G-Chem Aquacare and Odyssee improve water treatment in hospitals
Local industrial boiler water treatment specialist, G-Chem Aquacare, is partnering with global specialists Odyssee Environnement to improve water, energy and carbon efficiency within Free State hospitals.
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 tech- nology in day-to-day hospital environ- ments,” 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 pre- liminary 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 proj- ects. Hospitals represent a fully public, structured and accessible environment. In addition, Odyssee Environnement has strong operational experience within hos- pitals in France, making this sector both relevant and technically controlled for deploying advanced monitoring technolo- gies and chemical solutions,” he advises. Golding explains that the Free State healthcare environment also presents a diverse mix of infrastructure and opera- tional conditions. Initially, five hospitals were identified as potential participants. Detailed site inspections finally short- listed three, each representing a different operational scenario. At the primary site, Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, the full suite of monitoring and optimisation technologies will be installed across its
Local hospitals rely heavily on water- intensive systems, including cooling tow- ers, steam boilers and heating infrastruc- ture, which must be carefully managed. Without correct water treatment and monitoring, scale formation, corrosion and microbiological growth cause infra- structure 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 begin with a six-month baseline period using traditional water- treatment chemistry. From December, this will transition to Odyssee film-forming amine (FFA) technology. “FFA forms a protective molecular film
A groundbreaking initiative called the FASEP ODYAFRICA Project, supported by the French gov- ernment through the FASEP Programme (Fonds d'Études et d’Aide au Secteur Privé) and led by Odyssee Environnement, a French industrial wa- ter treatment company specialising in hydroethical, sustainable industrial water technology and chemistry solutions, is investing more than €500 000, approxi- mately R9.6-million, to improve water treatment in Free State hospitals. The project represents the first de- ployment of Odyssee Environnement’s monitoring technologies in South Africa, combining the company’s advanced water treatment solutions with strong local im- plementation partner G-Chem Aquacare, and institutional collaboration with the Free State public healthcare sector. Xavier Labeille, export director for Odyssee Environnement and Adrian Estcourt, technical boiler specialist for G-Chem Aquacare.
G-Chem Aquacare and Odyssee project team members on a Free State hospital site during the pre- selection visit in 2025.
26 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2026
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