MBR Technology: its main characteristics and market over the world

A market survey of the Membrane BioReactors (MBRs) industry has been performed, obtaining data from 3 major suppliers of MBR filtration systems and MBR plant constructors. MBR plants constructed up to 2012 have been checked, and about 600 wastewater treatment plants have been listed. On average, the capacity of industrial applications is an order of magnitude smaller than municipal. While several systems are available, this study focuses on flat sheet and hollow fibre membranes, in that their share of the MBR market is consistent. What is more, the predominance of immersed MBR filtration systems in wastewater treatment is undisputed, as they represent 99% of the total installed membrane surface (GE Zenon and Kubota, 2 non-European suppliers, representing 63% and 30% respectively). If the industrial market can be considered as mature and stabilized, the municipal market is expected to witness further growth over the next decade under the combined effects of the acceleration of plant construction and the capacity increase. This provides a commercial opportunity for new MBR suppliers to increase their share in the global market through innovation