Hyolim

What Hyolim does

Hyorim E&I (효림이엔아이) is a South Korean water treatment equipment manufacturer founded in 1986 by Nam Young-woo, specializing in intake facilities, filtration systems, sludge collection, and seawater desalination for power generation, petrochemical, and municipal water utility end-markets. The company is a subsidiary of International Pharmaceuticals (국제약품) and operates from headquarters in Seongnam, a 27,107㎡ manufacturing facility in Asan, and an R&D center located inside Daegu's National Water Industry Cluster. Its proprietary technology portfolio includes the world's first FO-RO integrated desalination system, ~1,500 non-metallic sludge collectors deployed domestically, shark-type helical scum skimmers, NSF-certified U-Block filtration systems, ADS lake-water aeration equipment, and emerging lithium extraction and ultra-pure water R&D targeting semiconductor and EV battery supply chains.

The company generates revenue through three principal streams: (1) hardware sales of water treatment equipment (sludge collectors, intake screens, filtration systems) via direct procurement, public bidding, and EPC project channels; (2) turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction of water treatment, desalination, and wastewater-reuse plants for power plants and industrial facilities; and (3) international project contracts through partnerships with major Korean EPC firms (Samsung C&T, Hyundai E&C, Doosan Heavy, POSCO E&C, Daewoo E&C) on overseas infrastructure in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Exports account for over 50% of revenue, with approved-vendor status at Saudi Electricity Company, Kuwait MEW, KNPC, and TAKREER, and a K-Water overseas market development channel supporting further international expansion. Domestic revenue is anchored by K-Water, municipal water utilities (Busan, Bangladesh public works), and innovation-product designations that enable priority or sole-source public procurement contracts.

Name

Hyolim

Legal name

효림이엔아이 주식회사

Website

https://hyorim.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hyorim E&I is a South Korean water treatment equipment manufacturer founded in 1986, serving power plants, petrochemical facilities, and municipal water utilities with intake, filtration, sludge management, and seawater desalination systems across 20+ countries, with exports exceeding 50% of revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Plants & Operations (EUANAFAA), Industrial Water Reuse Utilities (ZLD/MLD & Process Water Recycling) (EUANAGAG), Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Water treatment equipment
• Seawater desalination systems
• Wastewater treatment facilities
• Intake facility equipment
• Water purification plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Equipment Sales: Manufacturing and selling water treatment equipment including sludge collectors, intake facilities, screens, clarifiers, and filtration systems to domestic and international customers. Equipment sales through direct procurement, public bidding, and EPC project channels.
2. Water Treatment Plant Construction: Engineering, procurement, and construction of water treatment, desalination, and wastewater treatment plants for power plants and industrial facilities. Projects include turnkey solutions for seawater desalination, process water treatment, and sewage treatment.
3. International Project Contracts: Direct contracts with international power companies and EPC firms for supply of intake facilities and water treatment systems on major overseas infrastructure projects in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Vietnam, Philippines, and other markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hyolim E&I Corp. (효림이엔아이) designs, manufactures, and supplies water treatment equipment and provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) turnkey solutions for water and wastewater infrastructure. Its product portfolio includes non-metallic sludge collectors, U-Block/I-Block filtration collection systems, shark-type helical scum skimmers, moving band screens, deep bed filtration systems, aeration equipment, and ADS lake aeration systems. The company delivers intake facilities (bar screens, traveling band screens, drum screens, stop log gates) for power plants, petrochemical complexes, and desalination plants, and builds turnkey seawater desalination (SWRO and FO-RO hybrid), industrial water treatment, and wastewater treatment and reuse plants. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, with manufacturing in Asan and R&D in Daegu, Hyolim is a subsidiary of Gukje Pharmaceutical (국제약품).

