West goes east with $750,000 sewage contract

By ELLEN READ

West Auckland environmental engineering company Contra-Shear has broken into the Chinese sewage treatment market with its wastewater fine-screening equipment.

The company has won its first Chinese contract - to supply four patented "Suboscreen" rotary wastewater screening units for the Nan Shan treatment plant in the southern city of Shenzen.

Regional sales manager John Phillips hopes the contract, worth $750,000, will be the first of many for the company in China.

Contra-Shear general manager Keith Sargent said China was a difficult market to enter.

"One of the things that helped create the opportunity for us is the increased emphasis by China's central Government on controlling pollution and the desire of the local government to adopt the latest technology in wastewater treatment."

Contra-Shear's fine-screening equipment is installed in more than 40 countries, in municipal wastewater and drinking water projects and a variety of food industry and industrial applications where fine solids are separated from fluids.

The Nan Shan plant is due to be commissioned in February and Contra-Shear's contribution - the four rotating drums 1.75m in diameter and length - will be en route by November.

Contra-Shear is a subsidiary of the Texas-based oilfield services company Weatherford International.