Our history
Prelude
Today's AnoxKaldnes had its start in scientific work at the universities of Lund and Trondheim during the eighties. In Lund the researchers were occupied with biological treatment of a difficult and toxic wastewater from the pulp and paper industry and they attacked the problem with new methods. Difficult problems could be solved and technology giving good treatment results could be developed by thorough studies and grasping the underlying microbial treatment processes. The research was very soon converted into full-scale installations. This was the beginning of a new way of dealing with biological treatment, setting focus on the microbiology and developing processes based on the microorganisms demands and needs. The idea to set up a business according to these principles was aroused and Anox AB was formed at the scientific village Ideon in Lund 1986.
In the end of the 1980's the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology was developed in Trondheim by professor Ødegaard and coworkers. The Moving Bed™ technology is based on the biofilm principle, which implies that the microorganisms treating the wastewater is grown on the surface of a carrier material in the treatment process. There are several advantages associated with the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology compared to other more conventional biofilm processes. The Moving Bed™ biofilm technology was patented and with the objective of commercialisation an agreement was made between the university of technology in Trondheim and the engineering industry Kaldnes in Tønsberg. This company then started the subsidiary Kaldnes Miljøteknolgi AS in 1989, which was aimed at the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology.
Commercial breakthrough
Kaldnes Miljøteknologi attained very quickly considerable commercial success with the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology and the British company, Anglian Water, bought Kaldnes in 1994 with the purpose to introduce the technology globally. This led to a fast transfer of the technology to several countries. At the same time Anox AB perceived the potentials of using the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology for its unique microbiological solutions. They adopted and developed the method for different industrial applications, especially for the pulp and paper industry, which was rewarded with approved patents. By their fresh ideas the companies became two of the leaders on the world market in the field of modern high efficiency biological treatment. Anox and Kaldnes were competitors for a number of years, although the actual number of competitive situations was few. Kaldnes owner, Anglian Water PLC, and Anox did, however, sign a cooperation agreement in year 2000. The agreement implied that Anox's patent rights were transferred to Kaldnes and Anox acquired 15% of the ownership in Kaldnes Miljøteknologi. A close cooperation regarding development and marketing was also started at this moment.
Internationalization
The cooperation between Anox and Kaldnes was very prospering and led to an increased internationalization. Kaldnes started a subsidiary in USA and established agreements with licensees in some twenty countries. Anox opened an office in Russia and started a joint venture in Australia, Anox Oceania, together with the Australian company Wastewater Futures. The two companies started to conquer the world market together and their process solutions had soon been sold to some forty countries.
Anox + Kaldnes = AnoxKaldnes
When Anglian Water in year 2002 decide to refine its business and wanted to sell Kaldnes Anox AB acquired the remaining shares in the company. This purchase was a very important strategic step for Anox. This fusion gathered all rights and references for the Moving Bed™ biofilm technology under the same roof. The two companies supplement each other perfect, Anox has a very strong department for research and development and Kaldnes has extensive marketing network. To elucidate the fusion all companies in the organisation changed its names to AnoxKaldnes in 2004. This name change was another step towards a closer integration between the companies and at the same time were the strong trademarks Anox and Kaldnes maintained.
AnoxKaldnes becomes a Veolia company
In 2007 the ownership of AnoxKaldnes is changed from a privately owned company to be owned by one of the larger operator in the wastewater treatment field, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS). The subsidiary in the US was merged into the existing VWS company Kruger Inc and the same thing happened in China where the established office and its operation was incorporated to the VWS Asia Municipal. A decision was taken to dissolve the joint venture in the Australian market and to establish a formalized working relationship with Wastewater Futures Pty. Ltd.