US and Chinese suppliers lead global membrane bioreactor market, according to Bluefield Research
The global membrane bioreactor market is set to rebound, with US and Chinese suppliers poised to win the lion’s share of contracts according to Boston-based water market analysts Bluefield Research. Water and wastewater markets in general have been set back by the global economy, but the MBR market is regaining momentum with over 1.6 million cubic meters per day (m3/d) of large-scale MBR capacity in planning.
Of the 4.2 million m3/d of large-scale MBR capacity installed worldwide, US and Chinese system suppliers − GE Water, Beijing Origin Water, Koch Membrane Systems, Beijing E&E, and Tianjin Motimo − have supplied over 74 percent of the market, according to a new report from Bluefield Research. Bluefield defines large-scale MBR systems as those with a capacity greater than or equal to 30,000 m3/d.
GE Water is the market leader in large-scale MBR systems with nearly a 47 percent global market share. GE Water has strong supply references in the US, UAE, South Korea, Australia, and France, but has supplied just 61,000 m3/d to the booming Chinese market.
China, spurred by 2008 Olympics build-out and continued urbanisation, is the world’s largest MBR wastewater market with over 1.4 million m3/d installed to date and has 730,000 m3/d of additional capacity in the planning stages. Chinese suppliers such as Beijing Origin Water have emerged as the chief threat to GE Water’s global MBR position.
Since 2000, MBR technology has found traction in the global wastewater treatment market thanks in large part to a 45 percent decline in membrane prices and MBR’s modular design, which can be deployed at space-constrained urban and industrial wastewater facilities. This positive outlook for the MBR industry has sparked vertical integration along the technology’s supply chain, enabling companies to capture greater economies.
'The municipal market will continue to be the primary user of large-scale MBR systems,' says Bluefield Research analyst Erin Bonney, 'but high organic loads and waste volumes in petrochemicals, and other industries such as food & beverage and dairy, present further greenfield opportunities.'
Bluefield Research's report is titled 'Global Membrane Bioreactor Market: An Emerging Competitive Landscape'.