The Asian market for hardware and consumables to create the ultrapure water needed by the power, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industry will rise from $1.7 billion this year to $2.3 billion in 2008. This new forecast is included in the online, continuously updated Ultrapure Water: World Markets, published by the McIlvaine Co.
Asia leads all other continents in each major segment except pharmaceuticals. It is already the largest purchaser of ultrapure water products and services for power plants, flat panel displays, disk drives, and semiconductors.
The ultrapure engineering and construction investment will exceed $400 million in Asia in 2008. Another $136 million will be required for filtration. Instruments and control purchases will reach $290 million. Pump and valve purchases will exceed $144 million.
The semiconductor industry in Asia will purchase ultrapure water products and services valued at $1.2 billion in 2008. This is twice the investment of 2003. China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea are mainly responsible for the investment surge.
The next largest sector is power. The unprecedented investment in new coal-fired power plants in China will create a $700 million market for ultrapure water products and services in 2008. China is investing more in new coal-fired power generation than the rest of the world combined.
The third largest segment is one unique to Asia—flat panel displays. Asia is the main producer of the flat panel displays for use in computers, television, and many other applications. The largest flat panel display facilities use more ultrapure water than the largest semiconductor plants.
The pharmaceutical industry is a distant fourth in the rankings. The bulk of pharmaceutical manufacturing remains in the United States and Europe.
Source: McIlvaine Co.
