Demand for Insulation in China to Grow Over 9 Percent Annually Through 2016

Demand for insulation materials in China is projected to grow 9.4 percent per annum through 2016 to 65.7 billion yuan.  Continued increases in building construction and output in the manufacturing sector will drive gains.  Further growth will be spurred by changes in building codes to reduce energy consumption in building applications as well as efforts to reduce energy use in manufacturing processes.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Insulation in China, a new study from the Beijing office of The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Building construction markets will continue to account for more than two-fifths of China’s total insulation demand.  The residential and nonresidential segments will each expand at 10 percent per year through 2016, supported by healthy growth in building construction.  New multifamily housing starts, driven in large part by China’s continuing urbanization, and strong fixed investment activity in office, commercial, institutional, and other highly insulated structures such as power and petrochemical plants will boost market gains for insulation materials.  In addition, improvement and replacement of insulation in existing housing in order to raise energy efficiency, as well as to enhance comfort, will continue to promote market gains.  Concerns about energy loss will lead to gains in all markets as the intensity of use of insulation increases.

Demand for insulation in the industrial and HVAC equipment market will rise 8.4 percent per year through 2016, trailing overall growth.  Strong increases in investment in industrial and HVAC equipment as a result of continued industrialization in China will boost demand.  Efforts to reduce energy consumption and costs in these applications -- by both producers and the government -- will also spur demand gains in this market.  Demand in other important markets will be driven by rapidly expanding output of insulation-containing appliances (e.g., refrigerators and freezers) and transportation equipment.

In value terms, foamed plastics will continue to dominate the Chinese insulation market, accounting for more than four-fifths of demand in 2016.  Foamed plastics’ high insulating value, moisture resistance, and ease of installation will continue to support demand gains going forward.  However, demand for fiberglass and mineral wool will post faster growth through the forecast period, benefiting from their better fire retardance than that of foamed plastics.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.