By Huned Contractor

Given the fact that the norms for controlling or preventing pollution are being enforced very efficiently, manufacturers of pollution control equipment in India are quite buoyant about the industry’s growth curve

There was a time when manufacturing industries would not be too bothered about the pollution effects of their operations. Not any more. Now, controlling pollution occupies a priority slot in the production line and therefore the Indian air pollution control equipment market has witnessed amazing growth in the recent past. This is attributed to not only the growing investments in end user industries but also due to the strict emission standards laid down by the Pollution Control Board (PCB). Concerns about environment and creating an ambient atmosphere for healthy living has also supported growth.

According to a research report published by Frost & Sullivan, the market holds good potential in the future. The study considers equipment like mechanical dust collectors, bag filters, electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers, and flue gas desulphurisation. “The demand from the power and cement sectors will provide positive momentum for the Indian air pollution control equipment (APCE) market,” the report states, adding, “Increasing awareness of environment protection issues and the detrimental effects of air pollution are also fuelling the APCE market. The rapid pace of industrialisation and urbanisation has unleashed alarming levels of pollution, leading to deterioration in air quality. This has resulted in the mushrooming of new industrial centres without proper pollution control mechanisms. The PCB in India has framed emission control standards, and the mandatory requirement of APCE in India has opened up more than Rs 13.1 billion for this market.”

Thermal power plants are the major polluting industries in India. With the Indian government’s ‘Power for All by 2012’ programme and the line-up of ultra mega power projects, the demand for APC equipment is anticipated to continue on an upward trajectory. Electrostatic precipitators (ESP) dominate the current market. Installations of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) are anticipated to increase on the back of strong enforcement of emission control norms. However, although the outlook for the market looks promising, there are some impediments to progression. The fragmented nature of the industry has caused price pressure to escalate. Major participants find it extremely difficult to match prices offered by small participants, especially in product categories such as mechanical dust collectors and wet scrubbers (WS).

As the manufacturing technology for bag filters (BF) and WS is less complex compared to that of ESP and FGD, many participants are encouraged to foray into this product line. However, market fragmentation allows customers the upper hand in these product lines, intensifying price sensitivity,” notes an analyst of Frost & Sullivan. Lack of product knowledge among small participants is also an issue. They do not have the requisite knowledge of the application of APCE products in relation to the characteristics of emissions generated by various end-user industries. The use of wrong materials for construction of APCE reduces both quality and efficiency. Such products fall prey to frequent failures causing downtime and violation of air pollution control norms. As a result, customer confidence has eroded considerably.

“In such a scenario, technology emerges as a significant challenge, but it is also the critical success factor. Developing a strong technical knowledge, dedicated and technically sound project along with strategic cost management and market presence in attractive product categories are the areas that need focus in order to sustain and emerge as a successful participant in this market,” the analyst states.

Players and Innovations

Given the increasing dependence on air pollution control equipment by all segments of Indian industry, the number of companies that now provide such products has seen a dramatic rise. What is also fuelling growth in the industry is the wide range of innovations. Take the example of the Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA), which is a not-for-profit organisation that, apart from research and consultancy, has also introduced new kinds of pollution control products. One of these is the Manual Vertical Baler, which is a first-of-its-kind in India. This product is very efficient in areas which have no access to electricity or available for only a few hours a day. It has zero operational cost as no electricity and oil is required.

IPCA in consultation with RecMech Enviro (P) Ltd has also designed and manufactured an Aerosol Destruction Machine for the safe disposal of damaged/expired aerosol containers. The machine is unique in its design and helps prevent explosions due to Butane in aerosol containers. It is designed to puncture five aerosol containers at one time of either the same or different size or capacity. The aerosol container is punctured with nails made up of non-metallic material in an airtight chamber in conjunction with continuous flow of liquid to avoid all possibility of catching fire during the puncturing process.

Then there are companies that have become specialists in any one type of equipment, as for example Mumbai-based R K Engineering Works, which manufactures extractors. Says the company’s director Dinesh Yadav, “We provide an extensive portfolio that includes fume extractor, laser fume extraction systems, portable fume extractors, portable soldering fume extractors, smoke extractors, portable welding smoke extractors, etc.” Similarly, Uttar Pradesh-based Ankita Fluid Tech Engineers has expertise in treatment plants. “We manufacture and export industrial water softeners, commercial water softeners, reverse osmosis plants, iron removal plants, fluoride removal plants, arsenic treatment plants, etc. The market for these products has been improving steadily over the years because of the pollution control laws that have come into place,” informs Manish Kumar Gupta, Director-Technical.

Yet another company that specializes in a particular type of pollution control equipment is Coimbatore-based Fantek that manufactures centrifugal fans, tube axial fans, industrial axial fans, fume exhausters, bag filter systems, centrifugal blowers, cyclone separators, etc. This range of fans and other equipment is also offered by Kolkata-based Precision Engineering Works India. Says A K Roy Choudhury, the company’s proprietor, “We make air blowers, heavy duty fans, blower impellers, draft fans, etc. Today, no industry can start manufacturing without first installing a proper system of pollution control and this implies that the industry’s growth pattern will remain consistent,” he says.