Product overview

Hyorim E&I Corp. is a water treatment equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of water purification, sewage treatment, intake facility, and plant solutions. The company provides both individual products and integrated turnkey systems: core products include the U-Block type collection/distribution system for filtration, non-metallic sludge collectors (with approximately 1,500 domestic installations), shark-type scum skimmers/removers, moving band screens with non-metallic baskets, deep bed filtration systems, and ADS lake purification systems; intake equipment includes bar screens, traveling band screens, and drum screens; plant solutions encompass seawater desalination (SWRO, FO-RO integration), wastewater treatment, and reuse facilities. R&D focuses on low-energy technologies, FO-RO integration, and lithium extraction processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• U-Block Type I-Block Water Purification System (유공블럭형 아이블럭시스템) Porous block type water filtration collection and distribution system installed at the bottom of water purification tank filter beds. Stably supports filter media while collecting filtered water and uniformly distributing water and air during backwashing, improving turbidity removal efficiency and washing performance. NSF certified for export to Southeast Asia and other international markets; designated as an innovative product by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (June 2025). For municipal water treatment plants.
• Non-Metallic Chain & Flight Sludge Collector (비금속슬러지수집기) First domestically developed non-metallic loop chain flight sludge collector for rectangular sedimentation tanks. Features tensile strength of 10,000kgf+ with 2,000kgf operating load, applicable to sewage, water purification, and wastewater treatment facilities. Performance certification No. 20-CAZ0075; approximately 1,300–1,500 units delivered domestically; designated as Excellent Invention Product No. 2020-733.
• Shark Type Scum Removal Device (샤크형 스컴제거장치) Patented scum removal device for primary and secondary sedimentation basins and thickener tanks. Features improved helical blades with shark-type wings that prevent turbulence for enhanced scum removal efficiency versus conventional helical scum skimmers. Performance certification 20-AAL0485 (2021) from Ministry of SMEs and Startups; designated as Excellent Invention Product; qualifies for priority procurement and direct contracts with public institutions.
• Moving Band Screen with Non-Metallic Basket (이동형밴드스크린/비금속바스켓) Unique water intake screen with non-metallic mesh basket for water purification plants, featuring 5–20mm mesh spacing, applicable to channel widths of 0.6–4.2m and depths up to 30m. Only domestically certified and performance-confirmed technology; selected as K-Water NEW-Tech in 2021 H1 following 2+ years of operational excellence at K-Water facilities.
• Deep Bed Filtration System (심층여과시스템) Next-generation deep bed filtration process designed for high-concentration suspended solids and high-viscosity water quality, improving upon conventional systems by reducing frequent backwash cycles and preventing media loss. For water purification and industrial water treatment applications.
• Intake Facility Equipment (취수설비) Equipment line for collecting cooling water at power plants, petrochemical, steel, and desalination facilities. Includes primary screens (bar screens), secondary screens (traveling band screens), drum screens, and stop log gates for removing debris and shellfish from intake water. Reference projects include Fujairah F3 IPP (UAE), Barakah Nuclear (UAE), Rabigh 2 IPP (Saudi Arabia), Vinh Tan 4 (Vietnam), Al Zour LNG (Kuwait), Panama Colon Power Plant.
• Low Speed Surface Aerator (산화구로터 폭기설비) Mechanical aeration device for oxidation ditches featuring non-metallic disk rotor (HDPE material) with extended lifespan, triangular nodules and caves surface design for enhanced oxygen transfer and mixing capability. Disk diameter of 1,400mm. Offered under technical partnership with ENVIREX (EVOQUA Brand, USA).
• Air Diffusion System (ADS) (호소정화시스템 ADS) Nature-friendly artificial aeration system for lake water purification that supplies air to the lower layer of eutrophic lakes using aeration discs to increase dissolved oxygen, decompose organics, reduce nutrient salt release, remove odors, and improve water quality. Slow floating speed, high oxygen transfer efficiency through micro bubbles, prevention of sediment interference through laminar flow flotation, automation-capable.
• Turnkey Plant Solutions (플랜트) EPC turnkey solutions for seawater desalination, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and wastewater reuse facilities for domestic and international power plants and petrochemical plants. Backed by 30+ years of accumulated design, manufacturing, and operational expertise. Includes SWRO and FO-RO integrated desalination plants.
• Wastewater Treatment & Reuse Facilities (오·폐수처리 및 재이용 설비) Equipment and turnkey facilities for treating wastewater from various plants using physico-chemical (coagulation-sedimentation, dissolved air flotation, filtration), biological (activated sludge and advanced treatment), and electrochemical processes, plus wastewater reuse systems. For industrial plant operators.
• U-Block Type Active Carbon Filtration Unit (유공블록형 활성탄 여과장치) U-block type design activated carbon filtration unit for water purification applications. Developed with KEITI (Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute) from 2020 to 2022 as a Green New Deal associated product.
