Ceramic Filtration the Way Forward in Wastewater Treatment
As water scarcity world-wide becomes an ever-bigger issue, it is becoming apparent that recycling is a massive untapped business opportunity.
According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2017, more than 80% of the world’s wastewater – and over 95% in some least developed countries – is released to the environment without treatment. Not only does this often lead to pollution and environmental issues, but misses out on possible economic benefits, as well as exacerbating freshwater supply problems.
The 2017 edition report, entitled Wastewater: The Untapped Resource, demonstrates how improved wastewater management generates social, environmental and economic benefits essential for sustainable development.
Industry has long known that water is an expense that needs to be kept control of, particularly as emittance standards continue to become more stringent. A new generation of ceramic membrane filtration technology promises to revolutionise not just wastewater treatment, but also finds applications in the food, drinks and dairy industries.
The growth potential for the technology is strong – a market study released by Technavio, states that the global ceramic membrane market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 12% up until the end of 2021.
In the study, Technavio said: “By application, the water and wastewater treatment segment (of the ceramic membrane market) had the largest market share of 55% due to increasing issues with water scarcity, water desalination processes, and growing demand for quality water. The food and beverages segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR due to increasing demand for recovery of materials, sterilisation of milk, and clarification of juices and beer.”
Disruptive players such as Hydrasyst have identified the potential of ceramic membrane technology and are claiming market share with innovative technology for a range of filtration applications. Hydrasyst, for example, has already fitted its water filtration/recycling technology in several industrial laundry plants, leading to significant water and energy savings. It has also identified applications in the dairy and potato starch industries that it is ready to exploit.
You can read more about Hydrasyst, which has been included in the OPEN Cleantech Equity Fund, here.
