A Cumbrian business whose technology could help slash the cost of water treatment worldwide has won its first major contract with United Utilities.
Typhon Treatment Systems, based at North Lakes Business Park in Penrith, has developed a new energy efficient way of using LED lights to treat water with ultra violet.
The company has been awarded the contract after its innovative technology was tested at a water works near Carlisle – and now hopes to reach a global market.
Typhon’s water treatment technology has been hailed as one of the first systems in the world capable of using UV from LEDs to neutralise harmful microorganisms on an industrial scale.
“Until now the only way of using it to treat the huge volumes we need has been using traditional technology that uses mercury in glass bulbs,” said head of innovation Kieran Brocklebank.
“But with the potential to be up to 90 per cent more energy efficient, as well as more reliable, easier to maintain and safer, Typhon’s new LED version was a brilliant idea we wanted to develop.”
Typhon’s managing director Matt Simpson added: “We can’t overstate the importance of United Utilities’ support to the development of our technology.
“This first commercial contract is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from our team and theirs. We look forward to continued cooperation with UU. We do have plans to apply this technology worldwide.”
United Utilities and Typhon have been working together on the technology since its potential came to light as part of a worldwide tech talent trawl the company launched in 2017.
Typhon was among seven finalists in United Utilities’ Innovation Lab – giving them access to the water giant’s huge wealth of data, systems and expert knowledge to incubate their ideas and help bring their idea to market.
The business is now hoping to market the product worldwide as a unique, cost-effective, low maintenance UV water treatment.