The market also has big-sized players, one such being Apzem, an ISO 9001:2008-certified company that is emerging as a global brand in the field of air pollution control. The company has been engaged in designing, manufacturing and supplying equipment like dust collectors, fume extractors, wet scrubbers, dry scrubbers, fume hoods, etc. and ventilation systems to its customers from different kinds of industries. “We provide an optimum designed, economical and effective solution to all dust control, fume control, VOCs, HAPs, NOx and SOx control needs,” states their website.

Taking the Lead

It is now mandatory for the power plants and industries to install pollution control equipment to comply with the prescribed standards under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. As per the new guidelines, it is the duty of the owner/occupier of the power plants/industries to set up the requisite pollution control equipment. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has also prescribed environmental standards for emission/effluent of power plants under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. According to Jayanthi Natarajan, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment and Forests, power plants, which have not complied with the prescribed standards, have been issued directions under the above-mentioned Acts to ensure compliance.

On a more general level, the municipal bodies of several cities have also been at the forefront of procuring high-tech pollution control equipment to reduce the health hazards for its residents. For instance, suffering terribly from the suspended dust, Chennai has started installing air quality monitoring centres to assess and record the air quality index for the city. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has procured pollution measurement equipment worth Rs 6 crore for areas like Adyar, T Nagar, Kilpauk and Anna Nagar. To record 12 parameters including ammonia, ozone and toluene, ultra-sophisticated equipment will be installed near the city’s two dumping yards at Kodungaiyur and Perungudi, and Royapuram. Gujarat in the last five years has initiated various processes, programmes and projects to implement best practices in waste management and recycling, cleanliness and hygiene, and sanitation. After the successful implementation process of Nirmal Gujarat, the state launched the Mahatma Gandhi Swachhta Mission, a five-year cleanliness and hygiene drive, which will culminate with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. Under the Mission, a revolutionary and sustained effort through public participation will be put in place in sanitation covering all rural and urban areas. Empowering the people, especially women, through sanitation and hygiene best practices and with the enforcement of ‘zero-waste policy,’ the Mission is aimed to create a ‘plastic-waste free Gujarat’ by 2019.

Further, a major chunk of the business for pollution control equipment manufacturers is coming from healthcare organisations. One such example is that of Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute that has invested in high-tech equipment to ensure 100 per cent sterilization. “It is now being widely accepted that efficient pre-washing and cleaning is essential in the sterilization process. Moreover, with the current technologies in the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), demanding thermo disinfection processes are possible to assure high levels of disinfection in perfectly dry materials, deeply reducing the time factor. Mishandling and improper sterilization of the instruments can be fatal. Safe and effective disinfection and sterilization can be guaranteed with clean medical products. CSSD provides tangible tools for securing high quality infection control because it is equipped with disinfectors and sterilization facilities,” informs CSSD’s senior manager Muralikrishnan Nair.

Meanwhile, in a move towards sustainability and zero-discharge facility, Lanxess India (P) Ltd., manufacturer of speciality chemicals, has set up a new wastewater post-treatment plant at its Nagda unit in Madhya Pradesh. With the commencing of the post-treatment plant the site would virtually be free from any effluents and also recover water for re-use in its production processes. This plant, built with an investment of nearly Rs 35 crore, will treat the discharge from the existing effluent treatment plant (ETP) in a manner that virtually no liquid effluent is discharged from the site. The water recovered from the wastewater post-treatment plant can be used for the production processes, which will bridge the gap in availability of water during the summer months. “In the last two years we have made significant investments in upgrading this site in terms of health, safety and environment and have used some of the best technologies available in the world,” says Dr Joerg Strassburger, Managing Director and Country Representative, Lanxess India.

Green Cleaning

Even as the industry is moving towards introducing new varieties of products, there is also an increasing emphasis on the concept of green cleaning. Explaining this, V Balathandayutham, Manager-Product Support, Roots Multiclean Limited, says, “Cleaning machines and tools, widely used indoors, should be able to create a clean and healthy environment for occupants by efficiently removing dirt and contaminants. Indoor air quality (IAQ) could be optimised by using proper filtration systems like HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) and ULPA (ultra low particulate air) in the machines. Battery-powered equipment also plays a role in this approach. Sustainable products should be built with robust recyclable plastic parts and powder-coated heavy wear parts. The equipment should be low-priced, highly efficient, energy and water-saving, and easy to operate with reasonable training. Safe electrical circuits and emergency buttons, sound levels below 70 dB, use of maintenance-free gel batteries emphasise on safety aspects.”

Research activities are going on to use biofuel in the fossil fuel-operated cleaning machines. Up to 40 per cent of carbon emissions could be saved with such machines. In Europe, a EU directive has asked governments to ensure a minimum of 13 per cent biofuel is mixed in all fuels. Presently in Finland, 19 per cent of the country’s energy needs are sourced from biofuel. Further, cleaning using steam methods is an excellent environmental solution for both indoor and outdoor areas. It saves chemical cost and reduces the use of water. The energy consumed is also reduced since a great amount of steam is generated with less water. Steam destroys bacteria, mildew and microbes. It cuts grease effectively. It could be used for general cleaning, industrial cleaning and sanitizing purposes. “Going green is not just about ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ but also about cleaning to protect health without harming the environment,” Balathandayutham adds.