Global Demand, Capacity and Prices for Methanol - China to Remain the Dominant Market, New Report Launched

Asia-Pacific, Led by China, Drive the Global Methanol Industry

China is driving the global methanol industry, with tremendous demand from both its energy and petrochemicals sectors. It accounts for 87.9% of Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) methanol capacity, and 51.9% of the global methanol capacity. Despite a large planned capacity increase in other countries, China will remain the dominant power in the methanol industry, with a share of 44.8% of the global capacity by 2018.

China has huge demand for methanol for gasoline blending in the transportation fuel sector, and its plan to implement a mandatory 15% blending in gasoline is likely to see methanol consumption increase substantially in the future.

In the petrochemicals sector, methanol demand is driven by the adhesives, solvents, foams, plastics and paints industries. Steady growth in the Chinese economy is likely to create more demand from these sectors, and drive capacity. Furthermore, plans to develop additional Methanol to Olefins (MTO) capacity is forecast to occur in China. There are five active MTO plants in the country, as well as 13 planned MTO facilities with a capacity of around 9 million metric tons per year (mmty). Once all of these plants are operational, the requirement for methanol to be used as a feedstock will increase, and result in more methanol capacity being constructed. The following figure shows the estimated global methanol capacity share by country in 2013 and 2018.

China and the US to Add the Most Capacity in the Next Five Years

China and the US will be the largest contributors to methanol capacity, and will account for 49% of the global capacity addition over the next five years. In China, a demand-side push will drive capacity expansions, in turn increasing local methanol production. The country has 17 planned methanol plants, with a total capacity of 22.17 mmty. In the US, the capacity expansion will be driven by increasing shale gas production, which provides abundant and cheap natural gas feedstock for methanol production. There are eight planned methanol plants In the US, with a total capacity of 9.66 mmty.

Iran will be the third-largest capacity contributor over the next five years. Its capacity will be export-oriented, catering mainly to the Chinese market. It has five plants planned, with a total capacity of 8.72 mmty.

Prices Expected to Increase Steadily

Methanol prices are expected to grow at a steady rate over the next five years, although there will be regional variation:

• The Middle East will remain the most economical region in which to produce methanol, meaning its prices will remain low.
• North American methanol prices are expected to reduce due to a decline in the cost of production, and stagnant regional demand.
• In South America and APAC, prices are likely to witness a gradual increase due to strong demand.
• European prices may decline further in the next few years due to weak demand and the absence of any emerging applications.

Overall, global prices are expected to grow steadily from 2014.

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Global Transparent Conductive Film Market is Expected to Reach $5.86 Billion by 2020, Reveals New Report

According to a new report "Transparent Conductive Film (TCF) Market (Technologies, Applications and Geography) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Forecast - 2013 - 2020", the global transparent conductive film (TCF) market is forecast to reach $5.86 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 17.2% during the forecast period (2014 - 2020).  About 24.7 million sq meter of TCF has been consumed globally in 2013. Volume consumption is expected to grow at a higher pace as result of price erosion during the forecast period.

Transparent conductive film market is in the progressive phase of its life cycle. However, many novel technologies are in its nascent stage. This market comprises of technologies implemented in TCF manufacturing as well as its application in electronic devices. It includes both glass and film based transparent conductors. Transparent conductive film is primarily used in electronic devices such as Smartphones, TVs, AIO PCs, tablet PCs, and monitors. The rise in demand for touch UI in handheld as well as other devices has translated in the growth of TCF market. Technological advancements and increasing popularity of such devices even in developing nations have also widened the horizon for the TCF market. In addition, the low power consumption, minimal reflection, thinness and flexibility & robustness of TCF are the key drivers of this market. On the other hand, lack of one-size-fits-all solution and multiplicity of options for a specific application are the two key factors deterring the market growth. Displays and photovoltaic applications possess huge potential for the application of TCF in the future. Moreover, rising demand for tablet PCs and notebooks would also give the necessary momentum to the market during the forecast period.

