The world’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems are likely to be built in the Mena region, and the market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 17.77 per cent to reach $280.30 million by 2015, said a report.

Despite the severe water crisis, the Mena region has been at the vanguard of embracing new technologies, according to an upcoming report on the MBR market in the Mena region by Frost & Sullivan, a growth partnership company.

The most dominant consumer for MBR systems is the commercial segment, which has driven the demand mainly due to urbanisation and real estate sector development in the Mena region.

In the GCC region, the oil and gas sector has been at the forefront of developing advanced treatment systems for wastewater treatment.

The Mena region has also seen installations of capacities greater than 20,000 cu m per day, and more large capacity plants will come up given the acute water stress and strong penchant for water reclamation. The municipal and industrial segments have also seen a notable number of MBR system installations, the report said.

Opportunities for MBRs in this market are substantial, considering the potential for recycle and reuse of grey water (domestic sewage) and industrial effluents. Among all the countries in the Mena region, the UAE market is approaching maturity and is currently stagnant; this is partially due to the economic crisis and infrastructure sector slowdown.

On the other hand, some countries in the region have just begun to commission very small-scale MBR plants, said the report.

“The Mena MBR market is expected to witness a high growth trajectory in the next 5- 10 years on account of large number of projects being commissioned in medium and large range plants with capacity ranging between 5,000 cu m/day and 50,000 cu m/day,” said a Frost & Sullivan Environment and Building Technologies Analyst.

“The larger plants are being developed in the UAE and the entire GCC region, while the small to medium range plants are being installed in countries like Algeria, Libya and Iran.”

The Frost & Sullivan report indicates that market participants with superior skills in project management, competitive component sourcing, design and engineering have an opportunity to grow.

Key countries to watch out for in the Mena region are Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, and Kuwait.

These countries are expanding their existing capacities in the municipal wastewater sector and diversifying their economies with massive industrial expansion, which will bring many opportunities for wastewater treatment companies.

In the quest for sustainable and green growth, the region is also developing smart city concepts, wherein MBRs would play a central role in treating grey/sewage water back to fresh water levels, according to the report. – TradeArabia News Service