Major Shifts in the Market for Thermal Treatment of Stack Gases

The technology, the locations and the applications for thermal treatment of stack gases are changing at a faster rate today than they were a decade ago.  The present world market for regenerative thermal oxidizers, catalytic oxidizers and conventional thermal treatment is $2 billion.  This does not include flares which add an additional $0.4 billion.  It does not include NOx reduction which is addressed in a separate McIlvaine (USA) report.

The overall growth rate for the industry will be less than 5 percent, but the market in some industries and some locations will grow at double-digit rates.  Some new technology also promises to capture significant portions of the market.  These are the conclusions reached by the McIlvaine Company in Thermal Catalytic World Air Pollution Markets. 

Unconventional oil and gas extraction is a changing application.  There are new sources of emissions and new restrictions on existing sources.  Stranded sources have traditionally emitted methane without treatment.  Flaring of those gases is now required in many countries. The U.S. has gone a step further and is requiring capture and reuse of those gases.

Coal bed methane, biomass combustion, ethanol manufacture and landfill gas are all growing application segments for thermal treatment. Sewage sludge combustion is an application now being served with regenerative thermal oxidizers.

New technologies include catalytic filtration. W.L. Gore introduced REMEDIA a number of years ago.  Now FLSmidth and Haldor Topsoe have introduced a synthetic media filter with three layers each including a catalyst.  Filtration Group has a catalytic filter element which has been removing VOCs in a number of installations.

The market has shifted from the developed countries to the developing.  Printing, textile, food and other manufacturers with VOC emissions have long been regulated in Europe and the U.S.  Now stringent VOC control regulations are being implemented in Asia and South America.

For more information on Thermal Catalytic World Air Pollution Markets, click on:  http://ilmt.co/PL/wW1E.