Plastics pipe market in Europe
The Western European plastics pipe market topped the E2bn mark last year.
The total market in 15 leading countries amounted to E2.1bn – 2.5 million tonnes – in 2002, according to a report from IAL Consultants.
The report gives Germany 20% of the market, followed by Italy (18%), the UK & Ireland (14%) and France (13%). Although this is a mature market, it is expected to grow at 1-3% annual over the next five years. Cross-linked PE pipes are expected to grow in industrial applications, since their performance can compete with steel pipes. Conduit pipes is also a strong growth area, due to the expansion of the telecoms industry.
PVC is still the dominant material, taking a 56% share, with various types of PE accounting for 36%. The leading market segment is sewage and drainage, with 49%. The next important area is drinking water (21%).