Shifting focus: Vivant drops Israeli partner

Vivant Hydrocore Holdings Inc. (VHHI), a subsidiary of Cebu-based Vivant Corp., has ended its joint venture with Israel-based WaterMatic International Ltd., its partner in developing a seawater desalination plant in Cordova, Cebu.

In a press statement, VHHI said the termination of the partnership, effective on Friday, will enable the company to concentrate on expanding its efforts in the water infrastructure sector.

VHHI and WaterMatic International first teamed up in 2019 to establish WaterMatic Philippines Inc., a venture focused on the design, supply, installation, and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment facilities.

WaterMatic Philippines is currently building VHHI’s desalination plant, which can generate 20 million liters a day of potable water in the first phase and can cover the average daily consumption of 20,000 Filipino households.

50M daily output eyed

The plant can be expanded to produce 50 million liters a day using seawater reverse osmosis technology — a globally utilized technology to remove salt from seawater and produce drinking water.

Despite the development, both companies assured that the termination of their joint venture would not impact the completion of the desalination plant, which remains covered by a separate contract with WaterMatic Philippines.

Additionally, the companies also expressed openness to future collaborations, reaffirming their shared commitment to innovative solutions for addressing the Philippines’ water security challenges.