TPi March 2017

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March 2017 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL 21
business & market news
Decline in orders of infrastructure pipes
The overall market for infrastructure
pipes in Europe recorded another drop
of 4.4 per cent in 2015. Overall, the
market value of 2015 reached a volume
of €4.6bn, which is only 0.4 per cent
above the previous year’s figure.
A market report by Interconnection
Consulting forecasts a consistent
sales volume in 2016 compared to the
previous year. The replacement of old
metal and concrete pipes paved the
way for alternative materials such as
glass fibre and plastics.
In recent years, the EU infrastructure
pipeline manufacturing sector has
experienced the loss of some jobs
and domestic market shares. These
are heavily dependent on government
spending and funding, which have
been cut in some countries. Germany,
the largest market for infrastructure
pipelines, showed a 5.4 per cent
decrease in installed pipes. The British
market also fell by 1.7 per cent in
2014. Due to the positive exchange rate,
however, the British achieved a value
increase of 7.9 per cent.
A total of 1.5mn tons of plastic pipes
(27.4 per cent market share) were sold
in the top seven European countries
(France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
Spain, Poland and Benelux). The
turnover of sold plastic pipes is expected
to increase by 8.1 per cent. The reasons
for this increase can be found in the
properties of plastic pipes, such as
resistance to corrosion, flexibility,
weldability, chemical resistance and
fast and simple joint and installation
techniques.
The growth of the plastic segment
is at the expense of the metal and
concrete pipe shares, which lost 6.6 per
cent. This trend will continue as light
materials and plastic alternatives are in
demand. The glass fibre tube segment
is comparatively small (€209.8mn) and
is governed by three large players.
Sewage pipes dominate the European
market, accounting for 2.8mn tons and
about half of the total sales in 2015.
They experience the highest growth
opportunities. Drainage pipes, with a
share of 41.9 per cent, are the most used
pipe type in England. The non-pressure
market prevails over the pressure market,
taking 64.7 per cent and 35.3 per cent
respectively. The former can boast a
sales volume of €2.6bn. The pressure
sector has less potential, as many water
networks have already been restored.
Water supply accounts for a majority
(82.7 per cent) in the pressure segment.
Gas pipes are experiencing negative
dynamics and hold only a 6 per cent
share of the total market volume. The top
ten among all companies, and therefore
the largest players on the market,
collectively accounted for a share of 27.8
per cent of the total value.
Interconnection Consulting – Austria
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