Thermoplastic Pipe Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Polymer Type, Product Type (Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTP), Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCP)), Application, End User, and By Geography

Thermoplastic Pipe Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Polymer Type, Product Type (Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTP), Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCP)), Application, End User, and By Geography

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Thermoplastic Pipe Market is accounted for $2.52 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $3.67 billion by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period. Thermoplastic pipes are primarily used in the transportation of solids, liquids, and gases. They can withstand high temperatures, harsh chemicals, and long-term cyclic loading. Industries such as chemical, mining & dredging, and others widely use thermoplastic pipes. Thermoplastic pipes have unique properties such as flexibility, excellent chemical resistance, high mechanical strength, greater flow, and rust-resistant features.

Market Dynamics:

Driver:

Growing applications across offshore and onshore production activities

The oil & gas industry uses steel as a key material in manufacturing a variety of tubes and pipes. In the onshore industry, steel continues to be used dominantly in products such as coiled tubing and flow lines. In addition, thermoplastic composites are primarily used for offshore applications, such as chemical injection pipes and risers. Its properties, such as wear and corrosion resistance, better stiffness, and strength with respect to changes in temperature and deformation due to stress, make it highly effective for underwater applications. Offshore drilling and production activities are expected to increase in the next five years at a greater pace than onshore activities, given the increasing importance of deep and ultra-deepwater oil & gas production and exploration activities, as demand for fossil fuels has intensified. Therefore, thermoplastic composites’ application in offshore products, such as flowlines, umbilical, and risers, is likely to drive the thermoplastic pipe market in the oil & gas industry.

Restraint:

High cost of thermoplastic composite pipes

Thermoplastic pipes made from engineering thermoplastic grades such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) have been used extensively due to their cost-effectiveness and excellent chemical resistance properties. Compared with steel, composite pipes made of PEEK or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) cost 20–100 times more, making its application impossible for products such as pipes, thus becoming the most common obstacle for the thermoplastic pipe market. Higher grades of thermoplastics, such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), have limited applications in seals and wirelines as they are expensive. These pipes provide good abrasion resistance, low flammability, and reduced emission of smoke and toxic gases, but they also have high raw material and fabrication costs.

Opportunity:

Increasing exploration and production activities

The temperature and pressure ratings are high in deep and ultra-deepwater and increased CO2 and H2S content scour and weaken steel. Also, in deepwaters, increased pressure and currents drag the pipes through the water. To overcome these problems, companies produce flexible pipes for the oil & gas industry by winding layers of thermoplastic composite reinforced with glass or carbon fibers around a polymer liner. As the oil & gas reserves in shallow waters are running dry, producers are turning to deep- and ultra-deepwater off the coasts of Brazil, Norway, Angola, and the US. For instance, in May 2019, Strohm collaborated with SÍMEROS TECHNOLOGIES, an engineering company, to deliver Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) risers in the deepwater region of Brazil. Bringing the fluids through 3,000 m of water to the surface poses various challenges for well operators. Moreover, thermoplastic composite pipes are much lighter than flexible steel pipes, so operators can use simpler and less expensive equipment to install them. Additionally, the ease of handling and the potential use of “no-dig” technology for installing the flexible pipes, which can be delivered to the site in long coils, help reduce jointing and traffic disruption. Therefore, the benefits of using flexible composite pipes in deep- and ultra-deepwater applications are expected to pose more opportunities for the thermoplastic pipe market.

Threat:

Problems in large-scale manufacturing

Thermoplastic composite pipes are customized products that require modifications, depending on end-use conditions, such as pressure, temperature, and corrosion. Thermoplastic composite pipe fabricators for the oil & gas industry usually have to procure raw materials (polymer) directly from the manufacturers because the fabricators have to work in sync with the operational requirements of oil companies and the quality of material provided by suppliers. Subsequently, the modifications are usually in polymer composition or processing conditions, which can be carried out only if there is close coordination between polymer manufacturers and the pipe fabricator. This constraint in standardization makes large-scale manufacturing of composite pipes a difficult prospect, contributing to the overall high cost of thermoplastic pipes.

