IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Cellular Plates, Sheets and Films of Polymers of Styrene – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends, and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

Cellular plates, sheets, and films of polymers of styrene are mainly used in construction as thermal insulation materials. The development of this market directly depends on the construction industry and the situation in the economy as a whole.

The EU market for cellular plates, sheets, and films of polymers of styrene is estimated at $3.7B, according to IndexBox data. The market value increased at an average annual rate of +1.3% over the last decade. In physical terms, it amounted to approx. 1.3M tonnes.

The countries with the highest volumes of consumption of cellular plates, sheets, and films of polymers of styrene in 2019 were Poland (273K tonnes), Germany (257K tonnes), and the Netherlands (128K tonnes), together accounting for 52% of total consumption. Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, the UK, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 36% (IndexBox estimates).

In value terms, Germany ($883M), Poland ($683M), and France ($320M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of market value in 2019, together accounting for 51% of the total market. These countries were followed by Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania, which together accounted for a further 38%.

The countries with the highest levels of polystyrene cellular plates, sheets, and films per capita consumption in 2019 were Lithuania (9.89 kg per person), Austria (9.43 kg per person), and the Netherlands (7.44 kg per person).

The pandemic has made a significant impact on the construction industry. The key issues faced by enterprises include a lack of capital investments amid the extreme uncertainty and disruptions in the supply chains. Disposable incomes also decreased, making mortgage loans less affordable. Moreover, to contain the spread of COVID-19, construction work in many countries has been suspended for a while. A sharp decrease in the number of facilities under construction led to a drop in demand for building materials, including polystyrene sheets.

The impact of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be rather short-term. According to Euroconstruct’s estimates, the construction volume in Europe is expected to plummet by more than 7% in 2020, but the growth is expected to resume in 2021. This, however, subjects to a substantial risk of the second and possible subsequent waves of the pandemic.

The recovery of the construction industry is feasible along with the post-pandemic growth of the European economy as a whole. After the lifting of restrictive measures, many industries try to bounce back from the shocks, which should contribute to a faster recovery of the economy.

Furthermore, in 2019, the European Commission adopted the European “Green Deal” action plan, the main goal of which is to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and zero total environmental pollution. According to the European Commission, buildings account for 40% of the energy consumed, thereby making it an important issue to improve their power consumption efficiency.

To address this issue, within the “Green Deal” agenda, the “Renovation Wave” plan was announced, with a strategic aim to double the volume of building renovations to reduce overall energy consumption. Particular attention will be paid to the renovation of social housings, which should also contribute to saving household expenses. New building designs should be energy efficient, therefore, the main emphasis will be placed on more effective climatic protection of buildings. By 2050, it is planned to renovate up to 85-95% of facilities in the European Union, which will require the intensive use of thermal insulation materials.

While the economic recovery from the pandemic could take several years, the renovation plan will provide the additional incentive that could accelerate the recovery of the construction sector and support demand for cellular plates and other insulation materials. Driven by increasing demand for polystyrene cellular plates, sheets, and films in the European Union, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next decade. Given this background, the market performance is forecast to expand with an anticipated CAGR of +1.2% for the period from 2019 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 1.4M tones by the end of 2030.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform