NEWS RELEASE                                                                                        DECEMBER 2012 

Power Industry to Spend $4.8 Billion for Treatment Chemicals in 2013

Electric utility power generators will spend more than $4.8 billion for water and wastewater treatment chemicals in 2013. This is the latest forecast in Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals: World Market published by the McIlvaine Company.

($ Millions)

 

The largest expenditures will be for corrosion and scale inhibitors used in the boiler feedwater circuit. Flocclulants are used in cooling water treatment, boiler feedwater treatment and to treat wastewater. The limestone and lime used for SO₂ capture in scrubbing systems are not included in this total. Also not included are ammonia and urea used for NO_x removal.

The market is growing at double-digit rates in Asia due to the construction of many new coal-fired power plants. In the U.S. and Europe, the market growth will be low due to several factors. Some coal-fired capacity is being replaced with renewables such as wind and solar which do not require treatment chemicals. Combined cycle gas turbine plants require considerably less water and, therefore, treatment chemicals than do coal-fired power plants.

On the positive side, many plants are opting to use treated municipal wastewater as a source for cooling and boiler feedwater. Chemicals are required to remove biological and chemical contaminants. There is growth in the use of geothermal energy. Very large amounts of scale inhibitors are used in these plants.

For more information on Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals: World Market, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/water.html#NO26