2026 marks the inaugural year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, placing the nation’s membrane industry at a new historical juncture. Looking back over the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the industry’s output value has exceeded RMB 500 billion, with the localization rate of water treatment membranes reaching 85%. By 2024, the membrane-based water treatment market had already reached approximately RMB 309.18 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate of nearly 12%.

In Shenzhen, a number of local membrane enterprises—including Dalton Membrane Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.—are actively defining their roles within this wave of industrial upgrading.

Direction 1: Accelerated Implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge Projects, with Membrane Integration Processes Becoming Mainstream

Driven jointly by the "dual carbon" goals and binding water resource constraints, industrial wastewater zero liquid discharge (ZLD) has moved from benchmark demonstrations to large-scale replication. The Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Resource Utilization of Wastewater issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and nine other departments explicitly require strict implementation of ZLD in water-scarce areas and environmentally sensitive water regions. Meanwhile, the Implementation Plan for the Recycling of Industrial Wastewater during the 14th Five-Year Plan sets a target of raising the water reuse rate in industrial enterprises above designated scale to approximately 94%. As a result, the ZLD market continues to expand. According to incomplete industry statistics, by 2025, China had accumulated over 420 industrial ZLD projects, covering high-water-consuming sectors such as power generation, chemicals, steel, and textiles, and further extending into emerging fields like new energy and fine chemicals.

The current mainstream process route for ZLD is "membrane integration + evaporative crystallization"—namely, using ultrafiltration as pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO) for high-efficiency concentration, nanofiltration (NF) for selective separation of monovalent and divalent salts, followed by evaporative crystallization to produce solid salts, thereby achieving dual resource recovery of water and salt. Data show that this membrane integration process route accounts for 67.3% of commissioned ZLD projects, having firmly established its mainstream status. This implies that demand for RO and NF membranes in ZLD projects will continue to grow, particularly for membrane elements with high fouling resistance, high flux, and high chemical stability, which will see greater market opportunities.

In the Shenzhen and Pearl River Delta region, Dalton Membrane Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. has been steadily accumulating project experience in industrial wastewater ZLD and membrane integration processes, with its membrane products already applied in multiple high-salinity wastewater treatment and water reuse scenarios.

In the second half of the year, companies capable of offering customized membrane integration solutions are well positioned to seize the new wave of ZLD opportunities in niche sectors such as coal chemical engineering and lithium battery materials.

Direction 2: Accelerated Desalination Deployment, with RO Membranes Remaining the "Core Chip"

Seawater desalination is widely recognized as a strategic solution to water scarcity in coastal regions, and RO membranes are the "core chip" of desalination systems. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the national seawater desalination capacity had approached 3 million tonnes per day, with RO accounting for over 95% of new capacity additions. The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly identifies seawater desalination as a key focus of the marine emerging industries, further reinforcing its strategic importance at the national policy level.

Notably, domestically produced seawater desalination membranes have gradually caught up with leading international products in key metrics such as salt rejection, fouling resistance, and service life. Salt rejection rates have consistently exceeded 99.8%, and membrane element service life has surpassed the five‑year mark. In several large‑scale seawater and brackish water desalination projects in Shandong, Hebei, and other provinces, domestic membranes have not only achieved large‑scale application but have also demonstrated clear advantages in long‑term operating costs and operational responsiveness.

In the second half of the year, domestic membrane companies are accelerating their transformation from pure membrane product suppliers to comprehensive solution providers covering the full chain—from membrane elements and packaged equipment to engineering services and intelligent O&M. The domestic substitution of RO membranes for desalination has shifted from an "option" to a "preference," and is expected to achieve broader scalable validation within the year.

Direction 3: Membrane Technology Evolving from "Environmental Ancillary Equipment" to "National Strategic Infrastructure"

At the "2026 Water Harmony Miyun" conference, Professor Liang Heng pointed out that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the water treatment industry will undergo two fundamental transformations: first, a shift from "end‑of‑pipe treatment" to "resource recycling," and second, a shift from "experience‑driven" to "smart" operations. Correspondingly, the role of membrane technology is undergoing a major upgrade—it is no longer merely environmental protection equipment, but is being redefined as a core technological carrier for recovering water resources, energy, and valuable substances.

This transition is already reflected in top‑level policy design. A range of policies—including wastewater resource utilization, pilot programs for recycled water reuse, and optimization of water systems in industrial parks—all list membrane technology as a key enabling technology. At the same time, smart tools such as digital twins, AI‑assisted membrane fouling diagnosis, intelligent chemical dosing, and adaptive operation are rapidly permeating large‑scale membrane systems, transforming membrane system operations from "scheduled cleaning" to "condition‑based maintenance" and significantly reducing total lifecycle costs. In this context, the competitive dimensions for membrane enterprises are also changing: from purely "selling products" to "selling solutions plus services." New business models—including EPC+O&M, water rights operation, and full‑lifecycle membrane system stewardship services—are becoming the primary competitive battleground in the second half of the year. Companies that can deeply integrate process innovation, data capabilities, and service models will seize the leading edge in this upgrade.

Closing Remarks

In the second half of the year, the accelerated implementation of ZLD projects, the large‑scale deployment of seawater desalination, and the strategic repositioning of membrane technology will collectively drive the membrane industry into a new phase of high‑quality development. Domestic membranes are moving confidently from "usable" to "excellent," and from "substitution" to "leadership."

If you are also following the future trajectory of the membrane industry, we welcome your comments and exchanges, as we together witness the next leap of China's membrane sector.