Korea Water Resources Corporation and Ecolab to Pursue Joint Research and Demonstration for Advanced Industry Water Management

[Financial News] Korea Water Resources Corporation and global water treatment company Ecolab will establish a long-term partnership to secure water supplies for advanced industries such as semiconductors and data centers. The two sides plan to gradually pursue joint research and demonstration projects on diversifying water sources through reused water, high-purity water treatment, and technologies to save water and energy.
K-water said on the 28th that President Yoon met with Christoph Beck, chairman and CEO of Ecolab, at the Han River Basin Headquarters in Gwacheon on the 27th to discuss ways to cooperate on water management for advanced industries.
The two organizations agreed that, in response to climate-driven instability in water supply and rising demand from advanced industries, there is a need to diversify supply systems that have traditionally centered on dams and rivers. They also reviewed ways to secure both water quantity and quality through a "water mix" that combines multiple sources, including reused water, and through customized high-purity water treatment for each industry.
Their cooperation will also cover international and domestic collaboration in advanced industry water management, carbon reduction through lower water and energy use, and joint research and field demonstrations to secure high-tech water treatment technologies. Working-level teams will communicate regularly and develop specific projects first in areas where feasibility has been confirmed.
Beck also toured K-water's AI-based water management systems, including the digital twin water management platform and the AI water treatment plant, at the Integrated Water Management Situation Room in the Han River Basin Headquarters. The system uses real-time data to manage flood risks and monitor the supply status of key water resources.
K-water has been carrying out a state-funded project to localize the technology for ultrapure water used in semiconductor manufacturing. It is also advancing Water Positive projects with global companies, returning more water to nature than it uses.
Ecolab, founded in the United States in 1923, is a water treatment solutions company that operates process water treatment, cooling tower management, and water circulation and reuse businesses at advanced industry sites such as semiconductor plants and data centers. Beck also serves as co-chair of the UN Water Resilience Coalition, which brings together global companies.
Yoon said, "This meeting is a starting point for the two leading water companies of South Korea and the United States to meet, understand each other's vision and capabilities, and open the door to cooperation." He added, "We will combine the capabilities of the public and private sectors to support stable water supplies for future strategic industries and help drive innovation in the global water market together."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter