Environmental Clean Technologies Completes REM Pilot System Ahead of Field Demonstration

Environmental Clean Technologies (ASX: ECT) has completed construction of its pilot Rapid Electrothermal Mineralisation (REM) system as it moves toward commercial in-situ treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The pilot system represents a major upgrade from the laboratory prototype, delivering 22 kilowatts of power output and enabling in-situ testing for PFAS destruction in contaminated soil and granular activated carbon (GAC).

ECT is now progressing laboratory validation of the pilot system and targeting its first in-field demonstration across both soil and GAC during the second half of 2026.

Pilot System Upgrade

The new REM pilot system delivers approximately 18 times the power output of ECT’s lab-scale prototype, while reducing system volume by about 50% and weight by around 75%.

It operates at 170 kilohertz and 2,200 volts, compared with 70kHz and 500V for the legacy laboratory configuration, enabling faster and more energy-efficient remediation.

ECT has also removed the need for conductive additives such as biochar, which it said had added cost and complexity to earlier laboratory configurations.

The company believes additive-free, high-temperature in-situ REM has not previously been demonstrated by another PFAS remediation process.

In-Situ Treatment Focus

REM is ECT’s process for destroying PFAS within contaminated soil and GAC, as well as removing heavy metals from the environment.

The process is a subset of Flash Joule Heating (FJH), which was developed by Rice University and uses high-voltage, high-power current between graphite or metal electrodes to generate temperatures above approximately 1,000°C.

Those temperatures are intended to break the strong carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS and convert them into inert, non-toxic fluoride salts.

Controlled laboratory testing has achieved demineralisation efficiencies exceeding 96% and removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of up to 99.98%.

Field Deployment Pathway

ECT said the redesigned system addresses key barriers to large-scale deployment by replacing the substantial ancillary equipment required for the lab-scale setup.

The pilot system incorporates redesigned power electronics, industry-grade components and aerospace-grade electrode materials selected to withstand high temperatures and mechanical stresses during subsurface deployment.

The reduced size and weight are expected to make the system more practical for mounting to existing construction and farming equipment used by potential industry partners.

ECT intends to commercialise REM primarily through licencing, supported by modular integration with standard equipment to lower site-specific capital requirements.

GAC Market Extension

ECT is also advancing a complementary pathway for destroying PFAS captured on GAC, extending the addressable market into water remediation using the same core hardware.

Laboratory validation of the GAC pathway has been completed, including a peer-reviewed published study of commercial GAC samples sourced from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The company is now procuring PFAS-laden commercial samples to confirm results from the prototype can be replicated and improved at pilot scale.

Successful validation would support ECT’s planned move from laboratory and pilot work into in-field demonstration and potential commercial partnerships.

Commercial Milestone

Chief technology officer Justin Sharp said completion of the pilot system moved REM from laboratory validation toward practical field deployment.

“This is the system we’ve been working towards for many years at Rice University,” he said.

“The step-change in power output is what unlocks in-situ soil remediation at a commercial scale, overcoming a longstanding challenge in pushing sufficient current through soil without conductive additives or fixed infrastructure, and making the technology far more commercially viable.”

“Just as importantly, we've cut system volume by around 50% and weight by 75%, making deployment across contaminated sites much more practical to mount onto existing, commercially available construction and farming equipment.”

With the pilot system now complete, the company will turn its focus to validation and field demonstration, targeted for the second half of 2026.