March 19, 2001--As the world's energy and water needs expand the demand for treatment chemicals also increases. In 2001 worldwide sales of water and wastewater treatment chemicals will exceed $15 billion. This is the conclusion in the continually updated on line McIlvaine report Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals, World Market.
Corrosion inhibitors will be the top selling category. Over $3.7 billion will be spent to protect pipes, boiler tubes, and process equipment with these additives. Organic flocculants will capture 2nd place with sales of $2.6 billion. Scale inhibitors will be the third largest selling category followed by (4) inorganic flocculants and coagulants and (5) oxidizers and biocides.
Power plants will be the largest purchasers ($5.4 billion) followed by municipal water treatment plants ($3.3 billion). Rounding out the top five are municipal wastewater facilities, oil and gas producers and refineries, and pulp and paper mills.
Growth over the next several years will be driven by construction of new water and wastewater facilities and power plants. China will experience the greatest growth. It is building power plants at a faster rate than any other country. By the end of the decade 40% of China's population will be urban. Most cities will need to increase water delivery and wastewater treatment facilities by 50% to 70%.
In the U.S., the renovation of existing coal-fired plants and the construction of new ones presents an opportunity that was unanticipated a few years ago. But the soaring price of natural gas has made coal-fired power generation attractive. Coal-fired plants require water and wastewater treatment chemical expenditures more than four times larger than gas turbine generators of the same capacity.
For more information on this subject, visit the company's Web site at http://www.mcilvainecompany.com
