Catalyst Handling Services Market

The catalyst handling services market is projected to reach USD 732 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.5% from USD 588 million in 2023. The catalyst handling services market encompasses a range of activities such as catalyst loading, unloading, storage, and regeneration. As catalyst-based processes continue to gain prominence in various sectors, the market presents a lucrative avenue for service providers to offer tailored solutions and ensure optimal performance of catalyst systems. The market's growth is further driven by the increasing focus on sustainability and environmental regulations, which require efficient catalyst management and maintenance.

Attractive Opportunities in the Catalyst Handling Services Market

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Catalyst Handling Service Market Dynamics

Driver: Stringent environmental regulations

Stringent environmental regulations act as a significant catalyst for the growth of the catalyst handling service market.  Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are imposing stricter regulations to reduce emissions and promote sustainable practices. These regulations require industries to adopt advanced catalysts and comply with specific emission standards.

For instance, in the oil refining industry, various countries have implemented regulations to reduce sulfur content in transportation fuels. To meet these regulations, refineries must use catalysts in their refining processes to remove sulfur compounds effectively. Catalyst handling services assist refineries in managing and maintaining these catalysts, ensuring optimal performance and adherence to emission standards.

Another example is the chemical industry, where environmental regulations often focus on reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Catalysts are employed in chemical processes to facilitate emission control and conversion of harmful substances. Catalyst handling services enable chemical plants to handle and replace catalysts efficiently, ensuring continuous compliance with emission regulations and promoting sustainable practices. By partnering with catalyst handling service providers, industries gain access to specialized knowledge, equipment, and techniques required for proper catalyst management. These services offer expertise in handling hazardous catalyst materials, conducting changeouts in a safe and efficient manner, and implementing emission control strategies.

Restraint: Increasing demand for electric vehicles

The global battery electric vehicle (BEV) market has grown rapidly. Factors such as rising concerns over global warming and air pollution and the federal and state government support to reduce air pollution are increasing the demand for electric vehicles. The usage of these vehicles is growing and is expected to make a sizable part of the overall vehicle production by 2025, accounting for 16% of the total vehicle production. The increasing sales of BEVs are also a result of improved vehicle mileage, reduction in charging time, an increasing number of charging stations, government subsidies on the purchase of BEVs, and exemption from the highway toll tax. The growing demand for BEVs has an impact on the consumption of fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The shift to electric vehicles is supported by advancements in battery technology. Major automakers such as General Motors, Mercedes, BMW, and Ford have decided to venture into commercial electric vehicle production, which will have a negative impact on the catalyst handling services market.

Opportunity: Increasing demand for biofuel

The exponential growth of the global population, coupled with the high standard of living, has resulted in a rapid increase in energy consumption. The threat of climate change is impacting every industry and has become an economic, environmental, and health problem. One of the most effective ways that we can truly tackle climate change is to commit fully to decarbonization. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the decarbonization efforts and provided an opportunity for the vast implementation of this strategy. There are few dominant clean energy technology pathways for effective implementation of the decarbonization strategy such as the following:

• Electrification of end-use sectors
• Green hydrogen
• Use of biofuels in transport applications

Biofuels are an excellent source of energy and widely seen as a potential substitute for fossil fuels. They are prepared from renewable sources such as plants, municipal wastes, crops, and agricultural and forestry by-products. Over the last few decades, biofuels such as biodiesel have gained significant attention as an alternative fuel in the research field because of their sustainable and environment-friendly nature, high combustion efficiency, high flash point, high cetane number, lower CO2 emission, lower sulfur content, and better lubrication. Large global corporations have started changing their strategies accordingly. For instance, the Spanish oil company, Repsol, has recognized biofuels as a near-term option for the maritime and aviation industries. Repsol plans to adapt its current refineries to sites generating renewable energy; the company has invested in its Bilbao refinery. Also, Shell, BP, Total, and Eni have outlined their plans to grow their biofuel production by 2030 while reducing their global oil refining footprints. The production of renewable & biodegradable fuels is expected to change the nature of feedstocks of refineries. These feedstocks will need higher levels of pre-treatment, thereby potentially increasing the frequency of catalyst change-out during processing. Hence, the emergence of biofuel technology presents a growth opportunity for catalyst handling service providers.