Key technologies implemented in the manufacturing of TCF include ITO on glass, ITO on PET, non-ITO oxides, silver nanowire, graphene, carbon nanotubes, PEDOT, micro fine wire, and metal mesh. ITO dominates the technology market with a revenue share of approximately 90% while ITO on glass held about 76.6% of the share in 2013; however, its share is expected to witness considerable fall by 2020. ITO film and glass market is expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2020, witnessing a diminishing growth with a CAGR of 4.8%. Non-ITO oxide is the most promising segment followed by metal mesh and silver nanowire. PEDOT based TCFs are anticipated to register the lowest market share throughout 2020.

Smartphone, tablets and tablet PCs, notebooks, all-in-one PCs, monitors & TV displays, OLED lighting, OPV & DSSC are primary end use segments for TCF. The market is surging higher primarily due to rising demand for touch enabled devices and market penetration of tablets and tablet PCs. OLED lighting, OPV and DSSSC are also potential markets; however, they are expected to witness sluggish growth during the forecast period due to uncertainty in demand for the same. Smartphones hold the maximum revenue share in the current market, followed by the tablet and tablet PCs market. The unit consumption of TCFs in the Smartphone segment is much higher compared to tablets and tablet PCs. All-in-one PCs hold a smaller share in the market, yet they possess tremendous potential to thrive during the forecast period. OLED lighting and photovoltaic applications would have the smallest share in the market throughout the forecast period. Within geographic markets, Asia Pacific holds the lead followed by North America. The electronic device manufacturing is largely concentrated in the Asia Pacific region making the region the largest consumer of TCF. LAMEA and Europe occupy nearly equal share in the global market, collectively acconting for less than 10% of the market. The key companies profiled in this report include 3M Company, Oike & Co., Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation, Toyobo Corporation, Dupont Teijin Films, Eastman Kodak, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Canatu Oy, DONTECH Inc., Cambrios Technologies Corporation, and Rolith.

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Global Acrylic Acid Market is Expected to reach $18.8 Billion by 2020, Reveals New Report

According to a new report "Global Acrylic Acid Market (Derivatives Types, End Users and Geography) - Industry Analysis, Trends, Share, Opportunities and Forecast, 2013 - 2020", the global acrylic acid market is forecast to reach $18.8 billion by 2020 from $11.0 billion in 2013, registering a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period (2014 - 2020). The global consumption of acrylic acid would reach 8,169 kilo tons by 2020. Acrylic acid as precursor for various chemicals processes and as an intermediary for industrial processes such as surface coating, paper treatment, plastic additives, and textiles; has witnessed a surge in demand over past few years. The factors fueling the demand of acrylic acid market are growth in demand for superabsorbent polymers, growing usage of acrylic-based products in emerging economies and further development in the industries such as adhesives and sealants. Stringent government regulations pertaining to the environmental safety & human health and volatile prices of the raw materials are restricting the growth of the market globally. Production of acrylic acid largely depends on fossil fuel resources; therefore, due to the rising price of crude oil globally, manufacturers are now focusing on developing and commercializing renewable acrylic acid.

Recently, BASF, Novozymes, and Cargill jointly developed 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), a raw material for bio-based acrylic acid, in pilot scale. On the other hand, OPX Biotechnologies is aiming to commercialize bio acrylic acid by 2017 with its partner Dow Chemicals. Metabolix has successfully developed bio-based acrylic acid using FAST (fast-acting, selective thermolysis) technique in laboratory setting. Such and other developments will provide a platform for the future growth of acrylic acid globally due to its cost advantage, efficiency and its eco-friendly product outcomes.

The acrylic acid market is studied based on derivatives types, end users and geography. Among acrylic esters, acrylic polymers and other derivatives; acrylic esters segment leads the global market both in terms of volume as it is widely used as raw materials for producing adhesives, water-based paints, synthetic rubbers and synthetic resins. Acrylic polymers is the fastest growing segment in the derivative types market due to its broad spectrum of applications in industries such as surface coatings, surfactants, diapers and cosmetics.

