Yun Seog-dae, center, CEO of the Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water), poses after signing a memorandum of understanding with Korean water treatment company BKT and U.S. climate tech startup Capture6 in Los Angeles, Sunday. Courtesy of K-water

The Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korean water treatment company BKT and U.S. climate tech startup Capture6, to offer a test bed for the two private firms to develop advanced technologies related to the water industry.

According to K-water, Monday, the signing ceremony took place on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Under the MOU, K-water will offer the pilot plant of its seawater desalination facility, which is currently under construction in the northwestern part of South Chungcheong Province, as a test bed for private companies. The state-run water management agency is constructing the facility to offer industrial water to factories in the region.

The MOU will facilitate the development and verification of technologies to use carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere to reprocess high-saline wastewater produced during the desalination process.

The technologies will make it possible to secure additional clean water as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium from the wastewater.

Since 2021, K-water has opened its infrastructure to startups as well as small and medium-sized firms so they can test and verify their innovative ideas.

K-water has also helped companies producing excellent products to open up a market, taking the lead in nurturing the water industry.

"K-water has given efforts for a national goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 based on its water treatment technologies and capabilities," K-water CEO Yun Seog-dae said.

"We will do the best to fulfil a role as a public agency by working together with private companies to develop advanced technologies, nurture the domestic water industry and realize the global community's carbon neutrality target."