Protecting the world’s waters with proven scientific ingenuity and deep tech solutions: BlueGreen Water Technologies

BlueGreen Water Technologies was started with a noble intention: to ensure the safety of water. The company’s core idea was to shatter the glass ceiling that previously hindered its progress in combating toxic algal blooms. These blooms pose a global threat by contaminating water bodies and depleting precious water resources, a particularly severe issue in underprivileged communities. BlueGreen Water Technologies’ inception was driven by the goal of creating a scalable and affordable solution, capable of being deployed worldwide without constraints on size. The company’s main mission is to effectively address the persistent problem of toxic algal blooms. Initially, BlueGreen Water Technologies developed a pioneering product line capable of triggering a rapid and controlled biological reaction within toxic aquatic communities. This reaction leads to the rapid self-destruction of these harmful communities, creating an opportunity for non-toxic species to thrive. BlueGreen Water Technologies supplemented this process with advanced analytical tools, enabling it to closely monitor water conditions globally.

By deploying satellite and drone-based remote sensing, BlueGreen Water Technologies can accurately assess the biological state of water bodies during treatments. This dual approach allows the company to effectively combat toxic algal blooms of any scale or shape. The company’s products, approved by US EPA and NFS 60, also facilitated the commercialization of algal remediation services on a global scale. A significant breakthrough for BlueGreen Water Technologies came when the team realized that their treatment not only collapses algal blooms but also captures substantial amounts of carbon. By quantifying biomass in water, BlueGreen Water Technologies can measure the carbon removal impact of its treatment. This realization enabled the company to sell carbon offsets to businesses seeking to mitigate their carbon footprint. Consequently, BlueGreen Water Technologies can now offer its algal remediation services to underprivileged communities, funded by the sale of carbon credits, thus providing clean water where it is most needed.

In conversation with Adv. Eyal Harel, CEO and Board Member of BlueGreen Water Technologies

Q. What are the challenges that you had to face while developing your solutions and how did you overcome them?

What we are doing is quite a breakthrough. Up until now, algal blooms were treated like hurricanes—something that you knew existed and that you were afraid of when it was coming. There was nothing you could do about it but pray and deal with the consequences. This is how algal blooms were treated worldwide. Advisories were issued, if issued at all, and people had to deal with the health, economic, and environmental consequences with nothing they could do. Challenges emerge when introducing a new technology or solution into an untapped and vast market like algal bloom remediation, especially within the complex biological realm of water. The first challenge is skepticism, and the second is a lack of information, as very few people globally truly understand water dynamics and how to address water-related issues. Our main challenge was market education—making decision makers realize that algal blooms aren't an inevitable burden; they can be tackled.

We've proven this through numerous successful applications worldwide. Operating commercially since 2018 in Israel, China, South Africa, and the United States, we've shown that not only can we treat blooms, but we can even prevent them. Our approach has also led to the restoration of entire aquatic ecosystems by reviving biodiversity after toxic populations are removed.

Q. How has the pandemic affected your business? Tell us about your recovery.

Like all other companies, our situation during COVID-19 wasn't ideal. Fortunately, thanks to our analytical capabilities and the ability to remotely monitor algal blooms worldwide, we managed to expand our operations globally. Even at the height of the pandemic, we continued water remediation projects through remote means. This included one of our largest projects to date situated approximately 100 kilometers from Wuhan, the epicenter of COVID-19, in China. We facilitated this by providing essential information to local teams, resulting in a highly successful cleanup operation in Yueyang city.

While we, like every other company, were affected by the pandemic's overall impact, the water issue persisted and, in some cases, worsened. People around the world require a basic standard of water quality for survival. Thus, the demand for our services remained constant throughout the pandemic. Despite the challenges, we've witnessed continuous growth during these times.

Q. What do you feel is the future of BlueGreen Water Technologies in the near term as well as the longer term?

In the near term, we are intensively active in multiple locations worldwide, introducing our solutions to enhance water quality. Though we are currently taking preliminary steps in this area, our growth is rapid. We are implementing projects on an unprecedented scale, especially in the United States, and aim to maintain this momentum.

Looking further ahead, we are beginning to develop our carbon business which is vital for the path ahead. When considering the potential for carbon removal associated with algal bloom remediation, the global opportunity for carbon offsets is estimated at around 100 to 115 gigatons, or equivalent to 115 billion tons of CO₂ that can be removed in freshwater bodies and in the oceans. As we tap into this potential and address significant algal blooms worldwide, we look beyond the direct environmental benefits of remediation. I see BlueGreen evolving into a major contributor to carbon removal. This would assist humanity in achieving its net zero and potentially even net negative ambitions.

Q. Do you have any new services ready to be launched?

The cornerstone of our new service revolves around carbon removal. After successfully registering our initial carbon removal methodology with the Social Carbon^® Foundation in March, we're poised to initiate our inaugural carbon removal project. Our aim is to conduct multiple projects, eliminating approximately 250,000 tons of carbon in the upcoming 12 months. Subsequently, we're committed to achieving one million tons of carbon removal in the subsequent 12 months.

Meet the leader behind the success of BlueGreen Water Technologies

Adv. Eyal Harel, CEO and Board Member of BlueGreen Water Technologies is a visionary entrepreneur and environmental innovator dedicated to revolutionizing water quality and sustainability. With a background in cutting-edge technologies, Eyal co-founded BlueGreen Water Technologies with a mission to combat toxic algal blooms on a global scale. His leadership drives the development of groundbreaking solutions that restore ecosystems and ensure safe water sources for communities worldwide. Eyal's pioneering spirit also extends to carbon removal, as he spearheads efforts to leverage BlueGreen's expertise for impactful carbon offset initiatives. With an unwavering commitment to a cleaner and healthier future, Eyal is propelling positive change and redefining the boundaries of environmental solutions.

“Our treatments rehabilitate vast tracts of water within days, restoring environmental balance and biodiversity – improving health and economies, and impacting the lives of millions of people around the world.”