June 2025, Vol. 252, No. 6
Tech Notes
Global Plastic Pipe Demand Begins Rebound After Two-Year Slump
Special to Pipeline & Gas Journal
Distributors and manufacturers of plastic pipes are once again seeing a slight increase in demand, according to market research institute Ceresana.
The institute’s latest analysis of the global pipe, which includes pipe components and fittings made of PVC and polyethylene, shows that after two years of stagnation, sales of plastic pipes are on the rise again.
Market researchers also showed optimism about the future saying this branch of the construction industry is expected to grow by 3.2% per year until 2033.
However, demand for plastic pipes varies from region to region: In Western Europe, demand is still facing a somewhat longer lean spell; in China, the construction industry is also finding it difficult to build despite earlier projections.
In North America, on the other hand, sales of plastic pipes are growing faster: The U.S. is “investing massively” in the renovation of its infrastructure and is replacing old lead drinking water pipes with plastic products at a cost of $15 billion, for example.
Worldwide, the plastic pipe market report registers the highest growth in the drinking water and agriculture sectors. For the agricultural sector alone, Ceresana expects demand for plastic pipes to increase by 4.2% per year until 2033. New pipelines are also used for the construction of hydrogen networks, for example, or as cable protection for fiber optic and electricity networks.
From civil engineering to buildings and industrial plants: each application area for pipes requires the right type of plastic. The markets for heat-resistant PP pipes made of polypropylene and for the collective category “pipes made of other plastics” are currently experiencing particular growth.
These include, for example, highly impact-resistant and temperature-resistant ABS pipes made from the engineering plastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. PE pipes made of polyethylene have proven their worth in gas pipelines and industrial applications.
However, traditional PVC pipes made of polyvinyl chloride are still being installed in large quantities, for example as wastewater pipes. PVC is often chlorinated to improve its flexibility and heat resistance (PVC-C or CPVC). Increasingly, recycled plastics and bioplastics are also being processed into pipes.
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