• Chain Flight Type Sludge Collector (체인플라이트식 슬러지수집기) Patented sludge collector designated as an innovative product by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Institute for SMEs and the Public Procurement Service, with performance certification (EPC) and excellent invention certification. Valid June 2022 to June 2025, enabling direct contracts with public institutions for 3 years.
• Low Energy Water Purification Unit Eco Smart (저에너지형 정수장치 Eco Smart) Energy-efficient water treatment system developed to reduce operational costs for water purification facilities. Part of ongoing R&D efforts for sustainable water treatment developed between 2016 and 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• U-Block system installed at multiple domestic water purification plants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gukje Pharmaceutical (국제약품)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHyorim E&I is an environmental subsidiary of Gukje Pharmaceutical. The parent company provides strategic direction and governance, while Hyorim operates independently in water treatment equipment and plant construction.
• K-Water (한국수자원공사)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected for K-Water's overseas market development missions. Approved vendor with K-Water. Joint participation in international exhibitions under Korea Pavilion. Support includes overseas marketing, localization pilot projects, export promotion, and international certification.
• Korea Water Industry Association (한국물산업협회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation membership supports overseas market entry through trade missions and pavilion participation at international exhibitions. Hyorim E&I is listed among the 10 selected innovative water companies.
• Daegu Waterworks Department (대구광역시 상수도사업본부)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint R&D pilot projects with Daegu Waterworks Department at the National Water Industry Cluster R&D Center.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• LG Chem (LG Water Solutions): Korean chemical company with a reverse osmosis membrane business (LG Water Solutions, formerly NanoH2O) supplying BWRO and SWRO membranes for desalination plants globally. Comparable as a Korean membrane technology supplier into the same desalination value chain that Hyorim's SWRO plants anchor.
• Toray Industries: Japanese materials manufacturer producing reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for SWRO desalination and water treatment applications. Comparable as a core technology supplier to the same SWRO plants Hyorim builds, serving overlapping end customers in the Gulf and Southeast Asia, but delivering membrane products rather than turnkey plants.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab Inc. Global water treatment chemicals and equipment provider serving industrial customers including power plants, food & beverage, and manufacturing. Comparable in providing industrial process water treatment solutions with similar customer concentration in power generation and heavy industry, though chemicals/chemical-equipment heavy rather than municipal plant-EPC focused.
• Pentair plc: Global water treatment equipment manufacturer offering filtration, pumps, and treatment systems for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Comparable in industrial/commercial water treatment equipment categories and similar customer base in industrial facilities, though with a notably broader pool/residential business on the side.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global leader in water treatment technologies, providing equipment, chemicals, and EPC services for municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment under the Water Technologies division. Comparable as a major incumbent participating in the same EPC-driven water treatment market and competing for the same MENA utility contracts.
• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company manufacturing pumps, filtration, and treatment equipment for municipal and industrial applications. Comparable in providing a broad water treatment equipment portfolio (clarifiers, filtration, intake screens) with overlapping product categories, though at significantly larger scale, broader geography, and listed-company capitalization.

Direct peers

• Organo Corporation: Japanese industrial water treatment equipment and engineering company providing pure water systems and wastewater reuse for semiconductor, power, and industrial customers. Directly comparable in equipment-centric business model targeting industrial ultra-pure water and process water reuse applications similar to Hyorim's strategic vertical focus.
• Doosan Enpure: Korean water treatment EPC company (subsidiary of Doosan Heavy Industries) that builds desalination and wastewater reuse plants for municipal and industrial clients. The most direct competitor to Hyorim in the Korean SWRO and water EPC market, sharing the same Korean EPC contractor channel structure and overseas project pipeline (Middle East, Southeast Asia).
• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese water treatment company providing chemicals, equipment, and engineering services for industrial and municipal water treatment, including boilers, cooling, and process water. Highly comparable in offering water treatment equipment plus process solutions to industrial customers (power plants, semiconductor fabs) and EPC-adjacent business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Hyolim