GREENCHEM

The Green Chemicals in Water Treatment (GREENCHEM) project explores whether FerSol® can provide a more sustainable way to treat algae-impaired water in Taiwan. FerSol® is a patented, stable liquid form of Ferrate(VI), one of the strongest known oxidants and a green alternative to conventional water treatment chemicals (approximately 63% stronger than chlorine).

Following a successful feasibility study, the project has progressed to a pilot phase in which the technology is tested under local conditions. Through close collaboration between Dutch and Taiwanese partners, GREENCHEM aims to improve drinking water treatment during algal blooms, moving from assessing the technology’s potential to demonstrating its performance in practice.

Facts

• Project type Partners for Water Feasibility Study + follow-up Pilot Study
• Country Taiwan
• Partners Ferr-Tech (lead) · IHE Delft Institute for Water Education · Taiwan Water Corporation · National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University · Chung Yuan Christian University · Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science · Stantec
• Themes Drinking water · Water treatment · Algae mitigation · Green chemicals / advanced oxidation
• Duration Feasibility completed; pilot phase ongoing
• SDGs SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)
• Support Partners for Water programme of the Dutch government, implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

Addressing algae in drinking water

Algal blooms pose a challenge to drinking water treatment because processes must simultaneously address algae, algal toxins, organic compounds, and taste and odour compounds while continuing to provide safe drinking water. Conventional approaches have relied on pre-chlorination and enhanced coagulation (e.g. with chlorine and PACl), leading to high chemical consumption, operational complexity, and the formation of harmful by-products. There is growing pressure to reduce environmental impact and move towards greener treatment solutions.

GREENCHEM investigates whether FerSol® can offer a more sustainable alternative. As a green chemical, FerSol® combines powerful oxidation with coagulation in a single step, helps mitigate algae and algal toxins, treats organic contamination, and leaves no harmful residues, while supporting lower chemical use and reduced environmental impact.

First step: establishing feasibility

The first phase of GREENCHEM focused on understanding local algae-related treatment challenges in Taiwan and assessing the potential of FerSol® under those conditions.

The consortium investigated the technology’s potential benefits and limitations and explored its ability – through strong oxidation and coagulation – to mitigate algae and algal toxins in water intended for drinking water production. The study also considered how the green oxidant could be incorporated into existing treatment processes.

Rather than demonstrating full-scale performance, the aim was to determine whether there was sufficient technical and practical potential to proceed to pilot-scale testing. The feasibility study resulted in a roadmap for pilot implementation.

From feasibility to pilot

The positive outcome of the feasibility study led directly to a second Partners for Water-supported phase: a pilot study testing FerSol® for algae-impaired water treatment in Taiwan.

The pilot moves GREENCHEM from assessing feasibility towards demonstrating how this green oxidant performs under local operating conditions. It focuses on FerSol® as a sustainable chemical alternative that delivers oxidation and coagulation benefits for treating algae-impaired water, supporting safer and more environmentally responsible drinking water production.

This progression from feasibility study to pilot is an important step in establishing whether FerSol® can ultimately provide a practical alternative to conventional treatment methods.

Testing under real-world conditions

The pilot is conducted at the Luzhu Water Treatment Plant in Taiwan, a key facility supplying drinking water for both urban and industrial users. The plant experiences frequent algal bloom disruptions, strong fluctuations in raw water quality, and continuous operational challenges.

During the pilot phase, which runs until the end of 2027, FerSol® is being tested to gain a better understanding of its performance. The project examines its potential – as a powerful green oxidant – to mitigate algae and algal toxins, treat organic contamination, and maintain reliable drinking water treatment under changing local and seasonal conditions, while exploring requirements for future larger-scale implementation.

The team

The GREENCHEM consortium brings together the expertise of seven organisations from the Netherlands and Taiwan:

• Ferr-Tech (lead partner): Provides the FerSol® technology (stable liquid Ferrate(VI)), technical expertise on the green oxidant’s application, and overall project leadership.
• IHE Delft Institute for Water Education: Contributes academic and research expertise in water treatment processes, scientific assessment, and international knowledge exchange.
• Taiwan Water Corporation: Local water utility; supplies operational knowledge, site access at the Luzhu plant, and real-world conditions for testing and implementation.
• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chung Yuan Christian University, and Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science: Local academic partners providing research capacity, algae and toxin analysis expertise, and scientific validation under Taiwanese conditions.
• Stantec: Engineering and consultancy support, drawing on extensive experience with water infrastructure in Taiwan, to assist with pilot design, process integration, and scaling considerations.

Results and progress

The first major result of GREENCHEM is the progression from feasibility assessment to practical pilot testing. The initial study established sufficient potential for FerSol® – as a green oxidant combining oxidation and coagulation – to warrant a second phase in which the technology can be tested under local conditions.

The pilot is intended to provide the technical validation and operational knowledge needed to determine whether FerSol® can be applied more widely in algae-impaired drinking water treatment. Expected outcomes include technical validation of the technology, practical operational guidelines, and insight into scaling in Taiwan and similar contexts. Objectives include stable and reliable drinking water production, improved water quality, reduced chemical use, and lower environmental impact.

Looking ahead

The pilot represents the next step towards establishing whether FerSol® can become a practical and scalable treatment option for algae-impaired water.

If the technology performs successfully under local conditions, the findings can help determine what is required for further implementation and scaling in Taiwan and potentially in other regions facing similar algae-related drinking water challenges. By combining the oxidative power and green profile of FerSol® with local operational expertise, GREENCHEM advances more sustainable drinking water systems.

Why it matters

Safe drinking water production needs to be combined with efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of water treatment. Conventional treatment of algae-impaired water can require significant chemical intervention (including chlorination), creating a need for alternatives that are both effective and more sustainable.

FerSol® addresses this by offering a powerful green oxidant (Ferrate(VI) in stable liquid form) that combines oxidation and coagulation, helps control algae and toxins, and supports lower chemical and environmental impact. GREENCHEM addresses the challenge in stages: first by establishing whether this innovative green chemical is technically and practically feasible, and then by testing it under local conditions. Bringing the two phases together demonstrates how early-stage research can develop into practical application.

Innovation in Progress series

GREENCHEM features in Partners for Water’s ongoing Innovation in Progress series. Throughout this series, Partners for Water closely follows a selection of projects that have received a Partners for Water subsidy, from start to finish. Over the coming years, these projects will take you with them on their journey of testing the feasibility or application of innovative solutions to enhance water security abroad – including their processes, collaborations with local partners, potential solutions, and the struggles, challenges and lessons learned along the way.