Aqua Membranes recently secured additional funding through a new investment round involving Kurita Water Industries Ltd, a Japanese company specialising in water treatment equipment, and Clean Energy Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting early-stage climate technology innovations.
The investments will enable Aqua Membranes to tackle a range of issues encountered by reverse osmosis (RO) membrane facilities in various industrial sectors. This funding will expedite the development and production of 3D printed spacer technology, with the goal of minimising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Clean Energy Ventures initiated its investment in Aqua Membranes in 2020.As reported by Filtration+Separation, through ongoing research and development efforts, Aqua Membranes has uncovered an additional advantage of their Printed Spacer Technology: enhanced resistance to fouling. This innovation translates to reduced requirements for membrane cleaning and replacement, thereby lowering both capital and operational costs.
Aqua Membranes specialises in the production of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane elements featuring printed spacer technology, which is poised to revolutionise the performance of RO systems with the simple replacement of membrane elements.
By incorporating printed spacers, Aqua Membranes’ products enhance system efficiency, prolong the lifespan of membrane elements, and reduce energy consumption through an innovative spacer design. Aqua Membranes currently offers two brackish water RO models optimized to address critical challenges in industrial settings, water reuse applications, and the production of ultrapure makeup water (UPW).
“Kurita Group is happy about the opportunity to further strengthen its collaboration with Aqua Membranes through this investment,” said Nobuyoshi Takiguchi, VP, Strategy and Innovation, Kurita America Holdings Inc. Takiguchi added, “We have high expectations that their technology will bring about significant innovation in power reduction, which has been a bottleneck in RO treatment. The partnership between Kurita Group and Aqua Membranes lays a solid foundation for leading innovations in critical areas of water treatment”.
