Water-Stressed Chinese Industries Make a Beeline for Membrane Bioreactor Technology

Depleting water reserves in China, especially northern China, calls for effective water regeneration technologies. Membrane bioreactor has emerged as the water treatment and reclamation technology of choice among both municipal and industrial end users. Considering the increasingly stringent wastewater discharge standards for various industrial sectors, MBR wastewater treatment technology is definitely the way forward.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (UK), China Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Market Outlook - Ambitious Water Reuse Targets to Boost Local Membrane Industry and Fuel Exponential Growth, finds that the market earned revenues of $228.1 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach $1,351.1 million in 2017.

“As one of the recommended technologies by the Ministry of Environment Protection of China, MBR appears the most feasible solution to the water reuse problems, especially with the country’s improving technology and operation management skills,” says Frost & Sullivan Consulting Analyst Jennie Peng. “The Chinese Government’s 12th five-year plan (2011 to 2015) provides directive guidelines for water reclamation and reuse, which strongly encourages the widespread use of MBR applications.”

The Chinese MBR market witnessed exponential growth in the past three to four years and is expected to maintain this momentum. A shot in the arm for the MBR market was the staging of three important events in the country: the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Shanghai Expo and Guangzhou Asia Games in 2008 and 2010. MBR technology won the tender for ancillary water treatment facility for reclamation and reuse purposes, considerably raising its revenue and profile in the water reclamation market.

While the potential is vast, the MBR technology has to sort out glitches relating to membrane material fouling and raise customer awareness of the tangible benefits of the systems. Companies are looking to equip end users with more sophisticated operational skills for a better understanding of the benefits of the systems as education and demonstration are crucial to fully utilise the potential of the technology. Although the technology is mature, only part of its potential has been exploited.

Market participants also have to strategise to deal with the relatively low tariffs in a way that will allow them to recoup their investments and operational cost of the systems, as well as offset the high market concentration that hinders the market entry of new participants.

The local government has to mark a special budget for the wastewater reclamation market to ensure its sustained development. These efforts at the government and industrial levels augur well for the market and are expected to help it hold its course.