PFAS purification at Stena Recycling
At Stena Recycling in Halmstad, Helios Innovations operates Europe's only dedicated facility for treating heavily contaminated PFAS water, an innovation platform that transforms discarded fire extinguishing foam and extinguishing water into clean water.
Halmstad, Sweden
Discarded fire-fighting foam consists of over 97% water but contains extremely persistent PFAS chemicals that require special handling. Previously, entire water volumes were sent to high-temperature incineration at considerable cost with no local treatment alternative.
A dedicated PFAS treatment facility powered by waste heat that concentrates the contaminants so that only the concentrate needs to be destroyed while simultaneously functioning as an innovation center to optimize PFAS treatment technology.
1,500 m³
PFAS water treated per year
≤90%
waste volume reduction
5 m³/day
treatment capacity
2024
production start
What We Achieved
Reduced costs
Only the concentrate is sent to high-temperature incineration, which reduces treatment costs by approximately 30% compared to incinerating the entire water volume.
Reduced waste volumes
Up to 90% of the heavily contaminated PFAS water becomes clean water, which drastically reduces the volume that needs to be destroyed.
Central PFAS hub
Through the partnership with Stena Recycling, the facility functions as a hub where industrially heavily contaminated PFAS water from multiple actors in Sweden and the Nordic region can be collected and treated safely.
Scaling PFAS Treatment Across Europe
The partnership with Stena Recycling enables secure, local, and energy-efficient PFAS treatment while Helios continues to develop the technology in practical operation.
The facility demonstrates how PFAS-contaminated water can be handled safely, locally, and energy-efficiently — a model that can be replicated at industrial sites across Europe as PFAS regulations tighten.
Do you need help with heavily contaminated PFAS water?
Contact Johanna to discuss how Helios can treat your PFAS water streams safely and cost-effectively.