Industrial waters cleaned in one go – Weeefiner and Sofi Filtration develop a revolutionary method for export markets

Finnish companies Weeefiner and Sofi Filtration are building technology that comprehensively cleans industrial water by removing both solid and soluble impurities at once.

“The goal of our collaboration is to provide a comprehensive solution that handles both dissolved and solid substances and thus promotes sustainability and efficiency in industry,” says the CEO of Weeefiner Oy. Mikko Hanninen.

Recovering metals for reuse

Sofi Filtration, which was started in 2011 and is based on research at Aalto University, has patented a clarity filter that captures very small particles with a diameter of less than ten micrometers.

After the filtration process, the water is treated with Weeefiner's 4D Trap technology.

The customizable technology, originally developed at the University of Jyväskylä, is capable of not only separating metals dissolved in water but also recovering them for reuse.

Weeefiner's catcher treatment thus maximizes the value of dissolved raw materials while reducing the environmental burden caused by wastewater treatment.

Once the companies have completed their new method, they plan to pilot it in several locations in Europe and thereby identify the most promising applications for the technology.

The project, which started in September 2023, has received support from the EU-funded Water Expertise Growth and Internationalization program.

“Finns enter international markets through cooperation”

The duo believes that cooperation between different parties is key to exporting Finnish water expertise, especially when targeting large industrial customers.

Combining solutions into comprehensive offerings also helps smaller operators meet customer needs competitively.

“We feel that Finnish water technology suppliers should cooperate more closely to offer comprehensive solutions to the industry,” says Sofi Filtration Oy’s CEO. Riina Salmimies.

According to him, Finland has many top experts and extremely advanced technology that would be valued worldwide.

“However, large players are specifically looking for comprehensive solutions, not individual technologies.”

Innovations successful in the competitions

Founded in 2017, Weeefiner's catcher technology pilot operation began in 2020, and the first equipment delivery took place in the summer of 2022. The company has already implemented more than 50 recovery development projects for customers in various industries.

Sofi Filtration's self-cleaning Sofi Filter does not require chemicals to separate contaminants. It is used in power plants, mining and minerals industries, steel mills and metal refineries, and pulp and paper industries across Europe.

Both companies have recently won domestic innovation competitions in their fields, the Sofi Filtration Dinex Hackathon and the Weeefiner Humuspehtoori invention competition.

Text: Päivi Ikonen/ Kemiamedia.fi

Photo: Sanna Lindeman. Together we can raise Finnish water treatment expertise to a new level and promote sustainable growth, believe Riina Salmimies of Sofi Filtration and Mikko Hänninen of Weeefiner.

Photo: Sanna Lindeman. Here are some snacks. Weeefiner's sample reactor and a miniature model of Sofi Filtration's equipment.