The BBG and the IÖB service centre, together with the customer “Print and Mint Services GmbH”, were delighted to receive the “Public Procurement of Innovation Award 2015” from the European Commission in Paris. Thanks to a multi-levels negotiation, BBG succeeded in obtaining an innovative and eco-friendly waste water treatment plant for the “Austrian Mint”.

As a technology supplier, the SCHELL Group played a key role in this success.

BBG and Print and Mint Services GmbH

The European Commission and the Procurement of Innovation Platform hands out the Public Procurement of Innovation Award every year to honour the most successful and innovative procurement. This year, the BBG came out on top against 20 submissions from across Europe, thus reinforcing its pioneering role in innovation-promoting public procurement:

In cooperation with the Print and Mint Services GmbH and the ZT Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Kiril Atanasoff-Kardjalieff, the BBG successfully implemented a public tender for the procurement of a resource-friendly and sustainable waste water treatment plant for Austrian Mint AG. In order to find an environmentally-friendly and economically optimum solution, a multi-stage negotiation procedure was carried out.

Through a description of the demanded performance, functionality and essential requirements, and thanks to an economic evaluation based on the Total Cost of Ownership, a treatment process has been built to re-use almost the total amount of the metals-contaminated water during the production of coins and medals. Thanks to this process, it has been possible to reduce the consumption of clean fresh water taken from the Viennese supply system by around 97%.

The tendering process was divided into the following phases:

1. Analysis of the current conditions, carrying out of comprehensive market research including alternative studies for the assessment of different technical possibilities
2. Invitations to potential suppliers to participate in the process and selection of the most suitable companies based on references, know-how and competence.
3. First offer presentations by suppliers, including Life Cycle Cost evaluation estimates (LCC)
4. Execution of practical tests as well as results analysis and explanations
5. Based on these results, the suppliers were able to submit their final offer, which was then assessed according to the established best offer criteria.

A consortium of companies, Schell GmbH und Co KG and Ginzler Stahl- & Anlagenbau GmbH, won the tender and got the contract.  The main advantages of the new waste water system are:

• the saving of about 4000 m³ of clean drinking water per year,
• a reduction of the waste water by as much as 97%
• the lowest possible long-term total costs (including the energy, operating materials and working hours of the operating staff required)
• as well as the reduction of the residual waste and thus easy recycle and reusable process

The waste water treatment plant for the Austrian Mint AG was specially designed for the intended application and adapted and refined in the course of the process to the specific requirements. For the use of evaporation technology (Schell ECOPRIMA vacuum evaporators), there are various possibilities ranging from chemical products such as paints and lacquers to the treatment of nuclear contaminated water.

More information on the article

• Also on the PPI Platform, you will find a report on the Awards ceremony in Paris
• Plus an article on the ERA Portal Austria