LG Chem wins new orders to supply water filtration systems for eight desalination projects

Korean chemical company LG Chem has secured new orders for delivering water purification filters for eight seawater desalination projects spread across Egypt, Israel, Spain, Malta and Mexico.

The firm will be supplying 17,000 reverse osmosis (RO) filters under the new orders which have a combined value of $8m, reports The Korea Herald.

The RO filters will be manufactured at LG Chem’s facility in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, by the end of 2016.

Once installed and operational, the filters will have the daily capacity to purify 200,000 tons of seawater through the use of semipermeable membranes ensuring removal of the larger particles.

The project will be able to benefit around 150,000 households.

The deals support the firm’s diversification initiatives for which it had taken over US-based clean water start-up NanoH2O in April last year.

The new entity LG NanoH2O was incorporated under LG Water Solutions business unit to serve the water treatment market in August 2015, following which it started production in September.

LG Chem vice chairman and CEO Park Jin-soo was quoted by The Korea Times as saying: "The latest deals have proven our technological expertise in the RO filter industry and stable supply capacity."

The company intends to invest in the research and development sector to become a global leader for water treatment.

LG Chem public relations head C.S. Song said: "The latest deal will pave the way for LG Chem to increase the company’s footstep in other countries. LG aims for 10% of the global RO filter market share by 2020."

The firm aims to expand its worldwide reach by forming partnerships with 17 countries including United Arab Emirates, Spain and Singapore.