APAC Air Separation Unit Industry

Asia-Pacific Air Separation Unit Market Analysis

The Asia-Pacific Air Separation Unit Market is expected to register a CAGR of greater than 4.74% during the forecast period.

• The chemical industry accounted for the significant market share in the air separation unit market in 2019, owing to the increasing demand for chemicals and commissioning of new ASUs.
• Many countries across the region are developing new industrial zones to promulgate economic development. Therefore, the policy level initiatives to drive industrial growth are expected to create significant opportunities for the air separation unit market in Asia-Pacific in the near future.
• China is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period owing to the rapid industrialization in the country.

Asia-Pacific Air Separation Unit Market Trends

Chemical Industry to Witness Significant Growth

• Industrial gases, like oxygen and nitrogen, are an integral part of the chemical industry. They are used for various applications, such as to facilitate the reactions, improve efficiency, and reduce the risks related to explosions.
• The chemical plants require a continuous supply of industrial gases to run their operations. To meet these demands, the chemical plants, particularly large chemical plants, comprise air separation units.
• Nitrogen is an essential ingredient in fertilizers. It is used to improve soil fertility. It is also used in other fertilizers, such as ammonia and urea, to promote plant growth and, in turn, yield.
• Oxygen is used in various chemical reactions as an oxidizing agent, and for coal gasification to generate synthesis gas that can be used as a chemical feedstock for different fuels.
• The Asia-Pacific region is a leading manufacturer of chemicals. The commoditized chemical production takes the major share of total chemical production in the region. However, the share of specialty chemicals is increasing, and it is expected to continue during the forecast period.
• Hence, owing to this transition in the chemical manufacturing industry, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to see major investments in the construction of new plants. For instance, in October 2019, Linde company launched two air separation units (ASUs) in a chemical park in Taixing, China. The two plants have a combined production capacity of 29,000 Nm³ per hour and will primarily supply oxygen and nitrogen to Taixing Jinyan Chemical Technology.
• Thus, this is expected to drive the demand for air separation unit in the chemical industry.

China to Dominate the Market

• China accounted for more than half of the market share in 2019 and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period.
• The growing need for alternate energy sources in the country is likely to be met by large-scale gasification plants and gas-to-liquids, coal-to-liquids, and coal-to-chemicals plants, which require enormous quantities of oxygen.
• Moreover, China is planning to increase the quantity of nitrogen for use in oil recovery activities, which is expected to further escalate the demand for industrial gases. The increasing growth in industrial gases, such as nitrogen and oxygen, is projected to emanate huge demand for air separation units in China during the forecast period.
• According to the World Steel Organization report in 2019, China accounts for the largest 51.3% share from a total of 1,808 million metric ton of global crude steel production. Other Asia-Pacific countries like India and Japan share 5.9% and 5.8%, respectively.

Asia-Pacific Air Separation Unit Industry Overview

The Asia-Pacific air separation market is moderately consolidated. The key players include Air Liquide SA, Linde PLC, Praxair Technology Inc., Air Products & Chemicals Inc., and Messer Group GmbH.

Asia-Pacific Air Separation Unit Market Leaders