Challenge: Technical complexity in catalyst handling services

The catalyst handling service market faces the challenge of technical complexity due to the intricate nature of catalyst systems and processes. Successfully handling catalysts requires specialized knowledge and skills that may not be readily available to new service providers or industries seeking to manage catalysts in-house.

Catalyst handling involves intricate procedures such as catalyst changeouts, regeneration, and maintenance, which demand a deep understanding of catalyst properties, operating conditions, and safety protocols. The complexity of these operations poses challenges for new service providers attempting to establish themselves in the market. They need to invest in acquiring the necessary expertise, training, and equipment to handle catalysts effectively.

Catalyst Handling Services Market: Ecosystem

Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, and MarketsandMarkets Analysis

"Petroleum refining was the largest segment for catalyst handling services market in 2022, in terms of value."

Global crude oil consumption was growing at a steady rate. As per the latest data from the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, global oil consumption has reached approximately 99 million barrels per day (bpd). In terms of specific regions, Asia stands out as the largest consumer of oil, with its oil consumption exceeding 37 million bpd. Within Asia, China remains a key player, consuming more than 14 million bpd, followed by India with a consumption of over 5 million bpd. Other Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, also contribute significantly to the region's oil consumption.

In the refining sector, refineries worldwide processed approximately 82 million bpd of crude oil to meet the increasing demand for refined petroleum products. In Asia alone, refineries processed over 26 million bpd of crude oil. The Middle East holds a substantial refining capacity, with refineries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries playing a significant role in processing crude oil. North America boasts a substantial refining capacity, processing over 20 million bpd of crude oil. The US, in particular, is a major refining player

"Catalyst screening, segregation,  & storage  was the second largest service type for catalyst handling services market in 2022, in terms of value."

Catalyst screening and segregation involve the meticulous process of evaluating and categorizing catalyst particles based on their size and properties. This critical step ensures the selection of the most efficient catalysts for specific refining or petrochemical processes. Once screened and segregated, the catalysts are stored in controlled environments to preserve their integrity and effectiveness, ensuring optimal performance during their deployment in various industrial applications. This careful handling and storage process enhance the catalysts' longevity and contribute to the overall efficiency and productivity of the refining and petrochemical sectors.

"Asia Pacific was the largest market for catalyst handling services in 2022, in terms of value."

Asia Pacific was the largest market for global catalyst handling services market, in terms of value, in 2022. China is the largest market in Asia Pacific. It is projected to witness the second  highest growth during the forecast period considering of increasing focus on energy efficiency and cost optimization.

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Key Market Players

The key players in this market Anabeeb (Saudi Arabia), Mourik (Netharlands), Cat Tech International (UK), CR 3 (Thailand), Technivac (UK), Catalyst Handling Resources (US), Dickinson Group of Companies  (South Africa), Buchen-ICS (Germany), Kanooz Industrial Services (Saudi Arabia), and Group Peeters (Belgium).Continuous developments in the market—including new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, agreements, and expansions—are expected to help the market grow. Leading service providers of catalyst handling services have opted for new technology launches, and partnership to sustain their market position.

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Scope of the Report

This report categorizes the global Catalyst handling services market based on services type, end-use industry, and region.

Based on  service type, the catalyst handling services market has been segmented as follows:

• Catalyst loading/ unloading
• Catalyst screening, segregation, & storage
• Catalyst transport  & handling
• Spent catalyst handling

Based on end-use industry , the catalyst handling services market has been segmented as follows:

• Petroleum refining
• Chemicals & fertilizers
• Petrochemical
• Other End-use Industry

Based on region, the catalyst handling services market has been segmented as follows:

• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• North America
• Middle East & Africa
• South America

Recent Developments

• In October 2021, Mourik has launched a new unloading method for free flow single-bed reactors, which minimizes entries and improves safety. This technology is user friendly and easy to handle in operation, due to the lightweight components and simplicity off the equipment.
• In February 2019, Mourik has launched M-Lance technology. This technology helps automate the unloading process, resulting in a safer work environment, and a more efficient, and predictable tubular catalyst change-out.
• In May 2023, CR3 announced a strategic partnership with Petro-Q. This partnership will enable CR3 to deliver innovative solutions to meet the ever-evolving needs of our client base in Qatar.
• In April 2020, CR Asia made a group-wide collaboration agreement with Batrec (part of Veolia) in Switzerland for the disposal of mercury-containing wastes, particularly spent mercury removal adsorbents and mercury-laden sludge.

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