Market Study: Plastic Pipes - Europe (3rd edition)

Polyethylene and PVC Are in the Lead

The demand for plastic pipes particularly depends on the development of the construction industry. For the construction industry, plastic turned into a real alternative to other materials. The degree of importance various applications areas have for different types of pipes, however, varies considerably. For example, pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are relatively cheap and are thus used extensively in the sewage, potable water, and cable protection sectors. Pipes based on polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene play a more and more important role in the applications potable water, gas supply, and industry. The most important product types in 2016 were polyethylene and PVC.

Political Piping

Everywhere, plastic pipes compete with pipes made of steel, stoneware or other materials. In some countries, decreasing public expenditure, political uncertainties or missing private investments can have similarly drastic effects on the construction industry and the pipe market as targeted support for single construction segments. The intensity of the promotion of investments in the segment irrigation or the expansion of the fiber optic network varies also from country to country.

Regional Differences

The demand for high-quality pipes made of polypropylene and polyethylene is particularly increasing on the relatively saturated markets in Western Europe, while the demand for PVC pipes is barely growing. In Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, for instance, the demand for plastic pipes is developing positively. Some southern European countries, however, such as Spain, are not expected to see any significant recovery in the short term. In Eastern Europe, PVC pipes are experiencing even higher growth compared to the West. The analysts at Ceresana expect higher growth rates of plastic pipe consumption for Eastern Europe in the future, especially because the networks for water supply and sewage continue to have a high backlog demand.

The Study in Brief:

Chapter 1 provides a description and analysis of the European market for plastic pipes – including forecasts up to 2024. Revenues, demand, production, as well as import and export are evaluated. Production and demand volume is split by the plastic types polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other plastics. Additionally, demand in the individual application areas is analyzed in detail for the large countries.
Chapter 2 deals with the different application areas of plastic pipes within the individual countries:

• Sewage
• Potable Water
• Cable protection
• Gas Supply
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Other Applications

Chapter 3 provides an overview of the demand for individual types of pipes split by the national markets. The following types of pipes are treated:

• PE Pipes
• PP Pipes
• PVC Pipes
• Pipes made from other plastics

Chapter 4 provides company profiles of the largest manufacturers of plastic pipes – clearly arranged according to contact details, revenues, profit, product range, production sites, and profile summary. In-depth profiles of 66 producers are given, including Aalberts Industries N.V., Aliaxis, Fränkische Rohrwerke, Fondital Group, Geberit AG, Georg Fischer, Pipelife, Polyplastic Group, Rehau, Tessenderlo Group, Uponor, and Wavin.