The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment (Minister Kim Seong-hwan) announced on the 22nd that it will actively promote a national technology development project from the first half of 2026 for the energy-efficient treatment of wastewater containing salt (hereafter referred to as saline wastewater) from the secondary battery industry and resource recovery.
This project aims to reduce energy consumption in wastewater treatment processes while recovering valuable resources such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, and securing recyclable water.
The secondary battery industry inevitably discharges wastewater with high salt content during the manufacturing and recycling processes of key materials such as precursors and cathode materials. Currently, a substantial amount of energy and cost is invested in treating saline wastewater at industrial sites, which acts as a burden on companies’ sustainable management and securing industrial competitiveness.
To address these issues, the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment has been closely communicating with the industrial sector by operating a working group quarterly since early this year. Through this process, it was confirmed that there is high demand from the industrial sector for energy-efficient wastewater treatment technologies, and the national technology development project was planned by reflecting the opinions of relevant experts and companies.
The project will be carried out for five years (2026-2030) with a total budget of 47.5 billion won. Of this, approximately 37 billion won will be funded by the government. The main tasks include five detailed projects such as ▲ high-salinity wastewater separation and process technology ▲ solvent recovery verification technology ▲ high-salinity biological treatment technology linked to public treatment facilities. It plans to secure demonstrable technology models and draw complete results leading to industrial site application.
This project will announce calls for proposals and receive applications from participating companies and research institutes from December 19 to January 23 of the following year. After evaluation in March of the following year, the final technology development operators will be selected, and new project agreements will be signed in April 2026. Selected institutions will pursue technology development and demonstration for five years.
The detailed requests for proposal and project participation conditions can be confirmed through the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute website.
The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment plans to strengthen the circular economy system across the secondary battery industry by recovering valuable resources in wastewater and securing reusable water through this technology development.
Cho Hee-song, Water Environment Policy Officer at the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment, said, “This national technology development project focuses on deriving practical results that can be immediately utilized in industrial sites. We look forward to the active participation of private companies and research institutes to establish an environmentally friendly and sustainable wastewater management system in the secondary battery sector, a national strategic advanced industry.”