Diapers segment is the largest consumer of acrylic acid in form of superabsorbent polymers and accounts for over 1/4th of the market revenue. Surface coating, adhesives & sealants and plastic additive are other top three major consumers of acrylic acid. Water treatment, textiles, and surfactants are among other end use segments. Surfactants would be fastest growing end use segment during the forecast period. Geographically, Asia Pacific holds the largest share of revenue and would continue to dominate the global acrylic acid market through 2020. LAMEA is projected to hold fastest growth potential, growing at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period. North America and Europe will have steady growth during the forecast period due to saturation in end use segments.

Competitive analysis revealed that product launch has been adopted as leading growth strategy followed by joint venture and agreement for business expansion. However, in recent, joint developments and collaborations has grown Companies profiled in the report include BASF SE, Dow Chemical Company, Arkema SA, LG Chem LTD., The Lubrozol Corporation, Evonik Industries Ag, Myriant Corporation, SIBUR, Momentive Specialty Chemicals, and SunVic Chemical Holdings Limited.

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Global Polyethylene Industry - Emerging Markets in Asia-Pacific to Drive Modest Growth, New Report Launched

Moderate Growth in the Global Polyethylene Industry

The global polyethylene market is experiencing a period of slow growth as China and India, which are key drivers of demand in the Asia-Pacific region, are witnessing low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates due to the slowing of the manufacturing sectors and currency decline. This has had an adverse impact upon polyethylene demand and, with lower than historic GDP growth forecast for China and other developing countries in Asia, lower growth in petrochemical product demand is also expected.

Europe, where demand has increased slightly over the last decade, is expected to perform better in the next five years. The market in the US, where prices for natural gas are lower and investment in the petrochemical industry is rising, is forecast to grow due to higher demand from both its domestic and export markets compared with the trend over the last 10 years.

China and Russia are forecast to be the largest contributors to new capacity over the next five years; both are expected to add more than 3.5 million metric tons per year (mmty) of capacity during this period. India will rank third with more than 2.5 mmty of new capacity likely to come on-stream over the next five years.

Asia-Pacific to Continue to Drive Polyethylene Demand

Although emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region have slowed over the last two years, polyethylene demand is still forecast to grow at a faster pace than in other regions and so will continue to drive the industry. Polyethylene demand is forecast to increase by 8.23 mmty in Asia-Pacific, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.8% over the next five years. Demand in North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.4%, 3.3%, 2.8% and 3.7%, respectively.

China and Russia to Add the Most Capacity through 2018

China and Russia are expected to add the most capacity over the next five years, accounting for 13.1% and 12.5% of global capacity additions. This capacity will be almost entirely in the form of new plants.

China is expanding its polyethylene capacity, primarily to satisfy demand from its growing population. The country’s per capita plastics consumption is still significantly lower than in the developed world, providing opportunities for further expansion. Russia is expanding its polyethylene capacity in an effort to enhance its position in the petrochemicals sector and reduce its reliance upon imports.

Spanning over 50 pages, “Global Polyethylene Industry - Emerging Markets in Asia-Pacific to Drive Modest Growth” report covering the Global Polyethylene Capacity - Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa to Drive Capacity, Global Polyethylene Industry - Modest Growth Rate Expected Over the Next Five Years, Major Companies Active in the Global Polyethylene Industry, Conclusion, Appendix.

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Global Demand, Capacity and Prices for Polypropylene - End-Use Sectors in Asia-Pacific to Drive Growth, New Report Launched

Demand from Key End-Use Applications Accelerating Polypropylene Industry Growth

Polypropylene’s qualities make it ideal for use in a range of sectors, such as packaging, electrical, household appliances, and automotive. The packaging sector accounts for 30.5% of global polypropylene demand and is driven in turn by demand from developing Chinese and Indian markets. China is the second-largest packaging market in the world and has huge growth potential due to its low per-capita plastic consumption. India is also a lucrative market due to a growing population, low per-capita plastic consumption and industrializing economy.

The electrical sector also accounts for a significant share of demand with 13.6%, followed by equipment and facilities, household appliances, automotive, and construction. Together, they account for 51.1% of global polypropylene demand. Other sectors account for the remaining 18.4%.

China and Russia to Add the Most Capacity in the Next Five Years

China and Russia will be the leading contributors to polypropylene capacity in the future and will account for 45% of global capacity addition over the next five years. A demand-side push is driving capacity addition in China, forcing it to produce more domestic polypropylene, whereas in Russia, the main driver is the desire to diversify export revenue by investing in the petrochemicals sector. Most of Russia’s export revenue currently comes from the petroleum sector.

Venezuela and India will be the third and fourth-largest contributors to capacity over the next five years, and both are investing in the polypropylene sector to cater to the domestic market and replace imports.

Prices are Expected to Increase at a Steady Rate

Polypropylene prices are expected to grow at a steady rate over the next five years. The Middle East will remain the most economical polypropylene-producing region, but North America may surpass Europe as the most expensive place to buy polypropylene due to an ongoing supply shortage of propylene feedstock from ethane-based steam crackers, which produce negligible quantities of propylene.

In South America and Asia-Pacific, the propylene industry is largely naphtha-based and so polypropylene prices in these regions are likely to remain high. They also have healthy demand for polypropylene and so a gradual price increase is likely to take place.

Spanning over 50 pages, “Global Demand, Capacity and Prices for Polypropylene - End-Use Sectors in Asia-Pacific to Drive Growth” report covering the Global Polypropylene Capacity - Growth in the Packaging Sector to Trigger Expansion, Asia-Pacific to Drive Global Polypropylene Demand, Major Companies Active in the Global Polypropylene Industry, Conclusion, Appendix.

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Global Aerogel Market is Expected to Reach $1,896.6 Million 2020, Reveals New Report

"Global Aerogel Market (Raw Material Type, Forms, Applications, Geography) - Industry Analysis, Trends, Share, Opportunities and Forecast, 2013- 2020", the global aerogel market is forecast to reach $1,896.6 million by 2020 from $221.8 million in 2013, registering a CAGR of 36.4% during forecast period (2014 - 2020). North America and Europe collectively will generate near about two-third of the market revenue by 2020. In terms of volume, the market is expected to reach 953.1 million sq ft by 2020, from 105.6 million sq ft in 2013. Though the consumption of aerogel is spread world over, largely evenly, over 85% of the aerogel production facilities are located in North America and Europe.  Aerogel is chiefly referred as a strong insulator, with its better thermal insulation capacity than conventional alternatives. However, due to relatively higher prices, its mass adoption was limited to sophisticated applications in oil & gas industry and aerospace. Nevertheless, due to advent of various cost-efficient aerogel manufacturing techniques, it has now emerged as a better alternative in many applications such as automotive, healthcare, chemicals, electronics, and building insulation. With multitude of favorable drivers such as supporting policies pertaining to green infrastructure in European and Middle Eastern countries, the market is anticipated to have widespread adoption, especially in building insulation segment. In the meantime, the need for efficient and easy to install thermal insulations, higher thermal resistance, thinner & lighter solutions for industry purposes, and reusability has been other primary factors elucidate the market growth.

Silica, carbon, and alumina have been the prime sources of manufacturing aerogel where others (polymer, chalcogels, and seagels) are scarcely being used. Silica aerogel is projected to be the most promising segment, mainly due to efficient insulation properties and lightweight solutions. Others aerogel segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 52% during the forecast period. The substantial growth of other types is mainly attributed to polymer aerogel, which is emerging as an efficient and cost effective heat insulator.

