Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth 2032

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Industry Prospective:

The global plate falling film evaporator market size was worth around USD 1,623.10 million in 2023 and is predicted to grow to around USD 2,235.91 million by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 4.20% between 2024 and 2032.

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Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Overview

Plate falling film evaporator (PFFE) is a novel technology that enables the evaporation process using plate-based heat transfer. According to market analysis, PFFE, in recent times, has emerged as a popular choice across major industries as heat exchanger tools since they are highly energy efficient.

In addition, plate falling film allows the preservation of final product quality. PFFE settings leverage vertically arranged plates as they serve the purpose of primary surfaces for heat transfer. This format of arrangement maximizes surface area for effective heat exchange and evaporations at lower temperatures.

Furthermore, the structure creates a thin liquid film while the substances that need to flow downward become more concentrated. Some of the major benefits of plate-falling film evaporators include higher scalability, no fouling, and continuous operation.

In addition to this, the advantages connected to the use of plate falling film evaporator include low residence time and high heat transfer coefficient. During the forecast period, the demand for plate falling film evaporator equipment is expected to be fueled by growing end-user applications such as use in water treatment facilities and the food & beverages industry. However, the plate falling film evaporator industry will be impacted by the high cost of investment associated with the tool and growing competition from other solutions.

Key Insights:

• As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global plate falling film evaporator market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 4.20% over the forecast period (2024-2032)
• In terms of revenue, the global plate falling film evaporator market size was valued at around USD 1,623.10 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 2,235.91 million by 2032.
• The plate falling film evaporator market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to the rising applications in the food & beverages industry.
• Based on the type, the single effect segment is growing at a high rate and will continue to dominate the global market as per industry projections.
• Based on the application, the food & beverages segment is anticipated to command the largest market share.
• Based on region, Asia-Pacific is projected to dominate the global market during the forecast period.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Growth Drivers

Rising applications in the food & beverages industry to drive market demand rate

The global plant-falling film evaporator market is expected to witness high growth due to the growing applications in the food & beverages (F&B) industry. The machine is highly effective in producing a concentrated mix of juices and vegetables without impacting the final quality of the beverages.

Furthermore, PFFE is also essential equipment used in the production of dairy items where water is evaporated from the main dairy ingredients, such as whey and milk. The increasing demand for healthy concentrated beverages worldwide is creating more demand for plate falling film evaporators since the equipment provides excellent output while also offering energy efficiency.

In August 2024, Refresco, one of the world’s most popular Dutch-based branded beverage retailers, announced the acquisition of Frías Nutrición from Alantra Private Equity. According to market reports, Frías Nutrición is a vegetable juice beverage company emerging from Burgos. The company owns a production plant in its native region and employs over 250 people.

On the other hand, CO-RO, a Danish juice company, announced a collaboration with ACI Limited to develop a fruit drink factory with an investment of USD 20 million. The companies plan to expand their footprints across the globe with the new partnership. The increasing demand for healthy fruit and vegetable juice concentrates among consumers of all age groups will be essential for the industry’s overall expansion in the coming years.

Increased applications in chemical manufacturing will shape the industry’s final revenue during the forecast period

Recent market trends indicate that PFFE is expected to garner more attention in the coming years due to the growing applications in the chemical manufacturing sector. Plate-falling film evaporators are used excessively to prepare several types of chemical concentrates.

Furthermore, they also have intense applications in water treatment facilities as they are used to recover the majority of usable components from used water. The rising end-user applications in chemical production and water treatments will prove beneficial to the global plate-falling film evaporator market during the forecast period. For instance, Veolia Water Technologies, a leading solutions provider for water treatment solutions, manufactures a standard brine concentrator system equipped with HPD® Falling Film Evaporation Crystallization technology for treating a large variety of waste streams.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Restraints

Cost constraints to impact final growth in the market according to research

The global plate falling film industry is expected to be restricted by the high cost of the equipment. For instance, the average starting price of a customized PFFE is around USD 100,000 influenced by the overall features and performance of the tool.

Furthermore, the operations and maintenance expenses of the evaporators are considerably high making the technology unaffordable for a large number of smaller or medium-sized companies. Market study indicates that regular maintenance of plate falling film evaporators is labor and resource-intensive affecting the final adoption rate of the technology.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Opportunities

Growing demand for biofuel worldwide creates growth opportunities for the industry players

The global plate falling film evaporator market is expected to generate growth opportunities due to the rising demand for biofuel across the globe. PFFE machines are used to produce high concentrations of ethanol and other prominent biofuels. In recent times, the global economy has witnessed significant strides in encouraging the biofuel industry to new growth horizons.

