Dive Brief:

• A new hose developed for waste-to-energy plants could drastically lower maintenance costs. The APEX35 hose pump, a device created by the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group at EEW Saarbrucken GmbH, can run without clogging for longer than other existing pumps, Environmental Leader magazine reported.
• In a recent trial run at a waste-heat power plant in Pirmasens, Germany, the APEX35 pump needed no maintenance for the for the first six months of the trial.
• Since a replacement stator for the progressive cavity pumps costs $1,686, the return on investment time for the new pump is very short, the company says.

Dive Insight:

The new APEX35 hose pump appears to offer several advantages to previous models. In addition to having fewer parts which to replace and less maintenance required, the pump has a quick payback period on investing in it.