Abstract
Global catalyst demand to reach $12 billion by 2010
World catalyst demand will increase to more than $12 billion in 2010, aided by
a healthy world economy, and growing demand by the chemical, polymer and
refining industries for more energy efficient processes and products. After
experiencing robust growth in recent years due to rapidly rising prices,
catalyst market value will moderate in the near term due to falling raw
material and energy costs. Further out, growth will re-accelerate as price
advances resume and companies continue to move to newer, higher-value and
energy efficient products.
While a softer pricing environment will limit value advances, volume growth
will expand a healthy 2.4 percent per year to more than five million tons in
2010. Gains will be concentrated in the Asia/Pacific, as well as other rapidly
developing regions such as Africa/Mideast and Latin America, as new chemical
and polymer production capacity is added in countries with low natural gas
costs, and as demand for high-value refined products continues to rise in the
rapidly expanding economies of China and India.
Polymer catalysts to grow the fastest
Reflecting continued strong growth in polymer demand and production, polymer
catalysts will experience the fastest gains. Single-site catalysts will
achieve double digit advances as they find greater acceptance in new capacity
additions, particularly in the Mideast where natural gas-rich nations such as
Iran and Saudi Arabia are rapidly expanding their polymer capacity. Refining
catalyst growth will be healthy, aided by strong volume gains and a continued
improvement in fluid catalytic cracking catalyst prices. However, the return
of sulfuric acid prices in North America closer to historical levels will
limit overall faster advances. Slower gains in North America and Western
Europe will be offset by rapid growth in the Asia/Pacific and other developing
regions as rising per capita incomes boost gasoline demand, and as developing
countries begin imposing stricter sulfur regulations to fight air pollution.
Chemical synthesis catalyst demand growth will also be healthy, led by strong
growth in enzymes and biocatalysts used in the production of ethanol,
particularly in North America. Organic synthesis and hydrogetation catalysts
will also experience healthy gains, though demand for oxidation catalysts will
trail the average. Weakness in Western Europe will be offset by expanding
production in China and India, and rapid growth in the Africa/ Mideast region
where basic organic and petrochemical production account for a greater share
of chemical output.
Study coverage
Details on these and other findings are available in a new Freedonia industry
study, World Catalysts, presents historical demand data (1995, 2000, 2005)
plus forecasts to 2010 and 2015 by type (e.g., alkylation, organic synthesis,
hydroprocessing, oxidation, hydrogenation, Ziegler-Natta, synthesis gas, FCC);
market, material, six world regions and 28 countries. The study also reviews
the market environment, assesses market share and profiles global players.
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