LG Chem announced on March 21 that it will supply over 18,000 Reverse Osmosis Membranes (RO Membranes) to the Jorf Lasfar Industrial Park, operated by Morocco's state-owned mineral and fertilizer company, OCP Group.
Situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, Jorf Lasfar stands as the world's largest fertilizer production complex, yielding 4 million tons of phosphate and over 10 million tons of fertilizer annually.
LG Chem plans to deliver the RO membranes to Jorf Lasfar in phases by May. The 18,000 RO membranes will desalinate 90 million tons of seawater per year (24.6 million tons per day), providing water for roughly 1.9 million people in the Moroccan region. The demand for replacement is expected to propel the supply of desalination plants to at least 26,000 in the future.
While LG Chem's RO membranes have been employed in some desalination facilities operated by OCP previously, this marks the first large-scale supply contract. The Jorf Lasfar Industrial Park, characterized by a hot, arid climate and freshwater scarcity, will utilize the Jorf Wave 2 desalination project to furnish industrial water for fertilizer production and potable water for 1.5 million people in the neighboring Safi and El Jadida regions.
LG Chem's RO Membrane employs Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) technology to coat nanoparticles on the membrane's surface, yielding over 20 percent more water than alternative products while sustaining salt removal rates. Moreover, it is anticipated to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by conserving energy, as it operates without high pressure.
Currently, LG Chem desalinates 5.1 million tons of water globally each day, totaling 1.86 billion tons annually. This quantity, based on the world's average per capita water consumption (110 liters per day), is sufficient for over 46 million people. The United Nations (UN) forecasts that by 2025, 14% of the world's population will depend on desalinated water for their daily requirements.
