assembled to best suit the needs of the project.  This includes the technical experts at Eagleridge, the process engineering firm of the clients choice to conduct the detailed design of equipment integration, the financial team, as well as others.  Prominent academic/industry thought leaders and local university participation is encouraged, as appropriate and desired by the client, for possible expert 3rd party review for all stages of the project.

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We are familiar with the complexity and nature of financing these kinds of projects including the usual time lines and barriers.  We are open to a wide range of financing models and we may have some innovative approaches to shorten timelines, while still keeping the highest technical and engineering standards in place for the project. 

 

Preliminary discussions will focus on the technical and financial options most suited to the client.   The preferred options will be assessed and further developed and optimized into the final project plan.  

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Teamwork and collaboration will get it done.

Networking Event

TEAMING PARTNERS

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Muddy River Technologies - Provides expertise and equipment for a variety of waste water treatment challenges.  Eagleridge has the licence for Muddy River's phosphorus nutrient recovery technology called MagPi and the nitrogen (ammonia) recovery technology called Misty.  MagPi and/or Misty is a synergistic addition to MicroPoP for facilities such as municipal sewage treatment plants, and some pulp mills, where nutrients are part of the feed.  MagPi and Misty provide a cost effective solution for resource recovery of nutrients as fertilizer. 

Muddy River also provides technical support services to Eagleridge.

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We are seeking partnering discussions with local companies around the world for commercializing the MicroPoP technology.

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CONTACT US

If you have any questions on how MicroPoP can benefit your business, please contact us.

Erik Rehtlane B.A.Sc.

President and CEO

Eagleridge Innovations Corporation

2135 Queens Avenue
West Vancouver, V7V 2Y1
Canada

Cell 604 817 4351

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