Power Plants Are Driving A Rapidly Expanding Market For Fabric Filters

The world market for fabric filter systems in 2010 will be $6.5 billion.  Of this total the operators of coal-fired boilers will account for 26 percent.  This is the latest forecast in the McIlvaine online World Fabric Filters and Elements Markets report.

The power industry has traditionally utilized electrostatic precipitators to remove the dust from coal-fired generator exhaust stacks.  Concern about fine particle emissions has resulted in regulations throughout the world to limit these emissions.  As a result existing plants are converting to fabric filters, and many new plants are opting to utilize them as well.

The U.S. market will be the largest in the next five years, not only due to concern about fine particles, but also mercury.  Activated carbon injection in conjunction with fabric filters provides efficient mercury capture.

The power industry also uses fabric filters as part of the spray drier flue gas desulfurization process.  The filters capture the gypsum formed by the reaction of powdered lime and SO₂.  Texas Utilities alone will invest $300 million for filters for desulfurization in the next few years.

Major purchasers of fabric filters include the steel, mining, and chemical industry.  Waste incineration is another significant market.  Food and pharmaceuticals are significant but smaller markets.

Because much of the growth in heavy industry is in Asia, this region is growing faster than either the Americas or Asia (in all industries except power).  China will be the largest purchaser of replacement bags for fabric filters by 2010.

Sales For New And Replacement Bags In 2010

($ Millions)

China                           313

United States                268

Japan                             88

India                               64

Germany                        54

Brazil                              44

South Korea                   37

France                            34

Italy                                30

Australia                         29

Over the last decade Germany has fallen from third to fifth place.  Half the leading countries in the top ten will be Asian by 2010.  India has replaced cement precipitators with fabric filters.  With its industrial expansion, India will move into fourth place.

Australia will be in tenth place due to the mining activities and also the fact that power plants in Australia have replaced their precipitators with fabric filters.

For more information on World Fabric Filters and Elements Markets click on:   

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/air.html#N021 .

Bob McIlvaine

847-784-0012

rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com