PHILOS Selected as RO Membrane-Module Supplier for K-water’s Daesan Industrial Water Center

Companies in the spotlight ● Pillos Co., Ltd

Kim Jeong-hak, CEO of Pillos Co., Ltd

This significant event marks the company’s fourth contract award this year. PHILOS will supply reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane modules to the Daesan Industrial Water Center, which treats 120,000 m³ of water per day. For the first time, a direct evaluation including rejection-rate measurements was conducted to determine which RO membrane modules should be replaced. The UF membrane co-developed with K-water has achieved domestic production, matching the specifications and performance of foreign-made products.

PHILOS Co., Ltd. (CEO Jeong Hak Kim; www.pmbr.co.kr) was selected as the winning bidder to supply RO membrane modules to the K-water, operated Daesan Industrial Water Center, with installation scheduled for 2025. This is PHILOS’s fourth award for the site since its initial supply in 2014, following additional contracts in 2017 and 2024, further validating the company’s technology and reliability.

Located in Seosan, Chungnam-do, the Daesan Industrial Water Center supplies 120,000 m³ per day of high-purity industrial water to the Daesan Petrochemical Complex, Korea’s largest petrochemical hub. This water serves as feedwater for critical production processes at global producers, including LG Chem, Hanwha Total, and Lotte Chemical. Because these processes demand high-quality water, the performance and reliability of the RO membrane modules, the key equipment of the treatment train, are vital.

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The Daesan Industrial Water Center is steadily supplying 120,000 cubic meters of high-quality industrial pure water per day to the Daesan Petrochemical Complex, the largest petrochemical complex in Korea, located in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. Photo shows the view of the K-water Daesan Industrial Water Center.

First in Korea: Direct evaluation of RO membrane modules

Currently, more than 6,300 RO membrane modules are installed at the Daesan Industrial Water Center, where water quality is maintained by replacing over 1,000 modules annually. Through this award, PHILOS Co., Ltd. again demonstrated its technical capabilities by delivering end-to-end services, from supplying RO modules to conducting direct performance evaluations (including rejection-rate measurements), executing replacement and installation, and monitoring operational stabilization.

Where replacements were previously performed in bulk on a fixed cycle, PHILOS has introduced a data-driven replacement method based on actual performance, which improves stability and efficiency. RO module performance declines over time, but not all modules require replacement simultaneously. Accordingly, PHILOS Co., Ltd. is performing precise evaluation and selective replacement through the following procedures.

First, each RO membrane module is removed from its pressure vessel and tested individually for permeate flux and salt rejection. Modules are then examined for fouling, scaling, and membrane integrity. Using these quantified results, only underperforming units are selected for replacement. This methodology requires greater diagnostic expertise than simple regular replacement, and has proven as a groundbreaking method that can simultaneously secure the operational efficiency, cost reduction, and water stability of industrial sites.

PHILOS implemented this comprehensive evaluation–based replacement program for the first time in Korea, and it is receiving high satisfaction from K-water in terms of water quality management and facility operation, showcasing one more time PHILOS’s technology delivering practical value in the field.

Successful domestic production of UF separators with K-Water

The performance of RO membrane modules is highly sensitive to feedwater quality. If contaminants such as fine particles, organic matter (TOC), or suspended solids (SS) are not sufficiently removed, RO elements can foul or suffer premature damage, sharply shortening service life. In consideration of these factors, the Daesan Industrial Water Center introduces an ultrafiltration (UF) as a pretreatment step for RO membrane modules and thoroughly manages the quality of raw water flowing into the RO.

Until now, all of the pre-treatment facilities have relied on foreign UF separators, which presented recurring challenges. Thus, there are expensive maintenance costs and membrane replacement costs, limitations in overseas A/S response and long-term delivery problems, incompatibility with existing facilities, and difficulty in technical support in case of emergency.

To address these issues, K-water promoted localization and, through a purchase-conditioned technology development program with PHILOS Co., Ltd., successfully developed a domestically produced UF membrane module that matches the specifications and performance of leading foreign products. Months of on-site pilot testing at the Daesan Industrial Water Center verified stable performance and seamless system compatibility. As a result, UF localization has become a proven case of enhancing both the reliability and economy of RO facilities while reducing supply-chain risk and improving service responsiveness.

RO membrane proven performance and reliability across steel and electronics

Beyond the Daesan Industrial Water Center, PHILOS Co., Ltd. has successfully executed multiple K-water–led RO membrane module replacement programs, demonstrating sustained technical capability. In 2022, PHILOS supplied RO membrane modules to Hyundai Steel’s intake and discharge facilities in Dangjin, with a daily processing capacity of 100,000㎥. In this project, about 2,000 modules were successfully replaced out of a large-scale facility equipped with a total of 6,000 RO membrane modules.

In steel applications where water-quality standards are exceptionally stringent and stable, plant uptime is directly affected by a pure water supply, and PHILOS’s technology proved especially effective at this site. In steelmaking, repeated exposure to heavy metals, acidic constituents, and high-strength wastewater makes RO element durability and stable permeability essential.

PHILOS optimized the RO system through careful element/material selection, flow control, and fouling-mitigation strategies, then verified results with post-replacement water-quality analyses that met all specifications. The project is regarded as a representative success, demonstrating PHILOS’s applied expertise and reliability not only in petrochemicals but also across steel applications.

In 2023, PHILOS supplied RO membrane modules to K-water’s Asan Water Environment Center, which treats reclaimed municipal effluent from Asan New Town to provide high-purity water to nearby Samsung SDI facilities.

By deploying high-rejection, high-flux RO elements, PHILOS has consistently maintained the quality of reclaimed industrial water at TOC ≤ 30 ppb. Advanced electronics manufacturers such as Samsung SDI enforce stringent limits on Total Organic Carbon (TOC), conductivity, and ionic species. Stable compliance with these specifications makes this project a representative case demonstrating PHILOS’s technical reliability and competitiveness in wastewater-reuse and ultrapure-water applications.

Leading eco-friendly water treatment, driving industrial progress

PHILOS Co., Ltd. is more than a membrane manufacturer; it is a comprehensive membrane solutions provider with an end-to-end understanding of water treatment processes and the capability to optimize them. Building on technical collaboration with customers and a long-term partnership with K-water, PHILOS has become a key player in Korea’s water-treatment sector. Furthermore, the company is preparing for global expansion through ongoing R&D in membrane materials, advances in process optimization, and reinforced anti-fouling performance.

Jeong Hak Kim, CEO of PHILOS, said, “The RO membrane module supply for the Daesan Industrial Water Center is a flagship success that embodies our technology, reliability, and commitment to localization. Beyond simple RO membrane module replacements, we play a pivotal role as K-water’s partner in ensuring a stable supply of high-purity water to a complex petrochemical cluster.”

“Amid converging pressures, climate risk, water scarcity, and rising demand for industrial water, the water-treatment industry in Korea and worldwide requires higher levels of technology and reliability. PHILOS is helping secure the stable operation of critical industrial infrastructure while advancing eco-friendly water-treatment technologies. We will continue to contribute to the industry’s growth at home and abroad through ongoing innovation and uncompromising quality,” Kim added.

[Director Bae Minji]

K-water actively promoted the localization of UF separators and successfully developed domestic UF membrane modules with the same standards and performance as existing foreign products through a purchase conditional technology development project with Pillos Co., Ltd. The Photo shows the pre-processing UF (left) of the Daesan Industrial Water Center and the localization UF pilot evaluation device (right).

2025.08