US-based water and process technology company Aquatech has acquired FTS H2O, a specialist in membrane-based brine concentration and resource recovery technologies, in a move aimed at strengthening its position in lithium processing, brine mining and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) solutions.
The acquisition follows Aquatech’s initial investment in FTS H2O in 2023 and further strengthens the collaboration between the two companies in membrane-based resource recovery and high-recovery water treatment applications.
Headquartered in Oregon, FTS H2O develops membrane-driven systems designed to recover valuable minerals from highly concentrated wastewater and brine streams. Following the acquisition, the company’s Oregon facilities will serve as Aquatech’s global Center of Excellence for membrane-driven brine concentration and resource recovery.
The transaction will enhance Aquatech ability to provide energy-efficient treatment technologies for industries facing increasing demand for water reuse, critical minerals recovery and sustainable brine management. The combined portfolio will support applications including lithium extraction, produced water recycling and seawater brine mining.
Among the technologies integrated into Aquatech’s offering is RecovOAR™, an osmotically assisted reverse osmosis (OARO) system developed by FTS H2O. The technology is designed to concentrate brines beyond 250 g/L while reducing energy consumption compared with conventional approaches. The company states that the process can manage complex feed streams containing monovalent, divalent and mixed salts.
FTS H2O’s portfolio also includes OsmoBC forward osmosis technology and membrane brine crystallization systems. These technologies will be available both as part of Aquatech’s integrated treatment solutions and as modular licensed units.
“The FTS H2O team has built a well-deserved reputation as a true pioneer of high-recovery membrane processes with decades of experience, and we are delighted to welcome this world-class team to Aquatech,” said Ravi Chidambaran, President & CTO at Aquatech.
Keith Lampi, Managing Director at FTS H2O, added: “We are looking forward to working within Aquatech to continue to push the limits of membrane brine concentration, and to commercialize new forward osmosis and membrane crystallization technologies.”
