North American Municipal Biosolids Market, Forecast to 2021

The North American market for biosolids production is expected to grow consistently in the medium to long term. Factors surrounding greater levels of urbanization, population growth, and an increasing acceptance of biosolids products and facilities drive the market. These drivers underpin a greater shift in this industry as wastewater treatment facilities are viewed increasingly as resource recovery centers. Enhanced treatment of sludge byproducts delivers Class B biosolids for land disposal, and even further treatment achieves Class A biosolids, which include fertilizers and artificial soil. These additional treatment processes at wastewater treatment facilities create a more sustainable stewardship of materials, produces new nutrient recovery revenue streams for municipalities, and delivers greater partnerships between municipal waste facilities and its community.

The market includes both outsourced biosolids production partners and original equipment manufacturers that supply wastewater treatment facilities with the solutions needed to construct biosolids processing centers onsite. Multiple technologies are deployed in the creation of biosolids, and these technologies can be arranged in a number of ways to deliver Class A and Class B biosolids. While some treatment solutions are mature, the market does see the introduction of new innovations, such as thermal hydrolysis, which delivers strong efficiencies to the digestion process.

Competition in this market is strong, with four competitors alone capturing a substantial total market share. While there are many local and regional partners, these four organizations deliver national coverage and have a history of excellence in the North American market. Core competitive factors include pricing, energy efficiency, and performance in high volume processing.

This study analyzes the North American biosolids market from 2013 to 2021. The research scope includes:
•     Municipal customers
•     Technologies including digestions, thermal hydrolysis, dewatering, drying, composting, and alkaline treatment, delivered through outsourcing and equipment sales.
•     Breakdowns by country (Canada and the United States)
•     Market drivers and restraints for the 2017–2021 forecast period
•     A competitive landscape analysis

Key questions this study will address:
•     Is the market growing, how long will it continue, and at what rate?
•     How will the structure of the market change with time in terms of processing technologies, applications, and competitors?
•     What are the factors critical to growth and what are the main challenges in this market?
•     What are the major current and future industry trends?