Overview of the Chinese Industrial Pumps Market E-mail
Written by Dushyant Mehra   

Investment in the energy industry was insignificant until the year 1995 when the Chinese government encouraged foreign direct investments (FDI) for onshore oil exploration and allowed joint venture developments with the CNPC. However, since 2000 the Chinese government has liberalized the norms for FDI in the energy industry. In addition to oil exploration and production, the Chinese power generation sector was open to foreign direct investments, and many companies like Russia, France, and Canada took an active part in the construction of nuclear power plants.

Although the Chinese energy industry is dominated by the state-owned enterprises (SOEs), foreign investments are encouraged with the aim of expanding the infrastructure and introducing new clean energy technologies.

Environmental Regulations

Sustainable development is a national strategy, and the implementation of environmental policies and measures is likely to generate climate benefits. China has promulgated a number of laws on environmental protection, energy conservation, and the development of renewable energy sources, which promote sustainable development and create a positive impact on the environment.

In response to the growing concerns toward the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, China has taken efforts in making environmental protection the top priority in its policy agenda. The 11th Five-Year Plan has set targets for the plan period (2006-2010), including reductions in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20.0 percent and the level of pollutant discharged by 10.0 percent.

However, the targets of the Kyoto Protocol are considered a challenge due to the increase in the level of air and water pollution in China. Due to the rapid economic growth rate, China's energy production and consumption have increased drastically. The energy industry has witnessed rapid development with the increase in the number of coal and nuclear power plants with attendant negative environmental impacts.

State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China, appointed under the State Council, is responsible for the supervision and management of environmental protection according to the laws and regulations. The SEPA helps in maintaining a pollution-free environment in order to achieve a sustainable and robust development of the economy. The government has formulated over 50 regulations since 1996 to encourage environmental protection, such as control of water pollution, prevention and control of air pollution, and evaluation of environmental impact.

The European Union (EU) is now planning to invest funds worth $52.0 million for developing China's energy infrastructure. The funds are mainly directed toward projects that focus on climate change and environment. The EU has also proposed setting up a European Energy Technology Center in China to foster the exchange of research and technologies including clean coal, energy savings, and renewable energy.

Strategic Conclusions

There are around 3,500 participants in the Chinese positive displacement and centrifugal pumps market. As of 2006, the top ten Chinese pump manufacturers together accounted for less than 23.0 percent of the revenue share. This market is highly fragmented.

The centrifugal pumps segment contributes the major market share in the total Chinese pumps market.

Due to limits in technology and capital, domestic pump manufacturing companies can only serve the medium-end and low-end markets. However, multinational companies see tremendous business opportunities in the high-end market and are planning mega projects.

The applications that have a major revenue share, in order of revenue share, are water and wastewater treatment, chemicals and petrochemicals, and power generation. The other application segments such as oil and gas and agriculture are also expected to offer more opportunities for revenue growth.

Price remains the most important competitive factor in this market. Throughout the forecast period, the average price is expected to slightly decline, due to overcapacity in the low- and medium-end market, end users' high price sensitivity, and the increasing bargaining power of buyers.

As rapid development in the Chinese market is being witnessed, many multinational pump manufacturing companies are planning to enhance the penetration of their products in China by establishing manufacturing bases through mergers and acquisitions.

With increasing competition, small-sized pump manufacturers are expected to either merge or be acquired, or be forced out of the market in the next few years (2008 to 2013). As a result, the market consolidation is forecasted to increase.

Dushyant Mehra is a senior research analyst with Frost & Sullivan, 7550 IH 10 West, Suite 400, San Antonio, TX 78229-5616, 877-463-7678, Fax: 888-690-3329, www.frost.com.

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