G-Chem Aquacare and Odyssee EnvironnementA Water Treatment ‘Odyssee’Apr 17, 2026 | Press Releases Water treatmentG-Chem Aquacare partners wi...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
A Water Treatment ‘Odyssee’
Apr 17, 2026 | Press Releases Water treatment
G-Chem Aquacare partners with Odyssee Environnement to improve water treatment in Free State hospitals.
Local industrial water treatment specialist G-Chem Aquacare is partnering with global specialists to improve water, energy and carbon efficiency within Free State hospitals.
Known as the FASEP ODYAFRICA project, this groundbreaking initiative is supported by the French government through the FASEP (Fonds d’Études et d’Aide au Secteur Privé) programme, investing more than €500,000 (approximately R9.6-million) and led by Odyssee Environnement, a French industrial water treatment company specialising in hydroethical, sustainable industrial water technology and chemistry solutions.
The project represents the first deployment of Odyssee Environnement’s monitoring technologies in South Africa, combining the company’s advanced water treatment solutions with strong local implementation partner G-Chem Aquacare, and institutional collaboration with the Free State public healthcare sector.
Local hospitals rely heavily on water-intensive systems including cooling towers, steam boilers and heating infrastructure, which must be carefully managed. Without correct water treatment and monitoring, scale formation, corrosion and microbiological growth cause infrastructure failure: compromising hygiene, energy efficiency, water consumption, budgets and safety.
According to G-Chem Aquacare’s CEO Shaun Golding, South African hospitals traditionally use manual monitoring and water treatment: “The Odyssee project is data-driven and automated. Specialised monitoring equipment, sensors and smart metering will track key metrics such as water consumption, steam production and system performance in real-time,” Golding explains, adding that flow meters and other instrumentation feed data into a remote monitoring platform, allowing stakeholders to identify inefficiencies and optimise system operation.
After installation and commissioning, the project will kick off with a six-month baseline period using traditional water treatment chemistry. From December, this will transition to Odyssee film-forming amine (FFA) technology.
“This forms a protective molecular film on internal system surfaces, improving heat transfer efficiency while significantly reducing corrosion, scaling and energy losses. During the remaining 18 months, the project team will demonstrate the benefits of the French film-forming technology in a day-to-day hospital environment,” Golding advises.
A partnership built on technical expertise
G-Chem Aquacare’s relationship with Odyssee Environnement dates back to 2018.
“From the very beginning, they demonstrated strong technical expertise, a high level of operational discipline, and a clear alignment with our hydroethical approach to water treatment. Together with their local knowledge and reliability, this made G-Chem Aquacare an obvious choice for this project,” explains Xavier Labeille, Export Director of Odyssee Environnement.
Early groundwork for the current project began in 2023 – 2024, with a preliminary site survey at various Free State hospitals. A formal joint site visit by both the French and South African project teams followed in September 2025.
The choice of the healthcare sector was driven by Labeille: “This decision aligns with the FASEP programme requirements, which are dedicated to public sector projects. Hospitals represent a fully public, structured and accessible environment. In addition, Odyssee Environnement has strong operational experience within hospitals in France, making this sector both relevant and technically controlled for deploying advanced monitoring technologies and chemical solutions,” he advises.
Golding explains that the Free State healthcare environment also presents a diverse mix of infrastructure and operational conditions. Initially, five hospitals were identified as potential participants. Detailed site inspections finally shortlisted three – each representing a different operational scenario.
SOURCE: https://infrastructurenews.co.za/2026/04/17/a-water-treatment-odyssee/
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- Industrial Water Treatment
- Water Treatment Solutions
- Water Treatment Systems
- water treatment
- water treatment operator
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