AdBlue Market

AdBlue Market Analysis

The AdBlue Market is expected to register a CAGR of less than 5% during the forecast period.

In 2020, COVID-19 had a detrimental effect on the market. The automotive industry, which is a major sink for AdBlue, was badly hit, especially due to curtailments in the production of commercial and passenger vehicles. However, the sector has been recovering well since restrictions were lifted. The AdBlue market recovered significantly in the 2021-22 period, owing to rising consumption from various applications such as passenger vehicles, non-road mobile machinery, and others.

• The increasing utilization of AdBlue in construction machinery and the growing automobile industry are expected to drive the market for AdBlue forward.
• However, the rising adoption of electric vehicles is likely to hinder market growth. The availability of alternate solutions is also expected to hamper the market.
• Nevertheless, the growing adoption of diesel exhaust fluid (AdBlue) due to strict regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is likely to act as an opportunity for the market.
• The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market and to dominate the market during the forecast period.

AdBlue Market Trends

Passenger Vehicle Segment to Dominate

• AdBlue, also known as diesel exhaust fluid and AUS 32, is consumed in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) that lowers the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the diesel exhaust emissions from a diesel engine. AdBlue is a 32.5% solution of high-purity, synthetically manufactured urea in de-mineralized water.
• The passenger vehicle market has been witnessing an upsurge in demand since the pandemic era, and since several regulations have been implemented in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, especially diesels, the demand for the AdBlue market is also expected to rise in the near future.
• According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), an 8% increase was seen in the production of passenger vehicles in 2022 when compared with the prior year. Approximately 62 million passenger vehicles were being produced across the globe in 2022, compared to just 57 million in the previous year.
• China accounted to be the largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, taking up almost 40% of the market share of passenger vehicle production in the world, as stated in the OICA annual statistics. China produced about 24 million passenger vehicles, registering a growth of 11% when compared to the prior year. However, the African region registered the highest growth of about 23% in 2022, producing approximately 716,200 passenger vehicles in that year.
• Furthermore, according to a report by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, diesel-based fuel accounted for around 16.4% of passenger car sales in the European Union in 2022, making it the third largest shareholder in passenger vehicle sales by fuel type. Passenger car sales powered by gasoline led the market, accounting for 36.4% of total sales.
• Overall, the recovering automobile industry, especially the passenger vehicle segment worldwide, is expected to drive demand for the AdBlue market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific to Register the Highest Growth

• The Asia-Pacific region is expected to register the highest growth during the forecast period due to the growing automotive industry and machinery requirements in various industries such as oil and gas, building and construction, and many more.
• According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) statistics, the Asia-Pacific region was the world's largest producer of passenger and commercial vehicles in 2022. The Asia Pacific region covered about 60% of the vehicle production market by manufacturing more than 50 million vehicles in the year.
• Moreover, the region saw an increase of about 7% in the production of vehicles. The region manufactured more than 50 million vehicles in 2022, compared to 46.8 million in 2021. Around 42 million passenger vehicles were manufactured in the year, and the rest of the production was commercial vehicles in the region in 2022.
• China has been the largest and most dominant nation in vehicle production and sales of all types. In 2022, automotive production in the country reached 27.02 million units, which increased by approximately 3.4% compared to the 26.08 million vehicles produced in 2021, as stated by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
• According to OICA, Japan and India also contributed significantly to regional automobile production. India, which is growing at a rate of nearly 24%, produced close to 5.5 million vehicles in 2022, while Japan, the region's second-largest vehicle manufacturer, produced close to 8 million vehicles in the year.
• AdBlue is also utilized in non-road mobile machines that are employed in the construction and oil and gas industries. Tractors, excavators, cranes, and other diesel-powered mobile engines that do not run on roads are also equipped with SCR technology, which requires the fluid AdBlue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Since the post-pandemic era, China's building industry experienced significant growth. Currently, there have been some new beginnings or restarts of significant construction projects in the area that COVID-19 hampered. By 2030, China is anticipated to spend roughly USD 13 trillion on construction. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the total output value of construction firms in China was around CNY 276 billion (USD 40 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2022, representing a 50% increase over the previous quarter (USD 27.6 billion).
• Moreover, India is also expected to upgrade its infrastructure by initiating several high-end construction projects. The rate of availability of affordable housing is expected to rise by around 70% in 2024. The Indian government's 'Housing for All by 2022' is also a significant game-changer for the industry.
• Hence, with the rapidly growing end-user industries in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the region is expected to register the highest growth in the global market during the forecast period.

AdBlue Industry Overview

The AdBlue market is partially consolidated in nature with a few players covering the majority of the market. The key players in the market include (not in any particular order) BASF SE, Shell plc, Bosch Limited, Nissan Chemical Corporation, and Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., among others.

AdBlue Market Leaders

AdBlue Market News

• November 2022: OMV Petrom announced the initiation of production of AdBlue in Romania following an investment of EUR 800,000 (~USD 834,000) in a new production facility south of Bucharest. In its first phase, AdBlue will be sold in OMV and Petrom filling stations, and starting next year it will be also sold in other networks.
• February 2022: CrossChem International's Hong Kong subsidiary received accreditation from the German Association of the Automotive Industry VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie), allowing it to start manufacturing AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid its Hong Kong production plant. The total production capacity of the plant is 1.5 million liters of AdBlue per month.