In January 2024, LanzaJet, a growing sustainable fuels technology enterprise, announced the launch of LanzaTech Freedom Pines Fuels. It is the world’s first ethanol-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility. According to official reports, the technology used by the company is the world’s first commercially viable next-generation SAF technology which can scale the production of final components for decarbonizing the aviation industry.

In November 2023, Steelanol, Europe’s first-ever carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project announced that it had reached a major milestone during the month. It witnessed the first industrial-scale production of ethanol at the plant located in Belgium. The incident marked the full operation of the Steelanol plant which is part of a collaborative effort between ERM, LanzaTech, ArcelorMittal, and Primetals Technologies.

In 2022, India witnessed the development of the country’s first-of-its-kind 2G ethanol plant in Panipat region. Since then, India has registered growth in the number of total ethanol plants in the country as the region combats growing concerns over declining air quality.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Challenges

Competition from other technologies to challenge market expansion

The global plate falling film evaporator industry is expected to be challenged by the high competition from alternate technologies. For instance, some of the commonly used substitutes include rising film evaporators, forced circulation evaporators, falling film tubular evaporators, and flash evaporators, among others. Each of the alternate technologies offers significant advantages and specific applications, thus diluting the industry’s revenue rate.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Report Scope

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Segmentation

The global plate falling film evaporator market is segmented based on type, application, and region.

Based on the type, the global market segments are multiple effects and single effects. In 2023, the highest demand was listed in the single effect segment. It dominated nearly 75% of the final segmental revenue. Single effect PFFE consists of one evaporation level and heat once applied to the equipment and does not include reuse for further processes. Single-effect tools are simple in design and easy to use. On the other hand, they also have lower operational costs and hence are more affordable for the majority of the end-users.

Based on the application, the plate falling film evaporator industry divisions are the lyocell fiber industry, food & beverages industry, pulp & paper industry, wastewater treatment facility, and others. In 2023, the food & beverages industry was the leading revenue generator. The increasing consumption of concentrated juices and beverages across the globe is fueling the segmental revenue. Additionally, market players are investing big in product innovation and aggressive marketing strategies to stand out from the rest of the competition. During the forecast period, the global beverage industry is expected to witness a growth rate of over 9%.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific to emerge as the highest revenue generator during the forecast period

The global plate falling film evaporator market is expected to witness the highest growth in Asia-Pacific. China is anticipated to lead the regional demand rate due to the extensive use of PFFE solutions across major industries in the country. China is currently the world’s largest producer of chemicals & materials.

In 2022, it accounted for more than 44% of global chemical production volume. Favorable government policies, the presence of major chemical companies, and the availability of skilled labor have helped the region’s chemical industry thrive, further fueling the demand for plate-falling film evaporators. In addition, India has played a significant role in helping Asia-Pacific maintain its dominance with an increasing number of chemical plants and beverage-producing units.

North America is another prominent market with the US emerging as the highest regional market revenue generator. The US is home to some of the largest food & beverage-producing facilities. In addition, the growing demand for biofuel across aviation and other sectors will promote regional market expansion in the coming years. The US has registered an increase in water treatment plants as the need for clean water continues to rise. Additionally, applications of energy-efficient machines and equipment are likely to further promote North America’s growth trajectory during the forecast period.

Plate Falling Film Evaporator Market: Competitive Analysis

The global plate falling film evaporator market is led by players like:

• Bucher Unipektin
• GIG Karasek GmbH
• Hebeler Process Solutions
• Swenson Technology
• SPX FLOW
• Dedert Corporation
• Alfa Laval
• Vobis LLC
• Technoforce
• Sulzer
• Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH
• Tetra Pak
• Luwa Air Engineering
• GEA Group
• Veolia

The global plate falling film evaporator market is segmented as follows:

By Type

• Multiple Effect
• Single Effect

By Application

• Lyocell Fiber Industry
• Food & Beverages Industry
• Pulp & Paper Industry
• Wastewater Treatment Facility
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • France 
  • The UK
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Southeast Asia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa
  • GCC
  • South Africa
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa