Gas Separation Membrane Market Trends

Growth Drivers:

• Growth in the use of gas separation membrane in carbon capture and storage (CCS): Rising concerns for greenhouse emissions (GHG) emissions are raising the adoption rate of CCS. As such, it rapidly becomes one of the most critical technologies to mitigate climate change. Companies are collaborating with a view to alleviate these concerns. For instance, in October 2022, Linde and SLB announced their strategic collaboration to further advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects. The joint venture brings together several decades of carbon capture and sequestration expertise, blending innovative technology portfolios with project development and execution capabilities, besides EPC expertise.
• Advancements in membrane material technologies: Research on the membrane materials domain has been constantly in process to achieve better selectivity, permeability, and durability. These innovations make the application scope of gas separation membrane much broader and more competitive against conventional separation techniques. In April 2021, Toray Industries, Inc. announced a breakthrough CO2 separation membrane with a dual-all-carbon structure. CO2 separation technology is crucial in applying CO2 to actualize a circular carbon economy. Such technology developments that use absorption- and adsorption-based facilities drive gas separation membrane market growth, creating opportunities for new players.

Challenges:  

• Complex and strict regulatory framework: The gas separation membrane industry is governed by several legislation and standards related to safety, emissions, and the protection of the environment. For instance, in November 2023, the Industrial Emissions Directive of the European Union set threshold limit values for preventing and controlling significant accidents involving various types of pollutants, including those that can be controlled through gas separation membrane. Compliance can be time-consuming, sometimes challenging, and difficult for SMEs to navigate appropriately.
• Competition from alternate separation technologies: Gas separation membrane must compete with independently developed separation technologies, including cryogenic distillation and absorption. Most of these competing technologies have more considerable capital costs but can offer the advantages of greater scalability and efficiency in some applications.