The aerogel has its application in building insulations, oil & gas, acoustic, aerospace, chemical, electronics, healthcare, automotive thermal management and others. The others segment includes applications in agriculture, cryogenics, apparels and power generation. Oil & gas segment leads the global aerogel application market in both in terms of value and volume through 2020. Acoustic Insulation, building insulations and electronics applications segments are also expected to witness significant growth rate. Various upcoming green infrastructure policies across the world, especially in Europe and Middle East are expected to drive the building insulation market during the analysis period.  Geographically, the market is segmented into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America & Africa, and Middle East. Though North America currently leads the global market, Europe will outperform North America in terms of revenue. The early adoption of aerogel technology in these regions primary drives the market, especially in the fields of aerospace and building insulations. However, due to plenty of scope in Europe for using aerogel in building applications the region is expected to contribute largely to the overall growth of the market. However, Asia Pacific is forecast to be the most lucrative regional market, growing at a CAGR of 37.3% from 2014 to 2020.

The report analyzes top winning strategies of prominent players in the market. The companies profiled in the report includes Aspen Aerogels Inc., American Aerogel Corporation, Cabot Corporation, Dow Corning Corp., Svenska Aerogel AB, BASF SE, Airglass AB, JIOS Aerogel, Active Space Technologies and Acoustiblok UK Ltd.

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Global Propylene Industry - On-Purpose Technologies to Gain Prominence, New Report Launched

Propylene Industry Embracing On-Purpose Technologies to Counter Supply Shortage

On-purpose technologies have risen in importance as the costs of heavy feedstock used in steam crackers and Fluid Catalytic Crackers (FCC) have increased substantially, driven by crude oil price increases. These two sources account for the largest shares of propylene production, but high costs have deterred producers from using heavy feedstocks in steam crackers. In regions where ethane feedstock provides a much cheaper alternative to heavy feedstock for steam crackers, the propylene industry is likely to suffer, as light feedstock produce negligible quantity of propylene. In FCCs, increases in gasoline price drive producers to use chemical grade propylene for octane blending, rather than selling it to be made into polymer-grade propylene.

These difficult operating conditions have encouraged producers to use on-purpose technologies to manufacture propylene as main product, with lower-cost feedstocks. The most popular on-purpose technologies are Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH), Olefin metathesis and Methanol to Olefins/Propylene (MTP). In the Middle East, plants based on these technologies already account for more than one-third of propylene capacity, while in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe, the number of plants based on these technologies is increasing slowly. According to Publisher forecasts, plants based on on-purpose technologies are forecast to account for 63.1% of capacity expansion globally over the next five years.

Asia-Pacific will Continue to Drive the Global Propylene Industry

China will lead the global propylene industry over the next five years, with the largest consumption and production increases. The largest end-use sector of propylene is polypropylene, which is a commodity plastic used in sectors such as automotive, packaging and electronics. With a rapidly industrializing and urbanizing economy, these sectors have grown at a fast pace in China. The economic growth is expected to continue for the next five years, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years, and propylene demand is also expected to increase.

China will expand its propylene capacity at the fastest pace of any country over the next five years. Despite being the second-largest producer of propylene, it is unable to meet its own rapidly growing domestic demand, forcing the construction of more capacity. China is forecast to account for 68% of the Asian capacity addition and 45% of the global capacity addition over the next five years.

China to Expand Coal Based Propylene Capacity through MTP Plants

The global propylene industry will witness expansion of coal-based propylene capacity with the construction of many MTP plants in China. Globally there are currently only five MTP plants, all of which are situated in China, which use methanol feedstock derived from domestically available coal. Since China has one of the largest coal reserves in the world, producers can readily obtain coal for propylene production. The availability of methanol production units also creates an environment conducive to the use of MTP plants. This has encouraged potential investors to invest in MTP plants and has resulted in many new announcements of planned propylene plants. It is forecast that China will build 13 more MTP plants in the next five years.

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