Freedonia Market Research Analyzes Global Activated Carbon Industry

World demand for virgin activated carbon is forecast to expand 5.2 percent per year through 2012 to 1.15 million metric tons.  The US, China and Japan will together continue to account for almost half of global demand in 2012, although China will expand its market share from 15 percent to 18 percent while the US and Japan will see a reduction in their respective market shares.  Western Europe will also remain an important albeit slow growing market.  Activated carbon demand will benefit from a continuing intensification of the global environmental movement as well as rapid industrialization in much of the developing world.  Changes in government regulation and enforcement will significantly impact demand in environmentally driven applications.  These and other trends, including market share and company profiles, are presented in World Activated Carbon, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Water treatment applications will continue to account for the largest share of global activated carbon demand in 2012, although gains of 4.5 percent per year in this sector will lag all other key markets.  Besides the necessity for clean drinking water, government environmental regulations that vary by region (such as the US Disinfection Byproducts Rule that was promulgated in 2006) also impact this market significantly.

Flue gas treatment from power plants in the air pollution control arena and hazardous waste remediation will show strong growth potential.  In developing countries, emission canister control regulations for motor vehicles will also bolster activated carbon demand in a similar manner to that experienced by most developed countries over the 2002-2007 period.  Demand in the food and beverage sector will be aided by rapidly rising per capita food and beverage (and therefore sweetener) consumption in developing countries.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC), which has historically accounted for the largest share of overall activated carbon demand (due to its dominance in liquid phase applications and its lower cost), will register slower gains than granular activated carbon (GAC) through 2012.  The main advantage of GAC is its ability to be regenerated, which is especially important in Western Europe.  Although faster growth in granular activated carbon demand will benefit the regeneration sector, this will be offset to some extent by cheaper imports from China and other Asian countries that will reduce the economic incentive to regenerate.

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.