Aquaflow

What Aquaflow does

Aquaflow (legal name: Veolia Aquaflow Finland Ltd.) is a specialty engineering unit within Veolia Water Technologies that designs and delivers effluent and sludge treatment systems for the global pulp and paper industry. The company was founded in the 1960s and has accumulated over six decades of process development and more than 200 global references; it operates as Veolia's dedicated Technology Center for pulp and paper effluent treatment. Its product portfolio spans mechanical Effluent Treatment Equipment (screens, aeration, clarification), biological treatment via the proprietary MBP (Multi-Stage Biological Treatment / Minimum Biosludge Process) and BAS (MBBR + multi-stage activated sludge) processes, AF-Sed clarifiers, AF-Float dissolved air flotation for secondary and tertiary treatment, and a dewatering line (AF-Table gravity table, AF-Belt twin wire press, AF-Press screw press), all purpose-built for pulp and paper mill effluents and sludges.

The business model is project-based enterprise sales: Aquaflow sells proprietary equipment outright, executes turnkey wastewater treatment plant delivery contracts for major mill builds (exemplified by the Metsä Fibre Kemi Bioproduct Mill), and generates recurring revenue through service packages, spare parts, equipment modernizations, and process optimization across the plant lifetime. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to global pulp and paper producers, supplemented by collaborative R&D with R&D institutes, universities, and pulp line main suppliers, and by leveraging Veolia Water Technologies' regional sales infrastructure across 20+ countries and adjacent specialty brands (AnoxKaldnes, Biothane, HPD, etc.). A secondary, non-pulp-and-paper segment serves municipalities and other industries in Finland via Veolia Water Technologies Finland.

Commercial differentiation rests on six decades of domain specialization, a unique tailor-made technology portfolio for pulp and paper, and demonstrated process outcomes (e.g., 30–50% reduction in sludge production and ~5% improvement in final cake dryness with the MBP process, plus water consumption less than half that of existing pulp mills in the Kemi reference case). The company holds no disclosed patents or trademarks, no AI/ML capabilities, and no independent public financial profile, as it is embedded within Veolia Water Technologies (part of the publicly listed Veolia Group on Euronext Paris).

Name

Aquaflow

Legal name

Veolia Aquaflow Finland Ltd.

Website

https://aquaflow.fi

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aquaflow (Veolia Aquaflow Finland Ltd.) designs and delivers proprietary effluent and sludge treatment systems for global pulp and paper mills, offering biological, flotation, and dewatering processes plus turnkey plant delivery and lifetime service as Veolia's dedicated technology center for the industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)

Keywords

• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Pulp and paper effluent
• Sludge dewatering equipment
• Biological treatment processes
• Dissolved air flotation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of proprietary effluent and sludge treatment equipment including clarifiers, flotation units, gravity tables, belt presses, and screw presses to pulp and paper mills and other industries.
2. Turnkey Plant Delivery: Complete wastewater treatment plant design and construction contracts for major industrial customers, as exemplified by the Metsä Fibre Kemi Bioproduct Mill project.
3. Service and Maintenance: Service packages including spare parts, repairs, equipment upgrades, expert help, problem solving, process optimization, and maintenance packages throughout the plant lifetime.
4. Process Modernization: Complete packages of modernizations of equipment and plants as part of service offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aquaflow designs, manufactures, and delivers proprietary effluent and sludge treatment equipment, complete turnkey wastewater treatment plants, and lifetime service packages for pulp and paper mills worldwide. Offerings span mechanical, biological, and tertiary treatment stages, anchored by in-house biological processes (MBP, BAS), dissolved air flotation, clarifiers, and dewatering equipment, supported by ongoing modernization and spare parts services.

