SINGAPORE – Danish firm Aquaporin and German company Berghof Membrane Technology GmbH have started the development of a tubular based forward osmosis (FO) technology.
Targeting industrial water treatment, the companies aim to use the “inherent low-fouling properties of the tubular membrane geometry” to develop Aquaporin Inside™ forward osmosis modules.
It was two years ago when Aquaporin Asia and Berghof Membranes initiated a research & development collaboration, administered by the Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB).
The three-year project, backed by S$2.5 million from the Singapore National Research Foundation, set the end goal to demonstrate the cost saving potential of the forward osmosis technology.
Globally, the forward osmosis membrane market has proven challenging commercially.
British firm Modern Water made steady progress in Oman’s municipal market with its FO technology, before reporting that revenues had dried up in its membrane division (read WWi story).
Meanwhile US company Oasys Water set out the goal to target tough to treat industrial waters with its FO offering, so far signing partnerships in China (read WWi story).
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