Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Report Code: CMR 0757 Report Format: PDF + Excel

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Overview

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market size is forecast to reach $6.42 billion by 2025, after growing at a CAGR of 5.30% during 2020-2025. Sludge is by-product that is produced primarily from the treatment of wastewater in industries. It contains organic matters, pathogens, chemicals, and microorganisms. Sludge treatment chemicals are primarily employed to purify water before it can be released into the atmosphere. The treatment essentially aims to reduce the volume of water and pathogen content in order to facilitate the safe disposal and possible usage of sludge as fertilizer.

Report Coverage

The report: “Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market – Forecast (2020-2025)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Industry.

By Type: Flocculant, Coagulant, Disinfectant, Anti-Foulant, Anti-Foamer, Activated Carbon, and Others
By Application: Personal care & Chemicals, Metal processing, Oil & gas, Food & beverages, Pulp & paper, and Others
By Geography: North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and RoW

Key Takeaways

  • Rise in industrialization in developing countries has been increasing the production of sludge. This, in turn, has been boosting the demand for sludge treatment chemicals for sludge treatment processes, thereby propelling the demand for sludge treatment chemicals.
  • Rising environmental concerns, stringent environmental policies for waste water treatment by governments across globe are increasing need of sludge treatment processes which in turn projected to drive Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market during the forecast period.
  • Increase in usage of treated sludge in agricultural processes as fertilizer is also driving the demand for sludge treatment chemicals. This is projected to augment the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market during the forecast period.

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Segment Analysis - By Type 

Coagulants segment held a significant share in Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market in 2019. Coagulants and flocculants are used in the sludge treatment processes for removal of solids, sludge thickening, solids dewatering and many more. Cost effectiveness associated with coagulants and other chemicals is boosting the demand for coagulants in sludge treatment processes. This is estimated to drive the global sludge treatment market during the forecast period. Flocculation and coagulation treatment chemicals are used in effluent wastewater water treatment processes for solids removal, water clarification, lime softening, sludge thickening, and solids dewatering.

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Segment Analysis - By Application

Food & beverages segment held a significant share in Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market in 2019 growing at a CAGR of 5.68% during the forecast period. Sludge produced from food & beverages contain high level of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) & COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). Sludge treatment chemicals are used in large quantities to treat wastewater, which has high BOD and COD. BOD and COD are the amount of oxygen used by microorganisms in the biological process of metabolizing organic matter in water. Greater the BOD, lower the amount of dissolved oxygen available. The personal care & chemicals segment is expected to expand at a rapid pace due to the increase in demand for sludge treatment in the segments owing to the stringent government regulations on disposal of wastewater.

The supply of water treatment chemicals shall witness shortages due to the prevalence of COVID-19 at a pandemic level. The industrial sector as a whole shall register an increase in demand for dewatering equipment, water treatment systems and membranes due to stipulated public health guidelines and greater need for sanitary environment.

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Segment Analysis - Geography

North America dominated the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market with a share of more than 39%, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific.  Presence of leading global manufacturers of sludge treatment chemicals in North America, stringent government regulations enacted by governments in the region, and rise in awareness about disposal of sludge are estimated to drive the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market in the region during the forecast period. Huge number of wastewater treatment plants coupled with advanced sludge management programs such as usage of biocides in fertilizers and electricity generation among others are the key factors responsible for the growth of Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market in North America.

For instance, according to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in 2018, 240 million Americans i.e. 76% of the population relied on the 14,748 treatment plants for wastewater sanitation. By 2032, it is expected that 56 million more people will connect to centralized treatment plants, rather than private septic systems, which in turn creates a 23% increase in demand of Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market. China is expected to witness highest growth rate for the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market in Asia Pacific region owing to the increase in demand of sludge treatment chemicals from various end-use industries such as oil & gas, food & beverages, and personal care & chemicals.

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Drivers

Increasing number of industries and sludge treatment plants at municipal level is boosting the demand in the global sludge treatment chemicals market

Increasing efforts towards water conservation activities by industrial bodies, municipal corporations and environmental associations is driving the demand in the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market. The increasing number of industries globally and sludge treatment plants at municipal level is further expected to drive the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market. Moreover, growing initiatives for the supply of clean drinking water in the United States is expected to propel demand for sludge treatment chemicals in the forecast period. For instance, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is focused towards the working for improvement of water and sewage services particularly in the municipal wastewater treatment area.

Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Challenges

Health effects

The main drawbacks of this method are that it has high area requirements and, usually, odor problems appear, due to the exposure of the sludge in an open area. On the other hand, its capital and operational costs are low, since there is no need for any mechanical equipment or chemical addition. High requirement of manual labour, and low out compared to the chemicals hinders the market growth.

Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market. In 2019, the market of sludge treatment chemicals has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market are BASF SE, Kamira OYJ, Amcon Inc., GE Water & Process Technologies, Ovivo Inc., Accepta Water Treatment, Ecolab Incorporated, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Beckart Environment, The Dow Chemical Company and Hubbard-Hall Inc. among others.

Merger/ Technological Innovation

  • In February 2019, BASF and Solenis have completed the merger of BASF’s wet-end Paper and Water Chemicals business with Solenis. The combined company will operate under the Solenis name as a global specialty chemical company focused on paper and industrial water technologies. 
  • In August 2019, GN Separation received heavy orders from African clients for their Disc Centrifuge, which is used for chemical separation. It is well suited for solid as well as liquid waste. It is very economical as it facilitates continues production due to its smooth functioning. It will increase the revenue of the company as well as share in the market.
  • In October 2017, CHEM. ENGI s.r.o. launched its latest technology YESfloc which can continuously deliver a very clean filtrate and sludge cake dried above 25% DSC. These are fully biodegradable and following the strict regulations for wastewater released. This launch will expand the product portfolio of the company as well as increase the goodwill of the company in the market.