Active Membranes Achieves Key Scale-Up Milestone With 8-Inch Electro-Active RO Element

Active Membranes, a leader in electro-active desalination membrane technology, today announced the successful scale-up of its proprietary spiral-wound reverse osmosis (RO) element to the industry-standard 8-inch diameter, 40-inch long (8040) form factor.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s technology commercialization journey, bringing its patented electro-active RO membranes—designed to prevent scaling and fouling without chemicals—closer to full market deployment. The technology was previously recognized as the winner of the 2023 Technology Idol Award, underscoring its disruptive potential in making desalination more cost-efficient and sustainable.

Adding to its momentum, Active Membranes has been selected as a qualified team in both Track A and Track B of the $119M XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, chosen from among 674 pre-registered companies across 86 countries. The competition recognizes breakthrough technologies capable of transforming global access to clean water.

“This is a major milestone in our technology scale-up journey,” said Arian Edalat, CEO and Co-Founder of Active Membranes. “Reaching full-size 8040 production accelerates our ability to serve utilities, industrial users, and OEM partners worldwide who are looking for smarter, cleaner, and more cost-efficient desalination solutions. We are now positioned to move rapidly from pilot to full commercial deployment.”

Active Membranes’ electro-active RO technology applies a low electrical potential across the membrane surface, dynamically preventing scaling and fouling—the two most costly operational challenges in desalination and water reuse. This approach enables chemical-free operation, higher recovery rates, and up to 50% reductions in overall desalination cost and environmental footprint.

With the new 8040-scale modules now available for both brackish and seawater applications, the company is advancing toward large-scale field deployments through its Early Access and pilot programs in collaboration with partners in North America and the Middle East.

About Active Membranes
Founded in 2021, Active Membranes develops patented electro-active membranes that reduce scaling and fouling, lowering desalination costs and environmental impact. The company’s mission is to make membrane separation more efficient and improve global access to fresh water. Active Membranes has received multiple industry awards. For more information, visit https://activemembrane.com.