Clean TeQ Water

What Clean TeQ Water does

Clean TeQ Water is an Australian water technology company that listed on the ASX (ticker CNQ) in July 2021 following its demerger from Sunrise Energy Metals. The company develops and deploys proprietary water treatment technologies for industrial, mining, municipal, and oil & gas customers globally. Its technology portfolio is anchored by the Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) platform, which underpins branded offerings including CIF, CLEAN-IX, DESALX, HIROX, and BIONEX for selective removal of contaminants such as uranium, sulphates, hardness, nitrate, and boron. The company acquired the ATA rapid tailings dewatering technology from Soane Labs in 2023, expanded into lithium extraction through the cDLE platform and 50/50 Go2Lithium JV with Computational Geosciences (Ivanhoe Electric subsidiary), and operates the NematiQ subsidiary for graphene oxide membrane technology developed with Monash University.

The company serves primarily enterprise customers in mining (lithium, uranium, gold, coal, scandium, rare earths), industrial wastewater, municipal water utilities, and oil & gas. Notable customers and partners include Rio Tinto (US$12.5M Rincon lithium contract), Nyrstar (A$10.4M DESALX contract in Belgium), Broken Hill Mines, Heathgate Resources, Enva (Ireland PHOSPHIX), BEIE and MCC Environment (China), NESR (MENA oil & gas), LithiumBank (Canada), Harmony Gold, Power and Water Corporation, and Australian municipal councils including Townsville and Mackay. Operations span Australia, Europe (Netherlands office, projects in Belgium, Ireland, UK), China, MENA (Iraq), Canada, and South Africa.

Revenue is generated through four streams: EPC project delivery (contracts ranging A$5M to A$19M+), technology licensing with upfront fees and royalties (e.g., BEIE prepaid two-year HIROX license), consumables and resin supply for the installed base, and Build-Own-Operate arrangements on a case-by-case basis. The company operates with a small team of 11-50 employees and leverages global channel partners (NESR, MCC Environment, StitchWise, Enva) for regional market access. FY2023 total revenue was A$13.6M, up 9% year-on-year, with FY25-FY26 pipeline including multiple major contract wins.

Name

Clean TeQ Water

Legal name

Clean TeQ Water Limited

Website

https://cleanteqwater.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean TeQ Water is an Australian water technology company that develops proprietary water treatment platforms including ion exchange (MBIX), rapid tailings dewatering (ATA), direct lithium extraction (cDLE), and graphene membranes, serving mining, industrial, municipal, and oil & gas customers globally via EPC contracts, licensing, and channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Technologies

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Effluent Polishing & Filtration (MBR/UF/RO/GAC) (EUANADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooling Water Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAE), Municipal Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAA), Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ), pH Control, Antiscalants & Corrosion Inhibitors (IMAEAJAN)

Keywords

• Water treatment technologies
• Ion exchange systems
• Membrane filtration solutions
• Mine tailings dewatering
• Lithium extraction technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Notting Hill

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EPC Project Delivery: Engineering, Procurement and Construction contracts for water treatment plants. Revenue recognized through project execution phases with major contracts ranging from A$5M to A$19M+
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies (cDLE, HIROX, ATA) to partners globally. Includes upfront license fees and ongoing royalties. BEIE prepaid 2-year license fee for HIROX in China
3. Consumables and Resins: Sales of ion exchange resins, membranes, BIOCLENS lenses and other consumables for installed base. Part of long-term recurring revenue strategy as project base grows
4. Build-Own-Operate (BOO): Build, own and operate model on case-by-case basis providing recurring service revenue over contract terms

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clean TeQ Water designs, engineers and delivers proprietary water treatment plants and technology platforms—including Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX), continuous ionic filtration (CIF), membrane-free desalination (DESALX), high-recovery reverse osmosis (HIROX), biological treatment (BIOCLENS, BIONEX), phosphorus recovery (PHOSPHIX), rapid mine tailings dewatering (ATA), graphene oxide membranes (via NematiQ subsidiary), and continuous direct lithium extraction (cDLE via Go2Lithium joint venture). Solutions are delivered to mining, industrial, municipal and oil & gas customers through EPC contracts, technology licensing, BOO arrangements, and consumables/resin supply.

