OREANDA-NEWS. The Memorandum defines the subject, main objectives, principles and the content of the cooperation. Its subject is development and extension of bilateral relations between the parties by sharing information, experience, technical know-how in the field of water and wastewater.

As well as Vodokanal of St. Petersburg, Vand Center Syd (VCS Denmark) provides water supply and wastewater disposal services being the third largest company in this field in Denmark and embodies more than 150 years of experience (Reminder: On October 10, SUE Vodokanal of St. Petersburg will celebrate its 155 anniversary). Two companies have been cooperating during the last five years. VCS took part in the seminars organized by SUE Vodokanal of St. Petersburg and Lahti Region Development LADEC Ltd. Within the framework of the International Advanced Water Technologies Centre activities of Vodokanal, the company held a three-day seminar “Advanced methods and technologies in wastewater treatment”.

The Workshop covering water supply and wastewater disposal issues had taken place at the territory of the Information and Training Center of Vodokanal before the Memorandum was signed. The representatives of Danish companies (J. Hvidtved Larsen, Aarsleff, GRUNDFOS, DANFOSS, Cowi, Siemens A/S - Aeration Competence Center) as well as specialists from St. Petersburg and Leningrad oblast participated in the above mentioned workshop.

The cooperation of St. Petersburg Vodokanal and Danish colleagues has he long and successful history. In the end of the 90s of the last century, Danish specialists together with other foreign consultants were involved into working on a new development strategy for Vodokanal focused on the modern European standards for services and quality of drinking water supply and wastewater treatment. Moreover, new trenchless technologies specialists from Denmark supported Vodokanal in the rehabilitation of wastewater pipelines in the yards of Nevsky Prospect.

In 2003, the Russian-Danish environmental project in water and wastewater was finished. The Danish bank provided Vodokanal with a soft loan in the amount of EURO 5.9 Mio., which was used for procurement of new equipment and maintenacne of sewerage networks. Cooperation was established with many Danish companies - J. Hvidtved Larsen A/S, UPONOR, Кruger, SKASKA, Per Aarsleff, GRUNDFOS, DANFOSS.

In November 2008, Prince Joachim of Danmark and his wife Princess Marie visited SUE ”Vodokanal of St. Petersburg”. The Russian-Danish meeting was dedicated to the issues of water and energy saving under the environmental project ”One ton less”. This project has been inmplementint in Denmark for several years. It is aimed at informing the public about the adverse impact of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and the need to reduce these emissions. The Youth Environmental Centre of Vodoakanal is the coordinator of this project in St. Petersburg. Within the framework of the Danish Prince's visit Vodokanal hosted the Russian-Danish conference on water, heat and energy supply and saving, where the latest achivements in water and power saving in the Danish industiral and domestic sectors were demonstrated.

In May 2011, as part of the visit of the Danish delegation headed by the Minister of Environment Karen Ellemann, the official ceremony of transfer of the hundredth vehicle fitted with J. Hvidtved Larsen A/S hydrodynamic units took place. These green vehicles are well-known in St. Petersburg - one can often see them in the streets of the city. Hydrodynamic vehicles on Scania and Mersedes-Benz chassis help Vodokanl maintain sewerage networks in good condition. They are designed to deal with waterpipes of different diameters. During the visit of the Minister of Environment of Danmark and representatives of the Danish business society environmetnal issues of mutual interest and the opportunity for Danish companies to contribute to the futher cooperation between Russia and Danish water companies were discussed to improve energry efficiency of Danish companies and facilitate improvement of the evnironment situation in St. Petersburg.

In September 2011, during the official visit of Queen Margarete II of Danmark to St. Petersburg, Vodokanal and Danish consortium represented by Danish Water Services, signed the framework agreement of pumping station modernizaiton.

In 2012, Crown Princess Mary of Danmark visited the Youth Environmental Centre and the Universe of Water Museum .