New strategic partnership formed for water treatment projects in China
Toray Industries, Inc., ORIX Corporation and China Water Affairs Group Ltd - which is engaged in water and sewage businesses in China - has announced the conclusion of a strategic partnership to undertake water treatment and aquatic environment projects in China.
Environmental pollution is getting worse in China, following rapid economic development and the concentration of the population in urban areas. In response, the government has been strengthening environmental regulations. Quantitative and qualitative water shortages are also becoming a significant issue, and the demand for improvements in treating sewage and industrial wastewater is rapidly increasing.
Through this partnership, China Water Affairs will operate water supply facilities using Toray’s membrane filtration technology, to supply tap water suitable for drinking in residences, schools, city halls and so on in various regions of China.
In addition to providing water treatment membrane technologies for upgrading existing and constructing new sewage treatment facilities, the companies will collaborate in expanding sales channels for Toray's household water purifiers. In the future, the partnership will aim to expand water purification and wastewater treatment technologies to close the gap between urban and rural areas, by extending sewage treatment facilities that China Water Affairs mainly operates in urban areas into rural areas.
As a global water treatment membrane manufacturer offering reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), microfiltration (MF) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) solutions, Toray has been active with these technologies within the Chinese market since the 1980s. Toray has supplied water treatment membrane products used for drinking and industrial water treatment, seawater desalination, and wastewater reclamation, to help improve China’s aquatic environment and prevent water shortages.
ORIX established China’s first leasing company in 1981, and it has been developing financial services in China, taking advantage of its experience and expertise in Japan and overseas. In 2009, ORIX (China) Investment Co., Ltd. was established in Dalian to serve as ORIX’s Chinese headquarters. In 2010, ORIX undertook a strategic partnership in the environmental field with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the state-owned natural sciences research institute, and it has pursued various other business developments. In 2011, ORIX invested in China Water Affairs, aiming as a major shareholder, to support its business expansion and serve as a bridge to Japanese companies’ technologies and expertise.
China Water Affairs is a comprehensive water treatment company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It operates water supply facilities in more than 50 regional cities in China and sewage facilities in more than 20 regional cities. It also handles peripheral projects including infrastructure maintenance. In addition to the development and operation of its own facilities, the company invests in state-owned enterprises under the umbrella of local governments with water and wastewater facilities. By providing expertise in improving and operating facilities, China Water Affairs is involved in the management of high value-added water treatment facilities and the provision of related services.
Toray, ORIX and China Water Affairs will undertake further collaboration to maximize the resources, expertise and predominance of each company by further examining the content of projects enabled by this alliance.