What 1 MLD really costs: Aquatron against MBBR, SBR and MBR
Capital cost is where the comparison starts, but the operating gap is what compounds over a 50-year design life.
Aquatron 1 MLD
₹5.14 Cr
MBR / SBR / MBBR
₹7.61 / ₹8.24 / ₹9.15 Cr
OPEX
Up to 80% lower
Design life
50 yrs vs 15–20
For a 1 MLD plant the indicative capital cost works out to ₹5.14 Cr for Aquatron, against ₹7.61 Cr for MBR, ₹8.24 Cr for SBR and ₹9.15 Cr for MBBR. That is roughly 35% lower project CAPEX at the top of the range.
The operating side widens the gap. Around 65% less electricity, up to 80% lower annual running cost, no sludge handling and no dedicated operator up to 500 KLD — these are recurring numbers, not one-time ones.
Design life matters too. Conventional routes are typically planned around 15 to 20 years; the Aquatron process is designed for 50, with 300+ plants in India and 12,000+ worldwide behind that figure.