Oleochemicals Market, Forecast to 2025

Growth Potential of Oleochemicals in Key Industrial End Applications Stimulates Growth in Major Regions

This research service focuses on the global market for oleochemicals. Oleochemicals have wide-ranging applications due to the diverse properties that exhibit the needed performance, making them highly adaptable in various industries such as personal care and cosmetics, soaps and detergents, lubricants, rubber and plastics, mining and oilfields, and many others. Oleochemical types include fatty acids, fatty alcohols, Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), and other fatty acid derivatives. Competitors include manufacturers of oleochemicals, such as BASF Corporation, Oleon NV, Evonik Industries AG, Croda Inc., Emery Oleochemicals, AkzoNobel, ADM, Cargill, Sasol, P&G Chemicals, and others, that sell oleochemicals to companies in the end-use industries. The regions in the scope of this study are the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW.

This is an established industry of 3 decades, driven by significant innovation and R&D involving oleochemicals refinery platform to replace conventional fossil fuel (petrochemical) refinery platform as a sustainable and green alternative. Asia-Pacific leads the demand for oleochemicals by region, followed by the Americas and Europe. The diversity and wide range of applications for oleochemicals in industrial uses such as coatings, resins, lubricants, greases, polymerization, vulcanization, foods and feeds, soaps, and in personal care and cosmetics drive the consumption. The personal care and soaps and detergents applications share more than 50.8% of the oleochemicals demand.

The global oleochemicals market is a growth stage. Population growth and forecast for the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific will drive the demand for oleochemicals across application segments such as personal care and cosmetics, soaps and detergents, lubricants, food, and many others. Increasing demand for oleochemicals in key end-user applications such as personal care is expected to improve the growth of the oleochemicals market. There is a growing demand for bio-based chemicals that can replace petrochemical alternatives. REACH regulations for the low-carbon economy have initiated the high usage of oleochemicals. The popularity of green detergents will spur the oleochemicals-based surfactants market growth.

Increasing awareness on sustainability, health, and safety among end-users (from industries that use both petrochemicals and oleochemicals) will fuel higher consumption of oleochemicals in diverse industries. Technical differences between fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and fatty esters/methyl esters, and other fatty acid derivatives are likely to increase the need for R&D by applications and thus value addition and prices. Personal care and soaps and detergents applications share more than 50% of oleochemicals demand. FAME leads the demand for oleochemicals by type, followed by fatty acids. FAME is usually referred to as biodiesel due to their dominant use as fuel (40.5%).

Asia-Pacific is expanding its market share with increased consumption of oleochemical,s driven by end market expansion. Asia-Pacific not only leads regional shares but also growth rates. Several industries that need oleochemicals have moved to countries in Asia-Pacific due to better economics and logistics (e.g., soaps). Asia-Pacific is the largest oil and fat producer and raw material base for oleochemicals globally, followed by Europe. Thus, Asia-Pacific as a consumer has better control of the production and distribution of oleochemicals. Despite previous economic fluctuations in Western Europe and North America, oleochemicals consumption continues to grow due to the demand for sustainable and renewable green chemicals.