Aquafortus and GS E&C Sign Collaboration Agreement to Advance Secondary Battery Wastewater Treatment in the Republic of Korea

HOUSTON and SEOUL, Republic of Korea, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquafortus, a global leader in advanced brine concentration technology, today announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with GS Engineering & Construction Corp. to develop and commercialize wastewater treatment solutions utilizing Aquafortus' proprietary ABX™ Technology for the secondary battery industrial wastewater sector in the Republic of Korea.

The agreement marks Aquafortus' formal entrance into the Korean market and establishes a strategic partnership with one of Asia's leading engineering and construction firms to address one of the region's most pressing industrial water challenges.

As production of secondary batteries accelerates globally, high volume wastewater streams from battery manufacturing facilities present increasing treatment complexity. These wastewaters often contain salinity levels reaching total dissolved solids concentrations as high as 150,000 mg/l and dissolved contaminants that challenge conventional membrane and thermal treatment systems. In water-constrained regions and highly regulated industrial zones, operators require cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies capable of concentrating brine while enabling water reuse.

Aquafortus' ABX™ system is a novel, non-thermal desalination and brine concentration platform designed to treat high-salinity industrial wastewater. Unlike conventional membrane systems that struggle at elevated total dissolved solids levels, ABX™ uses patented absorbent chemistry to selectively remove water from brine, concentrating salts up to and beyond saturation. The process enables recovery of clean water for beneficial reuse while minimizing overall energy consumption and operating cost.

Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on a pilot project in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea, designed to treat approximately 80 cubic meters per day of secondary battery industrial wastewater. The pilot will demonstrate the technical and economic performance of ABX™ technology in a real-world industrial environment and support future commercial deployment across Korea's rapidly expanding battery manufacturing sector.

This collaboration reflects GS E&C's continued commitment to advancing innovative environmental infrastructure solutions and Aquafortus' strategy to expand globally into high-growth industrial markets.

Hoshang Subawalla, Chief Executive Officer at Aquafortus, said, "We are proud to partner with GS E&C to introduce ABX technology to the Republic of Korea. The rapid growth of the secondary battery sector requires next-generation wastewater solutions that can operate efficiently at high salinity. Through this collaboration, we aim to demonstrate a scalable, energy-efficient pathway for industrial water reuse that supports both economic growth and environmental stewardship."

The collaboration positions Aquafortus as a differentiated solution provider for complex industrial wastewater streams and strengthens its international footprint in advanced brine concentration and water recovery technologies.

About Aquafortus

Aquafortus is a 2026 Global Cleantech 100 company delivering highly efficient brine concentration technology for the recovery of clean water and valuable minerals from hypersaline streams. Its proprietary ABX™ platform is a safe, simple, non-thermal, and non-membrane process that uses non-toxic, non-flammable absorbents and food-grade regenerants to repeatedly produce high-quality water for beneficial reuse. Serving oil and gas, mining, and power markets worldwide, Aquafortus' technology operates at salinities where conventional membranes fail and does so with the lowest energy footprint in its class, at costs up to 70 percent lower than leading desalination alternatives.

About GS Engineering & Construction

GS Engineering & Construction Corp. is a leading global engineering and construction company headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The company delivers large-scale infrastructure, energy, and environmental projects worldwide and is actively expanding its portfolio of advanced industrial and sustainability solutions.

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SOURCE Aquafortus