Valve Market Changing and Growing
Whenever new processes develop, it is certain that there will be new valve variations to make these processes operate properly. The need to liquefy gas in the Middle East and transport it around-the-world has resulted in a number of new cryogenic valve designs. They are used at the liquefaction sites, on tankers, and at the regasification terminals.
New requirements in LNG, ethanol, tar sands, nanotechnology, and biotechnology will boost the industrial valve market to a record $52 billion annual sales level in 2010. This is the prediction in the most recent update of the online, Industrial Valves: World Markets, published by the McIlvaine Company.
Control valves will account for 25 percent of the total followed by ball, gates and globes, butterfly and plug types. Other valves will make up the final 18 percent.
Much of the growth in the market will be in Asia, but there are other hotspots as well. The tar sands expansion in western Canada represents considerable potential for increased valve sales.
The U.S. will be expanding valve purchases in several areas. One is biotechnology. Another is LNG where a number of terminals to receive the liquefied gas are now under design. The U.S. is already the leading ethanol producer with more than 100 plants in operation. To meet the administration’s goals for ethanol to comprise 50 percent of the transportation fuels, another 1400 - 50 MMGY plants will need to be built.
The fact that may of the new ethanol plants will obtain their heat and steam from coal will also add to the valve potential.
Each new scrubber system installed on U.S. power plants requires a $1 million valve purchase. Over the next 15 years over 200 of these systems will be needed to meet environmental requirements. Additional valves are also required for the catalytic systems which reduce NOx at these same plants.
The movement of over one billion people from rural Asia to its cities will boost the valve markets in water and wastewater treatment. Since Asia is more arid than other regions, the potential for desalination and the valves required to handle the corrosive seawater will be greater than other regions.
China is planning to invest in more power plant scrubbers than any other country including the U.S. China also will be building more new coal-fired power plants than any other country. They will also be the leading investor in many other basic industries.
Country: China Valve Purchases
($ Millions)
Industry 2010
Chemical $ 818
Food 174
Iron & Steel 848
Metals 152
Mining 366
Oil & Gas 335
Other Electronics 14
Other Industries 988
Pharmaceutical 79
Power 1,653
Pulp & Paper 186
Refineries 214
Semiconductor 50
Wastewater 983
Water 523