Market Trends of Europe Activated Alumina Industry
Increasing Investment in Water Treatment Facilities
- Activated alumina is prominently used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of fluoride and other harmful contaminants during the water treatment process. Thus, investment in water treatment systems viably impacts its demand in the market.
- The German water treatment technology market is the largest in Europe and is growing considerably. The increasing water treatment activities, primarily in the country's northern region, are boosting the demand for water treatment chemicals. The country's water supply and wastewater treatment sectors together accounted for about EUR 22 billion (USD 23.33 billion) annually, per the Federal Ministry for the Environment and Nature Conservation.
- Germany has Europe's largest industrial wastewater treatment market, with almost 3,000 treatment plants in around 12,000 discharging companies. Over 920 kilotons of industrial wastewater are treated annually in the country before being discharged into the outside environment. Additionally, according to the Federal Ministry, about 99% of the people in Germany have direct access to wastewater treatment plants.
- The Federal Water Act and corresponding regulations, such as the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV), Wastewater Charges Act (AbwAG), and the Waste-Water Ordinance (AbwV), as well as different local federal state provisions, have created the legal basis for transboundary and a sustainable water management system in Germany.
- The penetration of wastewater treatment industry in Italy has been considerably low compared to its counterparts, such as Germany and the United Kingdom. About 50% of Italy's total wastewater treatment plants can only be used for preliminary-stage treatment. However the country has embarked on new development initiatives to improve the water treatment system of the country.
- In August 2022, Italy received EUR 50 million (USD 56.2 million) from the Europe Investment Bank (EIB) for the four-year program in Veritas, which involves the improvement of water management facilities including the collection and treatment systems in a total of 29 municipalities in Venice while 7 in Triviso.
- High investment in the water treatment facilities in line with government support and initiatives are expected to keep the demand for activated alumina high from this segment.
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Germany to Dominate the Activated Alumina Market in Europe
- Activated Alumina is used as an adsorbent and catalyst for various chemical processes. Thus, the trends in the chemical industry highly influence its demand in the market.
- The German chemical industry excels in all categories, including basic inorganics, petrochemicals, polymers, agrochemicals, specialties, cosmetics, and medicines. It is also widely distributed across the country, while some locations specialize in basic chemicals while others specialize in specialties like pharmaceuticals. The German chemical industry has witnessed a continuous increase in turnover in the last two years.
- Although, the German chemical sector reflected a very difficult year in 2022, primarily as a repercussion of Russia's attack against Ukraine, which led to the shutdown of various chemical plants and the related end-user industries. However, the market is expected to recover substantially in the long run, owing to continuous investments and supporting government policies.
- One prominent project in the German chemical industry is the new acetonitrile facility announced in April 2022. With 15 kilotons per annum production capacity, the plant is to be built by Ineos in Koln, Germany. The expected completion date of the plant has not been revealed yet.
- Activated Alumina is widely utilized as an adsorbent in the pharmaceutical industry. Two of the most common application of activated Alumina in the pharmaceutical industry is the purification of biopharmaceutical drugs and pyrogen removal.
- The pharmaceutical market in Germany is identified as a top-prospect sub-sector by world-leading pharmaceutical manufacturing companies expanding into the country to strengthen their position in the global market.
- In August 2022, the key global pharmaceutical player, Bayer, announced the development of the Solida-1 pharmaceutical production facility at its site in Leverkusen for an investment of EUR 275 million (USD 286.98 million). The facility, expected to come on stream in 2024, will be dedicated to producing drugs for treating cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
- In June 2022, Wacker began the development of its mRNA competence center at the Halle site with an investment of USD 100.5 million. The expansion will enable the company to triple its production capabilities by including four new production lines for manufacturing mRNA vaccines.
- With all such investment trends in Germany and promising growth in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, the country will likely continue to dominate the market for activated Alumina in the region over the forecast period.
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