Product overview

Clean TeQ Water is a diversified global water technology company offering an integrated portfolio of innovative water treatment technologies and solutions. The company operates primarily through two core technology platforms: Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) - an advanced ion exchange system that enables continuous, selective contaminant removal with lower chemical use and higher water recovery; and ATA® (Accelerated Dewatering Technology) - a proprietary tailings dewatering system for the mining industry. The MBIX platform underpins multiple branded technologies including CIF®, CLEAN-IX®, DESALX®, HIROX®, and BIONEX™, while subsidiary NematiQ commercializes graphene membrane technology for filtration applications. Through the Go2Lithium joint venture, the company offers cDLE® continuous direct lithium extraction technology for the lithium mining sector. Clean TeQ provides complete water treatment solutions across markets including municipal reuse, industrial brines, mining wastewater, and critical minerals processing. The company also offers engineering services (EPC), build-own-operate arrangements, and consumables including ion exchange resins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NematiQ: Graphene membrane technology subsidiary
• Go2Lithium

Products and services

• Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX)
• ATA Rapid Tailings Dewatering
• DESALX Membrane-Free Desalination
• HIROX Chemical-Free Ultra High Recovery RO
• CLEAN-IX Metal Recovery
• BIOCLENS Lens Encapsulated Bacteria
• BIONEX Complete Nitrate Removal
• PHOSPHIX Complete Phosphorus Recovery
• CIF Continuous Ionic Filtration
• EVAPX Low Energy Evaporation and Crystallisation
• Graphene Membranes (NematiQ GE-RO and GE-UF)
• cDLE Continuous Direct Lithium Extraction
• EPC Engineering Procurement and Construction Services
• Build Own Operate (BOO) Water Treatment Infrastructure
• Ion Exchange Resin Supply

Quantifiable outcome

• Uranium removal to <1 ppb (below ADWG limit of 20 ppb)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and strategic.

