Demand for air pollution control products in China will rise nearly 18 percent annually through 2010 to 67 billion yuan. Advances will be primarily driven by the government's air pollution control spending plans and increasingly stringent environmental protection legislation. These and other trends are presented in Air Pollution Control in China, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

China was the world's largest sulfur dioxide producer in 2005, as well as the world's leading emitter of other air pollutants, and the government has taken actions to address these problems. In addition, China has stepped up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which have been accelerating due to the country's rapid pace of industrialization and dependence on coal for its energy needs.

Electrostatic precipitators and baghouse systems are the two major product types, accounting for nearly all of particulate removal equipment and system demand and more than half of total demand. Particulate removal products will also post the fastest gains through 2010, rising more than 20 percent annually. Among components and consumables, filters will remain the largest product type, while catalysts are expected to post the fastest gains, primarily the result of stricter emissions standards for motor vehicles.

Manufacturing will remain the largest market for air pollution control products in 2010, with three industries -- chemicals and petroleum, metals, and cement -- accounting for nearly 40 percent of total demand. In 2005, manufacturing concerns spent over 1,000 yuan on control products per metric ton of pollutant emitted, more than hree times the rate for utilities. Utilities will remain the second largest market due primarily to China's large number of coal burning power plants, and will post faster advances as more resources are devoted to curbing notoriously high levels of emissions.