The global zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $6 billion to over $9 billion by 2025, according to research by Global Market Insights Inc.
ZLD system market size is driven by the declining level of freshwater sources globally. The level of industrial wastewater is rising. The industrialization in developing economies such as India, China and Thailand are growing, hampering the freshwater bodies. Rising population is also positively fueling the ZLD system market size in the future.
Strict protocols created by the regional government bodies are compelling the manufacturing organizations to set up ZLD units in their plants. These systems purify the wastewater and recycle it for further use in manufacturing operations. The use of ZLD units in the production plants could reduce water-borne diseases. Several government organizations are imposing guidelines concerning the disposal of wastewater, which would directly propel the demand for ZLD system market in the coming years.
Set-up cost and operating expenses could hinder growth of the ZLD system market, and ZLD units require a lot of space and skilled personnel, which could be a challenge for smaller industries.
Image courtesy of Global Market Insights
The ZLD system market size based on its products are segmented into conventional and hybrid units. Hybrid units are projected to grow at considerable rate to exceed $4.2 billion at the end of the expected timeframe. Hybrid units consist of pretreatment sections with brine purification, MVR evaporator, crystallizer and solid separation unit, which help recycling the wastewater continuously.
The thermal based systems segment will exhibit a surge in its growth with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over 5.5% during the forecast period. The thermal-based ZLD systems are mostly used with conventional units, since they help in recovering more than 95% of a plant’s wastewater while decreasing the remaining effluents as end products. The energy and power end use sector will capture over 25% of entire segment share in coming year. ZLD is also important for the steam electric power industries.
Europe registered a revenue over $1.5 billion in 2018 and is expected to dominate the market size in future. Many regional countries are industrially strong and face water scarcity, which compels the use of ZLD systems.