Charcoal Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global charcoal market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% between 2024 and 2029.

The main factor driving the charcoal market is its application in medical applications such as assisting kidney function by filtering out undigested toxins and drugs, helping in intestinal gas, natural water filtration, teeth whitening, oral health, skin infections, etc. Products such as Activated Charcoal 200mg Tablet 50s by Glovida-Rx (GRx), a generic medicine used for detoxification, digestive comfort, and emergency toxin removal are one of the major charcoal medicinal tablets for healthcare.

• Charcoal is one of the major inputs for smelters that process precious metal ores. It is majorly used in metal production in many parts of the world. The demand for iron and steel production and consumption in various places caused an upsurge in demand for charcoal in the market.
• Charcoal is used in the production of silicon, a major semiconductor used in industry. With the growing application of semiconductors in various devices and industries, there will be an increased demand for charcoal in the manufacturing industry.
• Charcoal is a useful material for cosmetic use, pyrotechnics, purification and filtration, art, and decorations, among others. Charcoal is used for filtration of both liquid and gaseous forms. It is very useful in removing organic compounds, and extracting chlorine from water, thereby making water suitable for both drinking and industrial usage purposes.
• Further, Charcoal can be used to remove chloramine, pesticides, nitrates, and hydrogen sulfide, from the water. Gaseous purification can be made from the charcoal by removing oil vapors, odor, and other hydrocarbons from the air. Additionally, activated charcoal can be used for organic farming as well.

The activated charcoal segment is likely to be the fastest-growing type during the projected period

Activated charcoal is produced by superheating natural sources of carbon, such as wood, peat, coconut shells, or sawdust. The major application of activated charcoal is in the healthcare industry. Activated charcoal for medical uses comes in different forms like tablets, capsules, liquid, suspension, and pellets for intake as a medicine. Charcoal is a main component of the smelting industry being an important reducing agent, it has relatively high mechanical strength, good conductive properties, and high carbon content.

The demand for metals like iron and steel is a major driving factor in the demand for the charcoal market. The world produced 1,892,036 thousand tonnes of crude steel in the year 2023, 1,884,011 thousand tonnes, in 2022, a major consumer of charcoal in industrial usage. The demand for metals across various purposes like infrastructure, automotive, real estate, machinery, etc. would generate the demand for charcoal in metallurgical applications.

Growing demand from the iron and steel industry

Steel is a critical material in the industry worldwide, and steel products are a heavily traded commodity. Global use of finished products made by steel has shown a significant demand. The steel demand is significant from the infrastructure developments around the world to medical equipment for saving lives, as well as war machinery around the world, steel has become indispensable.

Countries around the world have constant demand and supply for steel, the United States has the imports for the steel mill product for domestic consumption to be 29.6 metric tons in 2021, 28 metric tons in 2022, and 25.6 metric tons in 2023. The usage of steel in various industries would correspondingly increase the demand for charcoal in the market.

The growing application of activated charcoal in the Pharmaceuticals and food industry

Charcoal is a versatile porous material with increasing applications across various fields. The materials offer pores that can trap chemicals, it is used to clear toxins, and drugs that include NSAIDs and other OTC anti-inflammatories, sedatives, calcium channel blockers, dapsone, carbamazepine, malaria medications, and methylxanthines. Charcoal is also used in barbeque, grilling, heating, etc. in the food industry. Charcoal is a part of traditional cooking, different types of charcoal are used for different cooking styles such as coconut shell charcoal, used for grilling food. Hardwood briquettes are used for grilling and burning containing moisture levels averaging less than 10%.

Charcoals are used in the production of fireworks. In the cosmetic industry, they are used as an active ingredient in face washes, face masks, moisturizers, and body wash. For detoxification, it uses the natural adsorption qualities of activated charcoal to help remove toxins and substances from the gastrointestinal tract, it alleviates uncomfortable bloating and gas, and in acute situations, it is used in healthcare settings to get rid of unwanted substances.

Asia-Pacific region to dominate the charcoal market during the forecast period

The major economies like China, Japan, India, and South Korea dominate the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the fastest-growing emerging economies are from this region such as ASEAN countries. India and China are the two largest producers of crude steel in the world, China produced 1,019,080 thousand tonnes and India produced 140.70 million tonnes of crude steel, the first and the second largest producers of crude steel, respectively in 2023. Iron ore produced in India was 2,04,035 thousand tonnes in 2021-22.

• The number gave the significance of charcoal in industrial uses. According to data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, in December 2023, the country produced 60.8709 million tons of pig iron, a significant producer of iron in the world.  Another major economy in the region, Japan produced 83.18 million tonnes in 2020 and jumped to 86.99 million tonnes in 2023. 
• The other major industrial uses for charcoal are the production of aluminum, boron, etc., the production of pure silicon (a major raw material for the semiconductors), the production of glass, crystal, paints, electrodes, plastics, as an insulating material in construction, etc. All these applications are anticipated to grow during the forecasted period with the economic growth and urbanization in the region.

Charcoal market challenges:

• Environmental concerns are a major factor in the charcoal market growth. Charcoal is the major cause of deforestation in many regions around the world.
• In April 2023 European Parliament adopted a new law for the companies to ensure products sold in Europe have not led to deforestation and forest degradation. Charcoal is covered by the new rules.

Global Charcoal Market Key Developments

• In May 2024, Sun24, an American NGO, introduced a new method of making charcoal in Africa. It is the top-down burn method of making char from crop waste. Now, the process for the best quality briquettes can be made by any farmer at a lower price than charcoal. It is a simple method for making char. 62 percent of global charcoal is produced in Africa, and mostly it comes from forests. A very small amount of charcoal is produced sustainably, it is the main driver of deforestation in Africa. Charcoal production in Africa is growing because of increasing urban populations, this method is easily sustainable for the farmers.
• In December 2023, ArcelorMittal started converting waste wood into bio-coal to reduce fossil coal consumption for the first time in the European steel industry. It had been commissioned in Belgium's Torero plant. It can convert waste wood into bio-coal for use in the blast furnace at its Gent steelmaking site. This could reduce the annual carbon emissions by 112,500 tonnes, by reducing the use of fossil coal. It can convert 88,000 tonnes of waste wood into 37,500 tonnes of bio-coal annually. It got the investment of €35 million plant in Gent. ArcelorMittal Europe has the vision to reduce CO2 emissions by 35% by 2030.
• In June 2023, Aperam expanded its strategy of investment in sustainable new business models and concluded a joint venture for the expansion of charcoal production with Ferbasa - one of the world’s leading producers of ferroalloys. 

The global activated carbon market is segmented and analyzed as below:

By Product Type

• Activated charcoal
• Lump charcoal
• Japanese charcoal
• Other types (hardwood briquettes, charcoal briquettes, coconut shell charcoal, sawdust briquettes, etc.)

By End-user Industry

• Water Treatment
• Food industry
• Steel and Iron industry
• Cosmetics and personal care
• Healthcare
• Other End-user Industries

By Geography

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of South America
• Europe
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Rest of Middle East and Africa
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific