China BlueStar (Group) Co. Ltd. announced on Thursday that it would soon launch a reverse-osmosis membrane project in Beijing, with investment from Japan's Toray Industries.

With an annual output of 130,000 membranes, the project would be the biggest of its kind in China, according to BlueStar Co..

China BlueStar and Toray each hold a 49.9-percent and 50.1-percent stake in the project scheduled for launch in April 2010. The investment totals 530 million yuan (US$75.7 million).

Reverse osmosis is a filtration process typically used for water purification. A fluid is forced through a membrane that filters out solid matter from that fluid.

About a half of the 600-plus cities in China suffer water shortages. Water pollution has exacerbated the situation.

As reverse osmosis membranes are energy-efficient and eco-friendly, they have become widely-accepted in water treatment facilities across the world.

But China's production of such membranes has lagged behind its huge demand. More than 98 percent of the membranes used by domestic companies are imported. The project would help change the situation, the company said.

As a subsidiary of the state-owned ChemChina Group Corporation, BlueStar Co. focuses on chemical products and new materials. Toray Industries, headquartered in Japan's Tokyo, is a world leader in chemical manufacturing.

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2008)