• Arafura ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Partnership to develop alternative processing methods for heavy rare-earths at Nolans Project in Central Australia. Clean TeQ providing ion exchange-based purification testwork for critical minerals processing.
• Rio Tinto (Rincon Mining)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025$13 million contract for Argentina Lithium Project - Rigi Rincon Lithium Project. Clean TeQ providing water treatment services for lithium extraction operations.
• Rio Tinto (Rincon Mining)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025US$12.5 million (>A$19 million) contract awarded by Rigi Rincon Mining for Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina. Part of construction phase activities.
• Go2LithiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 202350/50 joint venture between Clean TeQ Water and Computational Geosciences Inc (subsidiary of Ivanhoe Electric) to commercialize cDLE technology for lithium extraction from brine assets globally. Clean TeQ provides technology while CGI contributes geophysical modeling capability.
• Monash UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for graphene membrane technology development. GE-RO team (Clean TeQ Water, NematiQ, Monash) selected as semifinalist in XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition. Professor Mainak Majumder leads academic research and directs ARC Research Hub AM2D.
• NyrstarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA$10.4M Phase 2 contract for DESALX wastewater treatment system at Balen, Belgium operations. Progressive equipment delivery through 2026-2027. Builds on earlier testwork, piloting and engineering phases.
• Broken Hill MinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign and Construct contract for ATA Tailings Dewatering Plant at Rasp Mine in Broken Hill, NSW. Single-train facility sized for 750,000 tpa dry solids throughput. Targeting 1H 2027 practical completion.
• EnvastrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor~EUR 7m (>A$11m) contract for PHOSPHIX Plant in Ireland for phosphate removal and recovery. Enva engaged multi-national pharmaceutical company for on-site piloting. Cooperation agreement for Ireland/UK market.
• NESRstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor5-year exclusive distribution agreement to promote water treatment and reuse solutions to Oil and Gas sector in MENA region. HIROX plant deployment in Iraq successfully inaugurated. Paid pilot deployment underway.
• Future ElementstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for tailings dewatering using ATA technology. 3-month BHP-funded testwork program to prepare conceptual flowsheets. Future Element joined Unearthed TAD program powered by BHP.
• Sunrise Energy MetalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering contract to update key engineering elements of Syerston Scandium Project in NSW. Ongoing technology services agreement. Sunrise targets FID with Clean TeQ positioned for expanded scope.
• BEIEstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical Services Agreement for HIROX plant manufacturing in China. Technology Licensing Agreement with 2-year prepaid royalty. First stage treating 4,800 m3/day, ultimately 50,000+ m3/day for coal mining customer.
• Heathgate ResourcesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner$5.6M contract for CLEAN-IX U-Column uranium processing plant in South Australia. Successfully completed performance testing and commissioning - practical completion achieved February 2026.
• LithiumBankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology licensing agreement for cDLE technology in Alberta and Saskatchewan. G2L to receive up to 14 million LithiumBank shares upon milestone achievement. Pilot plant operational in Calgary processing 10,000 L/day.
• Harmony GoldstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLetter of Intent with Harmony Gold and StitchWise for ATA dewatering technology full-scale commercial demonstration. Partnership addresses global tailings management challenges in mining.
• MCC EnvironmentstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution agreement with MCC Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection for China market.
• Upwell WatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement targeting US$150 million deployment over four years in US water treatment market.
• StitchWisestrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution agreement for ATA technology in South Africa. Joint work with Harmony Gold.
• NematiQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary developing graphene membrane technology. Commercial-scale GE-UF membrane manufacturing. PFAS-selective variant under field trials. Partner in GE-RO team for XPRIZE Water Scarcity.
• Power and Water CorporationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint submission with Power and Water Corporation for Laramba Water Treatment Plant. Project funded by Territory Labor Government's $28 million commitment for remote Aboriginal communities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• EnergyX: EnergyX is a US-based direct lithium extraction technology developer targeting lithium from salar brines in South America — comparable to Clean TeQ's cDLE platform within the emerging DLE competitive landscape serving lithium brine assets globally.
• Lilac Solutions: Lilac Solutions is a private US-based direct lithium extraction technology developer serving lithium brine producers — directly comparable to Clean TeQ's cDLE technology within the rapidly emerging DLE competitive set.
• Standard Lithium: Standard Lithium is a Canadian-listed DLE technology and lithium project developer pursuing commercial lithium production from US brines — comparable to Clean TeQ's Go2Lithium JV and cDLE platform targeting North American lithium assets.

Direct peers

• LANXESS (Liquid Purification Technologies): LANXESS's Liquid Purification Technologies business manufactures ion exchange resins and membrane filtration products for industrial water treatment — directly comparable to Clean TeQ's ion exchange and membrane offerings in mining and industrial markets.
• Organo Corporation: Organo is a Japanese specialist in industrial water treatment using ion exchange and membrane technologies, serving semiconductor, power, and mining customers — closely comparable to Clean TeQ's MBIX-based platforms in industrial and high-purity water applications.
• Purolite (Ecolab): Purolite, now part of Ecolab, is a leading global manufacturer of ion exchange resins used in water treatment and metal recovery — directly comparable to Clean TeQ's CLEAN-IX and MBIX resin-consuming platforms across mining, municipal, and industrial customers.
• Andritz Separation: Andritz is a global leader in solid-liquid separation and dewatering equipment for mining tailings and industrial sludges — directly comparable to Clean TeQ's ATA rapid tailings dewatering technology targeting the same mining customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab: Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies serving industrial customers, including a substantial water treatment chemicals and services franchise post-Purolite acquisition — competing with Clean TeQ in industrial water treatment and consumables.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: SUEZ (now part of Veolia group) provides water treatment chemicals, equipment, and digital services across industrial and municipal markets — overlapping significantly with Clean TeQ's HIROX, BIOCLENS, and EPC offerings at incumbent scale.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Veolia is the world's largest water technology and services provider, offering ion exchange, membranes, and EPC delivery across mining, industrial, and municipal markets — overlapping with Clean TeQ's full portfolio but at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleanteqwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCUb9-RoUDD6zkHkt4CKoBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cleanteqwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-teq-water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean TeQ Water