Global Passive Fire Protection Coatings Market Outlook to 2026

Passive fire protection coatings are the protective barrier applied to an industrial component’s surface that prevents damage during a fire in various end-user industries, including Building and Construction, Oil & Gas, and Transportation, among others. According to Researcher, the global passive fire protection coatings market is expected to witness a moderate growth rate during the forecast period. The market for passive fire protection coatings is expected to be driven by increasing fire incidents and the consolidation of uniform fire safety regulations across the globe. Furthermore, the population growth across the globe is driving the need for more and more high-rise living vertical village towers along with urban buildings, which may pose a life safety risk leading to a rise in demand for passive fire protection coatings. However, market growth is expected to be hindered due to the inability of the passive fire protection coatings to prevent corrosion in certain applications.

Construction and real estate is the major contributor to the global GDP and is recognized to have a significant impact on national economies. The global construction market is expected to reach USD 8 trillion by 2030, driven by China, the US, and India, among others. Passive fire protection coatings feature to reduce on and off-site exposures, limit fire size and development and facilitate fire fighting by employees and the fire service. Different countries have different building codes, material testing procedures, and fire-related regulations. These differences have led to the development of a consistent set of fire safety standards. One such coalition is IFSS (International Fire Safety Standards), formed by more than 30 local and international professional and building standards organizations. Fire safety has to be of high importance in these structures and all other higher-risk buildings. However, the height of these buildings is not the only parameter to consider while meeting the fire regulations since low-level buildings could be at high risk, including care homes, hospitals, hotels, student accommodations. Studies have shown that inconsistent approaches to the regulation and assessment of fire safety could lead to loss of life in extreme cases, through to a loss of confidence by governments, financiers, investors, and the public in buildings.

The global Passive fire protection coatings market is segmented based on Type, Technology, and End-User Industry. The End-User Industry segment is further segmented as Building and Construction, Oil & Gas, Transportation, and Others. In terms of end-users, building and construction is one of the largest end-users of passive fire protection coatings and is expected to continue its domination during the forecast period.

Building and construction are some of the largest end-users of passive fire protection coatings. In the construction industry, both active and passive fire protection methods are used. Active fire protection methods include automatic fire detection and suppression systems, whereas passive fire protection involves the attempts to contain and slow the spread of fires. Passive fire protection coatings are an important component for fire safety and fire protection in a building. It majorly involves fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors, among others. In 2019, more than half of the world’s population lived in urban areas, and the urban population is estimated to reach 2.5 billion by the year 2050. These trends are mainly observed in African and Asian countries. According to the United Nations, as of 2020, 33 megacities in the world require planned habitation for the rapidly growing urban population rate of 1.84%. In the building and construction industry, passive fire protection coatings can be applied in two forms, including thin and thick films.

Passive fire protection coatings are required to offer consistent performance in extreme temperatures and working environments. In the recent decade, the adaptation of these coatings has increased and has become a permanent fixture in Oil & Gas industry. In the oil & gas industries, in order to protect the lives of the workers and the equipment, the manufacturers have options between cementitious and intumescent coatings. Both of these coatings are effective against hydrocarbon fires and are suitable for most of the substrates. Hydrocarbon fires are always a major threat to the oil & gas industry owing to the continuous risk associated with the highly flammable properties of the products in the industry. Hydrocarbon fires are the commonly reported incidents in the oil & gas industry. It can cause high fatalities and structural damage within a fraction of time. Some of the incidents that have contributed towards the growth in the consumption of passive fire protection coatings include Piper Alpha, Flixborough, BP Texas City, and Seveso disasters, among others. Currently, passive fire protection coatings are being used throughout the energy and petrochemical complex to tackle the threat of explosions, fires, and hydrocarbon spills. However, the number of hydrocarbon releases in the offshore oil & gas industry has declined gradually year-on-year, but the reduction in the number of incidents is mainly due to the elimination of minor leaks. Major hydrocarbon releases continue to take place, posing a continuous threat to the safety and lives of the people in and around the facility. The equipment damage is also another concern for the oil & gas players. With the growth in the awareness among the end-users in the oil & gas industry, the consumption of passive fire protection coatings is likely to grow at a considerable growth rate in the coming years.

Based on geography, the global Passive fire protection coatings market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is expected to lead the market owing to rising demand from the end-user industries, including construction, warehousing, and industrial, particularly in China and India. Moreover, increasing demand for fire-safe infrastructure, including residential and commercial buildings, coupled with growing awareness among consumers, is likely to propel the demand for passive fire protection during the forecast period.

The United Kingdom is one of the major markets for passive fire protection coatings in the European region. The construction industry in the United Kingdom witnesses a dip in productivity during the colder months of the year. Seasonality affects the projects across the UK during winters. The climatic conditions in the UK during winters include temperatures below 5°C and high humidity, which makes it difficult for the application of water-based fire protection coatings. In the UK, hybrid intumescent coatings are considered the most suitable type of coatings. Over 70% of the multi-storeyed constructions are built around a steel frame in the country.

The presence of the British Coatings Federation’s Intumescent Coatings Group is promoting professional standards in quality and performance and creating common guidance for the testing, assessment, installation, and inspection of intumescent coatings. Some of the prominent players in the passive fire protection coating market in the United Kingdom include Jotun, Sherwin-Williams, SIKA, Hempel UK Limited, FSI, and WATCO, among others. Hydrocarbon releases are the major hazard management issue for the offshore oil and gas industry of the United Kingdom. Several measures are being taken to prevent, detect, and control them. In the UK, duty holders are responsible for reporting certain HCR to the Offshore Safety Directive Regulator – OSDR – as Dangerous Occurrences in accordance with Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, SI 2013 No. 1471, – usually referred to as RIDDOR – and Events in accordance with EU Implementing Regulation No 1112/2014.

The market was found to be partially consolidated. Some of the key players in the global market are AkzoNobel N.V., PPG Industries, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Nullifire, and Jotun, among others.

In July 2020, Sherwin-Williams Protection & Marine expanded its line of time-tested FIRETEX passive fire protection coatings that optimizes applications and reduces costs by enabling precise coating thickness specifications for onshore assets. FIRETEX passive fire protection is an intumescent coating that meets UL 1709 testing requirements for onshore passive hydrocarbon fire protection. It also permits stakeholders to apply variable material thicknesses to different sized steel sections.

Our Global Passive fire protection coatings market report provides deep insight into the current and future state of the Passive fire protection coatings market across various regions. Also, the study comprehensively analyzes the Passive fire protection coatings market by segments based on type (Cementitious Coatings and Intumescent Coatings), By Technology (Water-borne and Solvent-borne), and by End-user Industry (Building and Construction, Oil & Gas, Transportation, and Others), and by Geography (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle-East and Africa). The report examines the market drivers and restraints, along with the impact of Covid-19 are influencing the market growth in detail. The study covers & includes emerging market trends, market developments, market opportunities, market size, market analysis, market dynamics, and challenges in the industry. This report also covers extensively researched competitive landscape sections with profiles of major companies, including their market share and projects.

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