What is the market size of waste and waste water treatment in India?
Wastewater management is emerging as a key focus area for the Government as well as for Atlas Copco. Rapid industrialization and urbanization presents with the challenge of the dwindling fresh water reserves and a depleting groundwater table. Though, a widening demand-supply gap also brings a huge opportunity to bring the water treatment facilities in the picture and create a long-term market.

According to industry estimates, Indians on average use 120 to 125 litres (33 gallons) of water daily, about half of this becomes wastewater every day. Currently, only 60 % of industrial and 26 % of domestic wastewater is treated in India. Though the metros are waking up to the opportunity of wastewater management contributing to a 30 percent, the smaller cities, at a minuscule rate of 3.7%, are yet to catch up.

Waste water treatment plants market in India is around $14 bn and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 12% in next 3 years

Many cities and suburbs in India are devoid of a waste and waste water treatment facility, even today, are the policy makers and government doing enough to address the situation?
The government understands the criticality and importance of wastewater treatment and has unveiled some initiatives:

Priority release of budget allocations based on reforms implemented by states in the previous year – whilst also undertaking a review of water tariffs.

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) – the Modi government’s successor to the JNNURM –The Namami Gange Mission (NMCG ) to clean the river Ganga
100 Smart Cities across India are aimed at realizing the government’s ambition of bringing the quality of India’s water supply and sanitation to a level currently enjoyed by developed economies.

INR500 billion ($7.7 billion) has been allocated for investment in 500 towns and cities under AMRUT, with INR480 billion ($7.4 billion) put aside for upgrading 100 cities to attain ‘smart’ status. Water and wastewater infrastructure is anticipated to constitute up to 40% of the total investment under these initiatives.

A trend towards service contracts is also creating new opportunities. Many contracts are now being awarded under a EPC+O&M model, typically with operating contracts of 5 to 15 years attached to them. These contrasts are with the “build-neglect-rebuild” practice of past years, where many treatment plants were built but not maintained properly, and eventually fell into disrepair. With these types of maintenance contracts, we hope the EPC companies becomes conscious in selecting the right technology for a more energy efficient and sustainable model, which Atlas Copco stands for.

What are some of your recent product offerings?
We have introduced the most innovative range of screw blowers which are better in energy efficiency than the previous Atlas Copco generation by 10%. The footprint is reduced by 50%. Screw Blowers are already better in energy efficiency then the traditional tri-lobe Blowers by an average 30 to 40 %.

We have also introduced a new range of High Speed Turbo Blowers with Magnetic Bearings which are far more superior in reliability and Energy efficiency than that with the air foil bearings and the capacity is also enhanced up to 10,000 M3/Hr.

The power cost of the aeration blowers is 60 per cent of the total STP, hence our energy efficient aeration blowers shall contribute in bringing down the overall power cost by 30 to 40 per cent. Hence, we shall support India by treating water by consuming much less energy, and at the same time offering highest reliability, with the lowest ownership cost on the aeration blowers.

Atlas Copco has a wide network of service technicians across the country which always ensures high availability and uptime of the machines. We believe in providing the customers a wholesome range of overall services, so that well-thought initiatives like wastewater treatment can be achieved efficienctly.

With the lowest ownership cost on the aeration blowers Atlas Copco is all set to support India in its mission to treat water efficiently utilizing less energy whilst offering the highest reliability says Conrad Latham, General Manager, Compressor Technique, Atlas Copco India.
Conrad Latham,
General Manager, Compressor Technique, Atlas Copco India.