China’s Shrinking Freshwater Levels Leading to Investements in Treatment Technology

China’s Shrinking Freshwater Levels have compelled power plants to adopt water reuse and recycling treatment solutions and reduce water consumption, thereby leading to the strong growth of the country’s water and wastewater management market. While Eastern China has been the focal point for investments in treatment technology, the growth of the power industry in Central and Southwest China will shift market opportunities to those regions.

The steady development of China’s coal-fuelled power plants, which require large volumes of water for various processes, along with the expansion of power plants’ installation capacity, is driving demand for efficient water reuse & recycling technologies in the short and medium term. The growth of thermal power plants will place emphasis on water recycling and create an addressable market for water and wastewater treatment throughout the country.

As a result, wastewater treatment equipment suppliers are looking for opportunities in other power sectors such as nuclear power. In fact, China’s renewal of its nuclear power development plan, which aims to increase nuclear power capacity to more than 40,000 megawatt (MW) by 2015 and 70,000-80,000 MW by 2020, will boost the adoption of, for instance, desalination technology, as most nuclear power plants are built in coastal areas.

Supplying these technologies through contract models, where several water-intensive plants can use a standalone water-management system within an industrial park, will likely become a market trend. Power plants will also establish framework agreements with large municipalities for the purchase of treated wastewater in the future.

Qualified integrated water and wastewater solution providers offering engineering and support services will encourage plant owners to optimise their water and wastewater treatment units. Integrated solutions and services will also enable the online monitoring of water intake, transportation, treatment and reclamation.