The polyethylene (PE) segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The polyethylene (PE) segment is estimated to have a lucrative growth. There are two variants of PE pipes available in the market, i.e., PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene pipes). The crosslinked structure of polyethylene enhances the toughness and temperature resistance of the material. This enables the content to be specified for use in more harsh environments both at lower and higher temperatures. Lightweight, flexible, and easy to weld properties of polyethylene (PE) is expected to foster its inclination in the thermoplastic pipe market.

The oil & gas segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The oil & gas segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR growth during the forecast period. The oil & gas segment uses thermoplastic pipes for various applications, such as high-pressure water injection pipelines, water transport & distribution, effluent water disposal, temporary surface lines, good intervention, and seawater intake & discharge lines. By geography, the Asia Pacific is going to have lucrative growth due to urbanization and industrialization growth along with increasing mining activities in China and India.

Region with highest share:

North America is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period due to the increasing oil and gas exploration and production activities and the discovery of new oil and gas reserves. Acceptance of PP-RCT (PolyPropylene-Random Crystallinity Temperature) is driving the market in North America, which is making it easier for engineers and builders to replace traditional materials with thermoplastic piping systems.

Region with highest CAGR:

Asia Pacific is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period. The growth of the Asia Pacific market is driven by urbanization and industrialization growth along with increasing mining activities in China, Australia, and India. With an increasing population in the region, the demand for water transport and energy demand is expected to increase during the forecast period. Water, an essential commodity, is mostly transported through PVC pipes, while oil & gas are mostly transported through polyethylene pipes. Asia-Pacific, despite having a lower level of urbanization, the region is home to nearly 54% of the global population. Between the period 2018 and 2050, India and China are expected to account for nearly 30% of the global projected urban population. The increase in urbanization is expected to increase the demand for oil & gas and water transportation pipeline over upcoming years.

Key players in the market:

Some of the key players profiled in the Thermoplastic Pipe Market include Advanced Drainage Systems Inc., Aetna Plastics, Airborne Oil & Gas B.V., AMIANTIT Service GmbH, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Future Pipe Industries, Georg Fischer Piping Systems Ltd., IPEX Inc., KWH Pipe, Master Tech Company FZC, National Oilwell Varco, Pipelife Nederland BV, Prysmian Group, Simtech, and Technip.

Key Developments:

In November 2019, IPEX completed the stock purchase of pipe producer Silver Line Plastics LLC. The deal brought together No.8 and No. 34 pipe, tubing extruders, and profile with an estimated sales value of USD 460 million and USD 140 million, respectively.

In January 2020, Advanced Drainage Systems acquired the assets of Plastic Tubing Industries (PTI), a manufacturer of HDPE pipes and related accessories. The acquisition increased the company’s customer base and capacity in Southeast US. With this step, it is expected to increase its manufacturing footprint in Georgia and Texas and add production capacity to the existing manufacturing facilities in Florida.

In October 2021, TechnipFMC acquired the outstanding shares of Magma Global; the company will use Magma Global's technology to manufacture Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCPs) using PEEK polymer. TechnipFMC will combine Magma Global’s expertise with its flexible pipe technology to create a Hybrid Flexible Pipe (HFP) that will be deployed in the pre-salt fields of Brazil.

Polymer Types Covered:
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Other Polymer Types

Product Types Covered:
• Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTP)
• Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCP)

Applications Covered:
• Onshore
• Offshore

End Users Covered:
• Mining & Dredging
• Oil & Gas
• Utilities & Renewables
• Water & Wastewater
• Chemical
• Municipal

Regions Covered:
• North America
US
Canada
Mexico
• Europe
Germany
UK
Italy
France
Spain
Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
Japan
China
India
Australia
New Zealand
South Korea
Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Qatar
South Africa
Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:
- Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
- Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2028
- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Free Customization Offerings:
All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options:
• Company Profiling
Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3)
SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3)
• Regional Segmentation
Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the client's interest (Note: Depends on feasibility check)
• Competitive Benchmarking
Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances