Leader Environmental Tech enters S$10m JV with Nanosun to set up membrane-making facilities

LEADER Environmental Technologies (LET) on Monday said it has entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with a Singapore-based company to set up membrane manufacturing facilities in Singapore and China.

The China-based investment holding company will own 60 per cent of the JV, with the remaining 40 per cent owned by membrane manufacturer Nanosun, LET said in an exchange filing.

The total investment is about S$10 million and is funded using proceeds from the company's rights issue and bank borrowings, it said.

The facilities are expected to be completed in 12 months and will produce membrane products by the end of 2021, the company added.

Following the success of its first nano 3D printing flat sheet membrane in 2018, Nanosun has extended its nano material and 3D printing technology to develop a new hybrid filtration membrane that binds inorganic crystalline titanium to high-performance polymer-based membranes, LET said.

This combination takes the advantages of both ceramic and polymeric membranes and produces membrane products that are of high strength while having low-fouling, anti-oxidation and energy-saving properties, it added.

Darren Sun, founder and chairman of Nanosun, said the JV, which leverages on LET's engineering and project execution capabilities, allows Nanosun to expand its membrane applications.

"It will be able to provide total solutions in water and wastewater treatment, sludge treatment and other novel membrane separation applications for pharmaceutical, life science, healthcare and chemical industries," Prof Sun said.

LET shares closed 0.1 Singapore cent, or 0.55 per cent lower at S$0.181 on Monday.