Greentech Lead Asia: Water and Wastewater Treatment (WWWT) solutions in Food
and Beverage Industry in Asia Pacific earned revenues of US$744.3
million in 2011 and is estimated to exceed US$1.18 billion by
2016, according to Frost & Sullivan.
The higher purchasing power and superior lifestyle of the
growing middle class, particularly in emerging countries such
as Vietnam and Indonesia, are expected to give a boost to the
food and beverage manufacturing industry in the Asia Pacific. This
translates to significant opportunities for the water and wastewater treatment
(WWWT) solutions market.
The rising demand for high-purity water in the food and
beverage industry and tough legislation on industrial wastewater discharge
bodes well for the WWWT solutions market. In addition, the growing pressure on
businesses to reduce their water consumption coupled with the escalating costs
of water has necessitated wastewater recycle and reuse.
There is substantial demand for cost-effective
technologies for producing high-purity water, the report finds. Membrane
technologies are and will be the preferred technologies for treating water to
high-purity levels.
“The food and beverage industry is showing a
preference for advanced membrane filtration system such as reverse
osmosis,” said Frost & Sullivan senior consultant David Lee. This is
particularly the case for membrane bioreactors used for treating wastewater due
to its lower carbon footprint.”
However, despite the criticality of WWWT, several food
and beverage companies hesitate to invest in WWWT solutions due to the high
upfront costs and instead, prefer to meet only the minimal requirement on
wastewater quality.
Non-production investments such as these are accorded low
priority, particularly by small- to medium-sized companies. This attitude,
along with the lack of regulation for best practices and competition from
low-cost Chinese imports, challenges solution providers.
“On the other hand, larger facilities are
increasingly recycling and reusing industrial wastewater,” said Lee.
“WWWT solution providers must make the most of this demand through
competitive pricing, strong local presence, and robust after-sales
service.”
While Thailand and Japan are expected
to account for the largest share of the revenue pie, Indonesia is
projected to be the fastest growing market. The rest of Asia Pacific will
see a steady revenue growth across all vertical markets, with meat products and
processed foods being the largest sectors.