Asia-Pacific Refining Catalysts Market

APAC Refining Catalysts Market Analysis

The Asia-Pacific Refining Catalysts Market is expected to register a CAGR of greater than 4% during the forecast period.

• Volatility in precious metal prices are likely to hinder the market's growth.
• By ingredient, the zeolites segment accounted for the largest market share and is expected to grow during the forecast period owing to the fact that it is used in almost all types of refining units with major consumption in fluidized catalytic cracking units.
• China is expected to dominate the market and is also expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

APAC Refining Catalysts Market Trends

Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Catalysts to Dominate the Market

• The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process plays a crucial role in refineries while producing lighter products from crude oil.
• FCC unit helps in converting a variety of feed types, such as cracked gas oil, gas oil, deasphalted gas oils, vacuum/atmospheric resins, and others, into lighter and high-value products, such as diesel oil, jet fuel, LPG, kerosene, and gasoline.
• In the FCC unit, the feedstock is heated at high temperature and moderate pressure. Along with this, the feedstock is brought in contact with a catalyst which helps to break the long-chain molecules of the high-boiling hydrocarbon liquids into small molecules, which are further collected in the form of vapors.
• In the FCC process, the catalysts are used in the form of fine powders. Previously, catalysts, such as amorphous silica-alumina were used for cracking vacuum gas oils in the FCC unit. However, in the early 1960s, zeolite was commercially introduced as FCC catalysts, which had been a significant advancement in the history of catalytic cracking.
• Owing to the aforementioned factors, FCC catalysts are of great importance in propelling the market demand for refining catalysts in the forecast period.

China to Dominate the Market

• China is one of the top catalyst consumers with high growth rates. China's refinery capacity is about 14,177 thousand barrels per day, which constitutes around 14% of the world's refining capacity.
• Oil and gas sector in China is dominated by four national and provincial oil companies, which includes PetroChina, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Yanchang Petroleum. PetroChina accounts for 31% of total crude oil refining capacity and Sinopec accounts for 45% of total crude oil refining capacity in the country.
• Zhejiang Petrochemical of China has started the first phase of its oil refining and petrochemical complex, which will be operational by 2020. This project will contribute two oil refineries with the capacity of nearly about 400,000 barrels-per-day.
• China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved a refinery project by Risun Coal Chemicals Co in Hebei province of China, with the expected production capacity of 810,000 t of gasoline, 2.5 MMt of jet fuel, as well as 3.37 MMt of diesel per year.
• Owing to the above-mentioned factors, the market for refining catalysts in the country is projected to grow during the forecast period.

APAC Refining Catalysts Industry Overview

The Asia-Pacific refining catalysts market is consolidated in nature. Key players in the market include BASF SE, Albemarle Corporation, Haldor Topsoe A/S, Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation), and W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn., among others.

APAC Refining Catalysts Market Leaders