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[March 2005]
UK Refractory Products Report
MBD - Market & Business Development Ltd (Manchester, England) has published the new edition of its 'UK Refractory Products Market Development Report' which comes up with the following major conclusions:
Market Review 2000-2004
The importance of the steel sector to suppliers of refractory products in the UK tends to expose the market to significant economic fluctuations. The market also largely reflects levels of capital expenditure in sectors such as steel, cement, glass and petrochemicals and this, in turn, is influenced by economic conditions. The UK market for refractory products is estimated to have increased by a nominal 1% during 2004 to a peak of 397.9 million at MSP, resulting in a cumulative increase of 24% compared with 2000.
Market Forecast 2005-2009
The UK market for refractory products is expected to demonstrate real term growth throughout the five-year forecast period up to 2009, although annual growth levels are not expected to exceed 1%. Overall, sales of refractory products are forecast to increase by 4% in real terms between 2005 and 2009.
Siliceous Earth Products
Demand for siliceous earth products is projected to increase moderately over the next five years up to 2009, although annual fluctuations are anticipated. Between 2005 and 2009, sales are expected to increase by 8% in real terms.
Constructional Products
The market for constructional products containing more than 50% of MgO, CaO or CR2O3 is expected to decline in the first two years of the forecast period and then increase in each year thereafter. An overall increase of 4% in real terms is anticipated between 2005 and 2009.
MBD believes that sales of constructional products with more than 50% of alumina and/or silica will increase year-on-year between 2005 and 2009, with annual growth levels fluctuating between 1% and 2% in real terms.
Year-on-year growth is also anticipated in the other constructional products sector, resulting in an overall real term growth of 8% between 2005 and 2009.
Cements, Mortars & Concretes
Within the forecast period, demand for cements, mortars and concretes is estimated to increase by an overall level of 7% in real terms between 2005 and 2009, reaching an estimated 72.5 million at 2004 prices in 2009.
Other Products
The market for other refractory products containing more than 25% of graphite is projected to increase in each year between 2005 and 2009, more so in the last three years of this period. MBD anticipates an overall increase of 8% in real terms.
Sales of other products containing more than 50% of alumina and alumina/silica are estimated to decline during much of the forecast period - leading to an overall decline of 10% in real terms.
The market value of other refractory products is expected to fluctuate throughout the forecast period and is estimated to increase by an overall level of 4% in real terms, up to 26.3 million at 2004 prices in 2009.
The report is available from MBD at a cost of 550.
www.mbdltd.co.uk
ENDS