Hawthorne-based water oxygenation company Moleaer Inc. has opened a manufacturing plant in Spain and reached a partnership deal with a Spanish organic farming company.
The plant, located in Almeria, Spain, went online earlier this month and will produce machines that generate microscopic bubbles that, when injected into water, boost oxygen levels, which in turn can increase crop productivity.
Moleaer did not disclose the cost to build the plant or the number of microscopic bubble generators the plant will produce.
In conjunction with the plant opening, Moleaer announced an agreement with Almeria, Spain-based organic farming company Bio Sabor, also known as BS Nature, to help distribute Moleaer’s microscopic bubble generation machines to farmers in the region.
Nanobubbles
Moleaer (pronounced like the name of French playwright Moliere) uses microscopic gas bubbles, called nanobubbles, to boost levels of oxygen or other gases in water and other liquids. The nanobubbles, which are less than 0.04% the size of a grain of salt, stay in the liquid much longer than larger bubbles from traditional aeration devices. That allows more time for oxygen in the nanobubbles to disperse into the surrounding body of water or other liquid.
With higher oxygen levels, conditions in the water are less favorable to the creation of algae and other harmful compounds. And in situations where water is used to irrigate crops, nanobubbles allow more oxygen to penetrate into the crop roots, significantly boosting productivity.
The nanobubble technology was developed by two wastewater treatment industry veterans, Warren Russell and Bruce Scholten, who discovered a way to shear off bubbles early in their formation process to prevent them from becoming larger. In early 2017 the pair decided to form a company to commercialize the process. They were soon joined by early investor Nick Dyner, who became Moleaer’s chief executive.
Moleaer sought to apply its technology to wastewater treatment and farm irrigation opportunities throughout the U.S. and around the globe. Currently, Moleaer has deployed more than 2,500 nanobubble generator installations in more than 55 countries.
Odor removal
But Moleaer’s highest-profile application came in late 2021 and less than a half-mile from its headquarters. A foul stench – described as the smell of rotten eggs – began wafting from the Dominguez Channel, prompting health complaints from thousands of nearby residents and constant coverage from local news media.
Air quality and other officials traced the odor to excess levels of hydrogen sulfide gas in the channel, the result of decaying vegetation. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works began injecting an odor neutralizer into the channel and then called upon Moleaer to apply its technology to increase oxygen concentrations in the water.
Moleaer’s efforts – in combination with the odor neutralizer – worked: within three weeks the number of odor and health complaints dropped dramatically.
International push
More recently, Moleaer has focused on using its nanobubble technology to boost crop production in international markets. The technology is especially useful in areas that experience frequent droughts or high temperatures brought on by climate change: by boosting oxygen levels in the water, less water is required to spur crop growth. Also, there is less need for fertilizers, which can cause their own pollution problems.
Increasingly hot summers in southern Spain make the region a prime target for Moleaer’s nanobubble generators.
“Almería holds a vital position in Spain’s and Europe’s food-production landscape,” chief executive Dyner said in the plant opening announcement. “Through our collaboration with BS Nature and the establishment of our own assembly and service facility in Spain, Moleaer is poised to expand access to nanobubble technology directly to our customers. We are excited about the rapid nanobubble technology adoption in Spain and its surrounding regions.”