Product overview

Aquaflow is a pulp and paper industry specialist offering a comprehensive, integrated suite of effluent and sludge treatment solutions under the Veolia Water Technologies umbrella. The product portfolio is organized around core treatment stages: mechanical Effluent Treatment Equipment (screens, aeration, clarification, flotation) is combined with biological treatment via the MBP (Minimum Biosludge Process) and BAS (Biomass Activated Sludge, which couples MBBR pre-treatment with multi-stage activated sludge). These primary and biological stages are supported by AF-Sed Clarifiers for thickening, followed by AF-Float Dissolved Air Flotation for both secondary and tertiary treatment, and a dedicated Tertiary Treatment line. Sludge handling spans the AF-Table Gravity Table for pre-dewatering, the AF-Belt Twin Wire Press for versatile dewatering of mixed sludges, and the AF-Press Screw Press for final dewatering of difficult sludges. All equipment and turnkey plants are backed by Aquaflow Service for maintenance, optimization, and spare parts. Over six decades of experience and more than 200 global references in the pulp and paper industry underpin the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Effluent Treatment Equipment High-performance, robust, and reliable key equipment for all main processes in effluent and sludge treatment of pulp and paper mills, including screening, primary and secondary clarification, fine-bubble and medium-bubble aeration systems, dissolved air flotation, and sludge dewatering.
• MBP (Minimum Biosludge Process) Advanced multi-stage activated sludge process that achieves excellent sludge settling characteristics and minimizes excess sludge generation, delivering 30–50% reduction in sludge production and an additional 5% improvement in final cake dryness.
• BAS (Biomass Activated Sludge Process) Combined Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) process followed by Aquaflow's multi-stage activated sludge process; the MBBR stage uses AnoxKaldnes carrier media for higher process intensity and smaller reactor size, suitable for sites with limited footprint or high incoming COD concentrations.
• AF-Sed Clarifiers Primary and secondary thickening clarifiers designed for all kinds of pulp and paper mill effluents, providing high sludge consistency, operational simplicity, and very low operating and maintenance costs; secondary clarifiers enable quick return of living biomass to operation.
• AF-Float Flotation System Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) system used for external and internal water treatment, removing extractives and anionic trashes from filtrates, fiber recovery, and as a Save-All unit to meet effluent discharge limits; designed for large flows and high loads in the pulp and paper industry.
• Tertiary Treatment with AF-Float DAF Tertiary treatment plants based on dissolved air flotation (DAF) that achieve stringent wastewater quality requirements for COD, SS, and phosphorus, with the ability to also remove colour; easy and quick to take into operation under fluctuating loading conditions.
• AF-Table Gravity Table Pre-dewatering gravity table well-suited for all types of sludges, providing high outlet consistency and capture rate, improving pressability and final dryness of sludge while decreasing the size of downstream presses.
• AF-Belt Twin Wire Press Twin wire press specifically designed for pulp and paper mill sludge dewatering applications, ideally suited for variable sludge inlet consistency and quality, and sludge mixtures with significant biosludge content; operates at low wire speeds for highest possible dewatered sludge cake dryness.
• AF-Press Screw Press Conical, low-speed screw press ideal for difficult sludges that cannot be rapidly pressed or contain pressable material; specifically designed for final dewatering of wastewater sludges (primary and secondary), DIP sludges, and internal circuit sludges.
• Aquaflow Service Comprehensive service offering covering maintenance packages, process-technical optimization services, equipment modernizations and upgrades, spare part deliveries, and expert problem-solving support throughout the plant lifetime.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-50% reduction in sludge production with MBP process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• AnoxKaldnescoreTechnology or IntegrationAnoxKaldnes is the original developer of MBBR (Moving Bed Bioreactor) technology and serves as Aquaflow's MBBR partner within Veolia. Aquaflow uses AnoxKaldnes media and can choose appropriate media for different applications. AnoxKaldnes is also constantly developing its media portfolio through intensive R&D work as part of the BAS process combination.
• Metsä FibreflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquaflow has a detailed delivery contract with Metsä Fibre for the Kemi Bioproduct Mill wastewater treatment plant. This is a breakthrough project featuring Aquaflow's multi-stage biological treatment process followed by chemical treatment. The partnership builds on successful previous collaboration at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill (2017).
• Academic Institutions and R&D InstitutessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquaflow collaborates with R&D institutes, universities, and pulp line main suppliers as part of its R&D programme. Active in-house research alongside partnership with academic institutions is key to introducing new ideas and process developments.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Alfa Laval: Swedish industrial equipment manufacturer supplying separation, heat transfer, and fluid handling equipment — including decanter centrifuges and process equipment used in pulp/paper sludge and wastewater handling. Overlaps with Aquaflow's dewatering and sludge treatment scope across a broader industrial portfolio.
• Xylem: Global water technology company with industrial wastewater treatment offerings (pumps, aeration, filtration, monitoring). While broader in scope, Xylem competes with Aquaflow for industrial effluent treatment applications across multiple process industries including pulp and paper.
• AnoxKaldnes: Veolia sister specialty brand and developer of MBBR technology; integrates with Aquaflow's BAS process and adjacent to it in biological wastewater treatment. Operates under the same parent platform but addresses overlapping municipal and industrial wastewater customers through a different technology core.
• Aquatech: US-based water and process technology company providing industrial water and wastewater treatment solutions for process industries including pulp and paper, with evaporation, ZLD, and reuse capabilities adjacent to Aquaflow's pulp and paper effluent treatment focus.

Direct peers

• Valmet: Finnish pulp and paper technology company with a dedicated environmental systems portfolio (Valmet Water & Environmental Solutions), competing with Aquaflow for water and effluent treatment work at pulp and paper customers across greenfield and modernization scopes.
• Andritz Group: Austrian-headquartered global engineering group with a major Pulp & Paper division offering environmental systems including effluent and sludge treatment for pulp mills. Competes directly with Aquaflow for the same customer's wastewater treatment scope on new mill buildouts and modernization projects.
• Ovivo: Canadian industrial water and wastewater treatment solutions provider serving pulp and paper among other process industries, with biological, filtration, and membrane-based systems that overlap Aquaflow's effluent and sludge treatment portfolio for industrial customers.
• Kemira: Finnish specialty chemicals company with a sizable Pulp & Paper water treatment chemicals franchise. While chemistry-led rather than equipment-led, it competes with Aquaflow for the same customer's water and effluent treatment spend at pulp and paper mills, particularly on tertiary treatment and process water chemistry.
• Voith: German industrial engineering group with extensive Pulp & Paper operations including environmental technology offerings. Comparable to Aquaflow in scale and customer overlap at the mill-level wastewater treatment layer of large pulp and paper capital projects.

Emerging players

• Gradiant: US-based industrial water and wastewater treatment specialist focused on complex wastewater, zero liquid discharge, and reuse for heavy industries. Represents a newer entrant in industrial effluent treatment that could intersect with Aquaflow's pulp and paper customer base as ZLD and water reuse mandates expand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VeoliaWaterTech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXGcz-181WN7rnTai-KpMiA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veolia-water-technologies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquaflow