Making Waves

INEXA and IonClear Form Alliance to Deliver Smarter, More Sustainable Desalination and Water Reuse Solutions

asianwater

Partnership combines engineering expertise and advanced membrane technology to maximise water recovery, minimise waste and improve reliability.

INEXA Aqua Services SL, one of the consulting leaders in engineering and seawater desalination plant design and performance optimisation, and IonClear, a global innovator in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane technology, announced a strategic alliance to deliver high-efficiency water treatment systems for desalination, reclamation and reuse applications worldwide.

Drawing on more than two decades of engineering and operational expertise, the partnership will focus on designing and building systems that help operators produce more clean water with less energy, extend equipment life and reduce environmental impact. These systems are engineered to meet the wide range of specifications required by varying feedwater conditions, whether seawater, brackish sources or industrial process water.

INEXA and IonClear unite to advance sustainable water treatment across the globe (Photo: INEXA)

Integrated Capabilities for Greater Impact
By combining INEXA’s ROPTIMAX, 20+ years of expertise in desalination plant design and RO process optimisation, and IonClear’s advanced RO/NF membrane technology, the alliance delivers a rare combination of capabilities supporting customisable, performance-based system design and build.

By uniting our strengths, we are not just improving large-scale desalination projects, we are redefining its economics and scalability. These water solutions are not only more efficient, but also more adaptable to the unique demands of each location and application.

Fernando J. Suárez Pérez, CEO of INEXA

This integrated approach supports sustainable water management through recycling, reclamation and reuse, ensuring that more water is recovered from the same resources while reducing waste streams and moving towards a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) future.

Proven Performance Benefits
Early-stage data from joint projects shows:

  • 15–20% reduction in energy consumption, lowering the single largest operating cost for plant owners.
  • Up to 40% increase in membrane lifespan, reducing replacement frequency and associated downtime.
  • Significantly lower unplanned outages, improving production consistency and operational reliability.

“This alliance accelerates our vision of maximising water recovery and minimising waste,” said Cady Yu, CEO of IonClear. “With integrated design, engineering, and production capabilities, we can offer a level of system optimisation few, if any, in the market can match.”

At scale, these gains can deliver multi-million-dollar annual operating savings for large facilities, while reducing environmental impact, resulting in accelerated payback periods and stronger long-term ROI.

IonClear will launch a new, innovative water treatment design web-based software in the third quarter of 2025, further supporting engineers and operators with advanced planning and optimisation tools.

Strong Growth Across Global Water Markets
According to industry reports, the global desalination market, valued at USD18.1 billion in 2025, is projected to grow at a 9.1% CAGR, reaching USD28 billion by 2030. Beyond seawater desalination, the technologies and expertise behind this alliance also apply to large-scale seawater desalination, brackish water treatment, industrial process water reuse, municipal water recycling and ZLD systems. These sectors are part of the broader USD390+ billion global water and wastewater treatment market, projected to grow at 6-7% annually through 2023.

About INEXA Aqua Services SL
Based in Las Palmas, Spain supported by a subsidiary in Casablanca, Morocco, INEXA is a specialised environmental engineering firm with 20+ years of expertise in water treatment and desalination technology. Its multidisciplinary team delivers innovative solutions focused on energy efficiency and sustainability in water management systems worldwide.

About IonClear
IonClear is a U.S.-based membrane technology company in Silicon Valley, delivering high-performance reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes for water reuse treatment and resource recovery worldwide. Their durable membranes drive efficiency in seawater desalination, industrial wastewater reuse, lithium recovery and more, with minimum liquid discharge for a more sustainable future.