Sprintex Ltd (ASX:SIX) has shipped its first fully integrated, in-house-engineered programmable logic controller (PLC) systems to Mest Water’s facility in the Netherlands, with two company engineers now on site to commission five ZLD-UP zero-liquid-discharge units. The commissioning program is the final validation step before the partners move to serial production and multi-unit orders.
Developed, engineered and assembled by Sprintex, the PLC platform functions as the control centre for Mest Water’s ZLD-UP solution, coordinating Sprintex’s high-speed mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) blowers alongside system sensors and process logic. Successful commissioning would mark Sprintex’s shift from supplying components to serving as a full-system technology partner on the program.
Once commissioning is completed, Sprintex and Mest Water plan to transition to full-scale production ahead of a broader commercial rollout. The market opportunity is expected to be supported by Europe’s recently legislated nitrogen and ammonia-reduction (RENURE) measures, which aim to reduce nutrient emissions and encourage circular-economy approaches in wastewater and agricultural effluent treatment. Management expects these policies to improve the economics of ZLD-UP deployments and accelerate adoption.
Sprintex anticipates near-term revenue from production orders and ongoing system support as the rollout progresses. The company has also flagged a potential maiden order valued at €9.3 million (A$16.6 million).
“The PLC system, which has been developed by Sprintex for the last 12 months, acts as the command centre which brings the Mest Water process to life,” managing director Jay Upton said. “By delivering and commencing commissioning of these systems, the company is demonstrating that the entire ZLD-UP solution is now fully integrated and approaching commercial readiness. We look forward to providing updates on completion of commissioning in the coming weeks, which will provide a basis for full-scale orders in the near to medium term.”
PLC engineer operating the Mest Water control system, full-scale MW installation and control box components; close-up views of the integrated zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) system in operation.
Technical and strategic significance
This milestone caps a year-long engineering collaboration between Sprintex and strategic partner Mest Water. The new control systems and cabinets integrate Sprintex’s high-speed Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) blowers with a proprietary PLC and an Internet-of-Things (IoT) control architecture, delivering a turnkey module for fully autonomous operation. The system also fully integrates the Mest Water and Sprintex control layers.
Each controller manages multiple MVR compressors, sensors and evaporator units within Mest Water’s ZLD-UP® manure-to-water process, maintaining stable performance, precise automation and remote diagnostics. Where two separate systems previously governed Mest and Sprintex components, the new platform oversees the entire flowsheet — heat pumps, heating elements, mixers, evaporators, separators and pumps — alongside Sprintex’s custom compressors.
Autonomy is supported by compensation algorithms that adjust for manure density and environmental changes, with integrated metering of manure and condensate. Multi-level remote access via IoT enables environmental compliance monitoring, reliability and maintenance tracking, remote user control and over-the-air updates.
Delivery of these systems completes Sprintex’s system-level integration scope and positions Mest Water’s 31,500-square-metre production facility to begin factory-scale rollout.
Commercial implications and transition to significant revenue generation
The delivery and pending commissioning of the initial units supports Sprintex’s push into major European revenue streams, including a potential maiden order from Mest Water valued at €9.3 million (A$16.6 million).
Mest Water is scaling its facility ahead of manufacturing up to 1,000 ZLD-UP systems per year. This expansion is supported by Dutch and broader EU environmental programs targeting ammonia reduction and nutrient recycling under the recently approved RENURE (Recovered Nitrogen from Manure) framework.
As announced in September 2025, forthcoming EU and Netherlands regulatory changes allow nitrogen and ammonia recovered from manure — along with co-recovered phosphates and potassium — to be used in agricultural fertilisers. This replaces significant volumes of imported synthetic fertilisers such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium phosphate, historically sourced from Eastern Europe at higher purchase and transport costs.
These regulatory shifts are expected to strengthen the value proposition of Mest’s ZLD-UP system by eliminating manure removal costs and materially reducing fertiliser production and transport costs.
Sprintex’s integrated compressor and control package is the core operating platform for every ZLD-UP unit, creating both equipment supply and long-term service income opportunities. Commissioning of the first five systems is the final step before initial production orders, positioning Sprintex for recurring sales and consistent aftermarket revenue.
What’s next?
Next steps are in motion, with commissioning and validation slated for the coming weeks. Subject to successful acceptance testing, Sprintex anticipates an initial production order, while in parallel it is advancing discussions towards a multi-year European supply framework encompassing blowers, control systems, and service packages.