Valve as one of the key devices in flow control system is principally applied in petroleum & gas, energy & power and chemical areas. Subject to slackening economic growth and weakening downstream demand around the globe, sales of valve industry worldwide posted a CAGR of merely 3.3% during 2008-2013.
The global valve production bases are gradually being transferred to China from the 1990s onwards. In 2008-2013, sales of China’s valve industry grew at a CAGR of 7.3%, significantly higher than that of the globe, and expected to hit USD8.79 billion in 2014.
Under the influence of nuclear power restart in 2014, China’s nuclear power valve market has seen a gradual pickup. It is estimated that the investment in nuclear power valve in the country will fly to RMB9.5 billion in 2015. Globe valve, diaphragm valve and ball valve (three major fields of nuclear power valves) will usher rapid development, accordingly.
Besides, driven by policies e.g. old-for-new and energy efficient air-conditioner subsidy, the air conditioning valve market is rising steadily over the years. In 2013, market capacity of four-way valve and globe valve for air conditioner in China reached 110 million units and 220 million units separately, both up 6.7% over a year earlier.
Currently, global valve manufacturers such as Emerson, Pentair and KITZ are mainly concentrated in the United States, Japan and other developed countries. In China, there are mainly Neway Valve (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., CNNC Sufa Technology Industry, Inc. and so forth.
At the end of 2013, Emerson acquired Virgo Valves and Controls, Ltd., a leading manufacturer of ball valves and automation systems based in India which focuses on production of ball valves, high-performance butterfly valves, etc.
In August 2014, Pentair’s safety valve steam test center in Qingpu production base, Shanghai was put into formal use, which would further expand the company’s comprehensive abilities in production, assembling, marketing, commissioning, maintenance and repair in China.
As the largest valve producer in China, Neway Valve (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in January 2014, with funds raised of about RMB880 million used for 35,000 sets/a large-diameter valve and special valve project, 10,000 sets/a petroleum valve and equipment project, etc.
CNNC Sufa Technology Industry Co., Ltd. is a major nuclear power valve manufacturer in China, at the cutting edge of three generations of domestic nuclear power valves; now, it is accelerating R&D of isolating valve, squib valve and others for nuclear power stations. In the first half of 2014, its revenue from nuclear power valve and nuclear chemical valve reported 48.9% and 442.1% surges year on year respectively.
