Sludge Dewatering Equipment Market

Sludge Dewatering, a GREEN Energy Source

The Sludge Dewatering Equipment Market is expected to grow from USD 6.3 Billion in 2026 to USD 11 Billion by 2033, reflecting strong industry expansion and registering a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period from 2026 to 2033. Proper treatment and reuse of wastewater is today still rather an exception than the norm. As a consequence, ecosystems are contaminated, and valuable nutrients lost. If not properly collected and treated, wastewater may severely threaten human health and pollute the environment. Cities produce large amounts and very diverse types of waste including wastewater. Urban wastewater is usually a combination of one or more of the following which makes it polluted water:

• Domestic effluent consisting of blackwater (excreta, urine and faecal sludge, i.e., toilet wastewater) and greywater (kitchen and bathing wastewater)
• Water from commercial establishments and institutions, including hospitals
• Industrial effluent where present
• Stormwater and other urban run-off

While high-income countries generate more waste per capita, in terms of aggregate volume, developing countries produce more than half of total solid waste. India generates 120,000 tonnes of faecal sludge. Poor quality of septic tanks and pits (which has worsened), and open drains, for example, facilitate the flow of faecal matter into water bodies, causing health and environmental problems. Sludge production in China in 2019 was 39.0 million tons, average 28.1 kg/y per capita.

In low-income countries, only 8 per cent of wastewater undergoes treatment of any kind. In these countries in particular, wastewater production is likely to rise at a faster pace than the current development of collection infrastructure and treatment facilities. According to ‘The United Nations World Water Development Report 2017’, high-income countries treat about 70 per cent of municipal and industrial wastewater they generate. That percentage drops to 38 in upper-middle-income countries and to 28 in lower-middle-income countries. Failing to address wastewater as a social and environmental problem would nullify other efforts towards achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A new study by scientists at Utrecht University and the United Nations University concludes that about half of global wastewater is treated. Globally, about 359 billion cubic metres of wastewater is produced each year, equivalent to 144 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Sewage sludge recovery makes sludge a resource and establishes local circular economy loops.

Gives value to materials previously deemed harmful or even dangerous for the environment. It also helps combat the scarcity of raw materials and the use of fossil fuels.

Sludge Treatment and Management is a Growing Challenge for Countries Globally

The liquid content of sludge from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment and waste from other operations has a high impact on disposal costs such as transportation, effluent disposal, storage and drying. Sludge originates during the process of treating wastewater before the water can be released back into the environment. Basically, both the public and private sectors are required to dispose the sludge which is approved by industries. Disposal of sludge is governed by strict regulations. Most companies, municipalities, and institutions have sustainability objectives that are in line with regulatory guidelines and their own organizational and environmental requirements.

Use of dewatering equipment is an effective tool for managing sludge accumulation, reducing both transportation costs and storage expenses. Sludge dewatering equipment is not intended to treat the sludge or liquid but, it only separates the liquid components & solid components so it will get easier and cost-effective to handle the separate phases of the disposal. Once the final sludge has been dewatered, then the liquid is treated in ETP/STP, and solid sludge is disposed.

The choice of a sludge treatment method is dependent on several factors including the characteristics, volume, timing and the available disposal options. There are various technologies for sludge dewatering, including centrifuging, decanter, drying beds, plate & frame and belt filter presses, geomembranes, screw pressing, and latest and advanced sludge dewatering press, as well as other options. In fact, filter presses are a proven, cost-effective and highly efficient in producing excellent, superior cake dryness as compared to other filtration equipment. Dry, high solids cakes mean lower costs. Also provide a lower risk of spilling/leaking onto the roads. This is a major issue, particularly when trucking through residential areas.

Big in Business: Sewage Sludge Thickening

Society produces a lot of waste and every planned municipality in the world having some form of a centralized wastewater management system. Wastewater treatment is something of a growing necessity (as a source of nutrients and energy). Treated wastewater reuse is already an important source of irrigation water in many dry countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. However, only 11% of the wastewater produced globally is currently being reused, which shows large opportunities for expansion. Freshwater augmentation is a big opportunity for sludge dewatering equipment market.

February 2021, Veolia Water Technologies Gulf was granted an agreement by Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi and Sons (Al-Kharafi) to supply, manage, introduce and commission 53 AnoxKaldnes™ Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) bundled sewage treatment plants.

July 2020, ALFA LAVAL announced that it will supply Framo pumping systems to a FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) vessel to be inherent China. The request is esteemed at roughly US$ 15.1 Mn. It was reserved late June in the Pumping Systems unit of the Marine Division, with conveyances planned for 2021.

Sludge is International Concern and there are Global Interest Groups

As the requirement increases, so do the structures and facilities wherein the wastewater is treated, and now all over the world there are some of the most impressively sprawling developments, all dedicated to greenifying water.

• SSWM Toolbox for knowledge around sustainable sanitation and water management.
• Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) working to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG6.
• Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) create eco-societies by providing quality services on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), environment and public health.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit Gmbh (GIZ) provides tailor-made, cost-efficient and effective services for sustainable development.
• International Centre for Water Management Services (cewas), create social and environmental impact, build enabling ecosystems.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
• Stockholm Environment Institute, international non-profit research and policy organization that tackles environment and development challenges.
• The Ecological Sanitation Research (EcoSanRes) Programme aims to develop and promote sustainable sanitation in the developing world.
• Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association (BORDA e. V), an NGO playing a leading role in international efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Sludge Dewatering Equipment Companies

• Alfa Laval AB
• ANDRITZ AG
• Veolia Water Technologies
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions
• HUBER SE
• Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
• Flottweg SE
• GEA Group AG
• Komline-Sanderson Engineering Corporation
• Phoenix Process Equipment Co.
• Aqseptence Group
• Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
• Benenv Co. Ltd.
• BDP Industries, Inc.
• Beckart Environmental

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