Middle East Programmable Logic Controller Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Middle East Programmable Logic Controller Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The middle east programmable logic controller market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of about 2.8% over the forecast period 2021 to 2026. The deployment of PLC systems helps identify and rectify errors and can initiate rapid responses even without human intervention. Hence, these automated PLC systems are estimated to assist in reducing the machine downtime from 20% to almost 4%. Moreover, a significant rise in industrial automation and IT infrastructure in Israel paves the way for development in the PLC market. For instance, according to Start-Up Nation Central, the smart industry startups in Israel got funding of USD 650 million from investors in 2019, from USD 112 million in 2014.

Key Highlights

• The growth of the oil and gas sector in the region is driving the PLC market. The Middle East accounts for one-third of global oil production, one-sixth of gas production, 48% of proved oil reserves, and 38% of proved gas reserves. According to BP PLC, in the middle east, oil production in 1000 barrels per day was 30,329. With such huge production, producers are now seeking a better solution to help them be more efficient and reduce costs, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). These controllers are modular, scalable, and capable of handling a wide variety of communications and application support.
• Increasing usage of automation systems in different end-user verticals is driving the market. The technical potential for automation by industry in the middle east countries are; 58% in manufacturing and transportation & warehousing, 46% in construction, 42 % in utilities, and others. PLC is a ruggedized computer which is used for industrial automation and can automate a specific process, machine function, or even an entire production line. It receives information through connected sensors or input devices, processes the data, and triggers outputs based on pre-programmed parameters. Further, with advanced All-in-One PLC integrates the controller with the HMI panel, creating a compact, easy-to-use automation solution.
• However, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, major industries have been impacted in the Middle East, which includes Energy, Food & Beverage, oil sector, and others. The major source for economic stabilization in Middle East countries is oil production and export. The oil exporters of the Middle East countries are facing the additional shock of plummeting oil prices as a result of travel restrictions following the public health crisis. As a result, oil prices have fallen by over 50% in March 2020 as compared to the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019. Also, reduced investments from Gulf countries in the oil and gas sector and along with it, in April 2020, over 20% of projects which were founded to have been delayed or canceled due to COVID-19 in the Middle East region has shattered the demand for PLC.

Key Market TrendsOil Segment Accounts for Significant Market Share in UAE

• The Middle East accounts for many energy reserves, and it is among the top crude oil producer in the world. For instance, the United Arab Emirates holds significant energy reserves, and it is the world's seventh-largest crude oil producer and the fourth-largest producer of petroleum liquids in the OPEC. About 30 percent of the country’s GDP (gross domestic product) is directly based on oil and gas output. Thus, the presence of large-scale oil industries resulted in a sizeable market for PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).
• The oil refinery automation system intends for automation of crude oil atmospheric distillation processes to residual, diesel, and gasoline fractions, and their shipment to customers. The refinery automation system is realized using the set of programmable logic controllers (PLC) and distributed control architecture.
• A player such as Kgn oil & gas equipment is a premier manufacturer, integrator & supplier of quality engineered products & services in the automation plc based solution, which provides the PLC solution in the UAE region.
• Further, Vista Automation is the leading Industrial Automation Solutions provider offering services in the Middle East region and covering a wide range of applications and processes, including Oil & Gas. They offer PLC/SCADA based solutions as well as DCS based solutions for discrete, batch, and continuous processes.
• Moreover, in November 2019, Abu Dhabi announced new discoveries of seven billion barrels of oil to raise the UAE's total crude reserves to 105 billion barrels. Throughout 2018, ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Co) granted concession rights in existing and new oilfields to several international companies and earmarked some AED 132 billion to invest in the oil sector over the next five years. This enhances the demand for PLC in the coming period.
• However, falling oil prices reduced the expansion plans of the UAE government. Also, the cancelation of oil projects at the Fujairah facility, due to the downturn in oil prices and lack of investor interest, could negatively impact market growth.

Renewable Energy to Witness Significant Market Growth in Saudi Arabia

• The PLC market in Saudi Arabia has mostly benefited from the investment in energy and utilities by the government and private players, like GE, Eaton, ABB, and Emerson, due to which there was high penetration of automation in the industries.
• The trends towards the dual-axis solar tracking system have been implemented using a programmable logic controller (PLC). This proposed system keeps the solar panels aligned with the sun during the sunrise hours, to maximize solar power extracted from the sun. In this work, an open-loop control system has been designed and carried out using PLC, and direct current motors for solar cell sun tracking. With future investment in renewable energy, Saudi Arabia caters to high demand.
• In January 2019, the government of Saudi Arabia unveiled an infrastructure plan to attract SAR 1.6 trillion in investments. The core focus of the event was on the Industrial Development and Logistics program.
• The country initiated USD 7 billion worth of renewable energy projects in 2018, with solar plants being the frontrunners. It is part of its plan that aims to install 9.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity by 2023. During the US tour, the Crown Prince of the country announced plans to generate 200 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030, the largest solar project ever conceived. It is expected to lead to USD 200 billion in solar investments. This caters to the demand for PLC in this segment.
• GE is one of the companies that benefited from these developments in renewable energy. In 2019 GE's Grid Solutions Business won new contracts in Jeddah North, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Electricity Company recently put in service GE's Main Reactor Design unique and patented solution, rated at -150/+300 Mvar, the sixth Main Reactor Design commissioned by GE.
• Further, current domestic energy-consuming behaviors pose unavoidable fatal consequences that affect both the Kingdom’s production and export levels. Therefore, urgent action is needed to curb the increasing electricity demand and promote energy conservation in the country. A smart grid is a dynamic solution that can bridge the gap between the current supply and increasing demand in Saudi Arabia. Smart grid technology is enabling the effective management and distribution of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen.
• Building a microgrid system is modeled using MATLAB/Simulink and is interfaced with a real-time controller via a data acquisition system to form Hardware In the Loop (HIL) setup. This real-time controller is realized through a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) by using the SEMC algorithm. This advent towards the demand for PLC.

Competitive Landscape

The middle east programmable logic controller market is fragmented and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market in the region. These major players, with a prominent share in the market, are focusing on expanding their customer base across the middle east regions. Key players are ABB Ltd, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, etc. Recent developments in the market are -

• October 2019 - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) renewed its collaboration with Honeywell to install 250,000 additional smart meters across Dubai. Honeywell smart meters' critical feature is flexibility and adaptability to various telecommunication technologies, whether wired or wireless, such as GPRS, RF, G3 PLC, and LPWAN.

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