Refinery Catalysts Market Size & Trends
Estimated to be USD 8,242.3 million in 2024, the worldwide refinery catalysts market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2025 to 2030. The rising demand for transportation fuel worldwide is likely to drive market growth.
Key Highlights
- Asia Pacific dominated the refinery catalysts market with the largest revenue share of 34.10% in 2024.
- The refinery catalysts market in China accounted for the largest market revenue share in Asia Pacific in 2024.
- By product, the zeolite segment led the market with the largest revenue share of 32.8% in 2024 and is expected to continue to dominate the industry over the forecast period.
- By application, the FCC catalysts segment led the market with the largest revenue share of 45.1% in 2024.
Stringent regulations coupled with increasing demand for petroleum and petroleum-derived products/chemicals are likely to steer market growth. The petroleum refining industry uses refinery catalysts to improve the operational efficiency of petroleum.
In addition, the increasing demand for high-octane fuel, particularly in countries such as the U.S., Japan, Germany, the UK, and India, due to stringent regulations, is expected to positively influence the growth of the market for refinery catalysts. Furthermore, the shift toward renewable energy sources has prompted oil refineries to optimize their operations and improve their efficiency, leading to an increased demand for advanced refinery catalysts. The market is also expected to benefit from the growing adoption of new and advanced technologies in the refining industry, which require specialized catalysts to ensure optimal performance.
Refinery catalysts are widely used to counter issues such as metal contamination and heat balance effects in tight oil processing. Increasing tight oil production in the U.S., Russia, China, and Argentina is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. Strict government rules, like those for Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) and tough emission standards in developed countries, are expected to be the main reasons driving the need for refinery catalysts in the oil refining industry. The availability of alternative fuels such as biofuel, coupled with the adoption of “Go Green” campaigns and environmental policies by several nations, is expected to restrain the market growth for refinery catalysts.
Different types of materials used in the manufacturing of refinery catalysts include zeolites, chemical compounds, and metals. These materials, when used in different compositions or in combination with other chemicals, help manufacturers produce fluid catalytic cracking refinery catalysts, alkylation refinery catalysts, hydrotreating refinery catalysts, and hydrocracking refinery catalysts.
Global manufacturers of refinery catalysts are highly focused on designing catalysts that can handle all kinds of feedstock and ensure stable, reliable, easy, and profitable hydrotreating and hydrocracking applications. To achieve this, manufacturers have adopted superior process designs, proprietary equipment, and innovative performance refinery catalysts, which have helped them gain a competitive edge over others. Manufacturers are increasingly adopting a combination of technical expertise and sustainable production approaches.
The global refinery catalyst industry has witnessed a significant growth rate over the past few years, owing to the benefits it has received from high-value product segments. For instance, the application of catalysts in an automobile reduces carbon emissions that are harmful to the environment, and thus, their application is highly promoted by governments globally. Favorable government regulations, in turn, have increased the demand for catalysts in the automotive industry across regions.
Report Coverage & Deliverables
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- Competitive benchmarking
- Historical data & forecasts
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- Regional opportunities
- Latest trends & dynamics
Drivers, Opportunities & Restraints
The global demand for transportation fuel is likely to drive growth in the refinery catalysts industry. We expect stringent fuel norms and standards, along with the increasing consumption of petroleum derivatives, to steer the market growth. Government regulations on ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and strict emission standards in developed countries are likely to keep increasing the need for catalysts in the petroleum refining industry. Furthermore, rising demand for high-octane fuel, particularly in major cities in the U.S., Japan, Germany, the UK, and India, is likely to boost market growth.
Stringent emission control regulations globally are one of the major factors driving the requirement for conservative and efficient refining processes with high yields. This trend has further resulted in a surge in refinery catalyst demand to improve overall process efficiency. Stringent regulations concerning emissions have been introduced by many countries to reduce sulfur content in diesel and gasoline, as well as reduce the levels of sulfur, nitrogen oxide, and mercury emissions from the refineries. Thus, environmental regulations are driving the demand for environmental catalysts for reducing emissions in refineries.
Increasing energy demand coupled with growing stress on green technologies has resulted in catalysts playing an important role in petroleum refining operations. They are useful in various processes, including reforming, hydroprocessing, and cracking operations in refineries. Increasing emission control regulations globally are driving the need for efficient and conservative processes with high yield, which has steered catalyst demand in different applications to improve process efficiency.
Product Insights
The zeolite segment led the market with the largest revenue share of 32.8% in 2024 and is expected to continue to dominate the industry over the forecast period. This prominence is attributed to their widespread usage as adsorbents and catalysts owing to their porosity and large surface area. The porous structure of zeolites accommodates various cations such as potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+). Naturally, zeolites are formed by the reaction of volcanic rocks and ash layers with alkaline water. Natural zeolites are impure owing to the presence of other minerals, metals, and quartz. In contrast, zeolites are made in factories by slowly forming crystals from a silica-alumina gel and adding other atoms to enhance their effectiveness in specific processes.
The growing demand for noble and other metals in the emerging economies of Chile, China, and South Africa, on account of favorable regulatory support for FDI in mineral production, is expected to ensure a robust raw material supply for the manufacturers of metal catalysts. However, we expect the growing demand for these metals in other applications to further strain the raw material supply. It may create obstacles to the growth of the refinery catalyst industry over the forecast period.
Application Insights
The FCC catalysts segment led the market with the largest revenue share of 45.1% in 2024. The growth in this segment can be attributed to the growing demand for gasoline as a fuel for its use in automotive vehicles across the globe. Other application-based segments include fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, hydrotreating catalysts, hydrocracking catalysts, and catalytic reforming.
Fluid catalytic cracking is the most preferred method used by refineries to convert heavy and high-boiling hydrocarbons to lower-value fractions. Gasoline is the primary material obtained from the process, along with other fractions such as diesel and C3 and C4 gaseous fractions. This process helps produce an additional quantity of gasoline to cater to the robust demand for automotive vehicles. The process feeds the lighter fractions to the alkylation unit, which produces a high-octane gasoline component known as alkylate. Diesel uses the heavier fractions as a blender and an additive.
The hydrotreating segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The hydrotreating process, also known as the hydrodesulfurization process, is used to separate chemically bound sulfur compounds from various petrochemical materials. This procedure is done using a variety of refinery catalysts that are selected based on the feed. The process also aids in the removal of other impurities such as metals, oxygen, and nitrogen. This unit is used at multiple stages in the refinery for hydrotreating various products that include jet fuel, pyrolysis gas, catalytic feed, reformer feed, and other distillates.
Hydrotreating is carried out before processes such as catalytic reforming to avoid the contamination of the catalyst by crude feedstock. Furthermore, hydrocracking is used before catalytic cracking to reduce sulfur content, enhance yields, and elevate middle distillate petroleum fractions for heating fuel oil, kerosene, and diesel fuel.
Regional Insights
The refinery catalyst market in North America is mature and technologically advanced, driven by stringent environmental regulations and the need for high-efficiency fuel refining. Key applications include fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), hydrocracking, and hydrotreating to reduce sulfur and nitrogen content in fuels. Growing demand for cleaner transportation fuels and shale oil processing is supporting catalyst innovation and adoption. The region benefits from strong R&D capabilities and the presence of major catalyst producers like Albemarle, BASF, and W.R. Grace.
U.S. Refinery Catalyst Market Trends
The refinery catalysts market in the U.S. accounted for the largest market revenue share in North America in 2024, backed by its large refining capacity, complex refineries, and significant shale oil output. Regulations by the EPA and Department of Energy continue to push refiners to adopt advanced catalyst systems to meet Tier 3 and ultra-low sulfur fuel standards. Innovation in FCC and hydrotreating catalysts is particularly prominent, aimed at improving fuel yield and reducing emissions. The presence of global catalyst manufacturers and strategic R&D investment further strengthens the U.S. market.
Asia Pacific Refinery Catalyst Market Trends
Asia Pacific dominated the refinery catalysts market with the largest revenue share of 34.10% in 2024. An increasing number of private sector companies play a crucial role in promoting the refining industry in the aforementioned countries, especially in India. Reliance-operated Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat had a capacity of 1.2 million barrels per day in 2019, which was the largest refinery in the world. The government of India has approved the Petroleum, Chemicals, and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) policy for promoting FDI investments in the oil and gas sector. This regulatory move is expected to accelerate the petrochemicals and polymer production in India, thus contributing to the demand for refinery catalysts over the forecast period.
The refinery catalysts market in China accounted for the largest market revenue share in Asia Pacific in 2024. The presence of substantial oil reserves in China is likely to contribute to the growth of the Asia Pacific market. As a result, key market players are concentrating their focus on expanding capacity in the Asia Pacific region and meeting growing demand across regions.
Europe Refinery Catalysts Market Trends
The refinery catalysts market in Europe is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Refineries in Europe are suffering from low margins on account of high manufacturing costs coupled with stringent environmental regulations. We expect this regulatory move in Russia to fuel the demand for catalysts in refining applications. Also, advancements in technology for getting more oil out of the ground and the use of hydraulic fracturing in places like Russia and Ukraine are likely to lead to more tight oil and shale gas being available. Increasing shale gas and tight oil availability are expected to allow raw material access to refineries operating in Germany, France, and Italy. This development is likely to have a positive impact on the European market.
Key Refinery Catalysts Company Insights
Some of the key players operating in the market include Dow and Linde Plc
- BASF SE is a chemical manufacturing company with a presence across Asia-Pacific, North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. The company operates through six business segments, namely chemical, material, industrial solutions, surface technologies, agricultural solutions, and nutrition & care. The chemical segment includes petrochemicals and intermediaries. The material segment comprises performance polymers and monomers. The Industrial solutions segment includes performance chemicals, and dispersions and pigments. The agricultural solution segment includes products for farming, landscape management, and pest control. The Nutrition & Care segment is further sub-segmented into Nutrition & Health and Care. The company provides a wide range of surfactants for the textile, paint & coatings, homecare, and food processing industries.
Key Refinery Catalysts Companies
The following are the leading companies in the refinery catalysts market. These companies collectively hold the largest market share and dictate industry trends.
- Albemarle Corporation
- BASF SE
- Johnson Matthey Plc
- W. R. Grace
- Clariant International Ltd.
- Arkema
- Zeolyst International
- Chevron Corporation
- Exxon Mobil Corporation
- Evonik Industries AG
- DuPont
- Haldor Topsoe A/S
Recent Developments
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In August 2024, BASF launched Fourtiva, a new fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst designed to enhance the production of high-octane gasoline blending components. The catalyst leverages BASF’s latest Advanced Innovative Matrix (AIM) and Multiple Frameworks Topology (MFT) technologies to deliver a tailored solution that prioritizes higher butylene output, improved naphtha octane, and increased LPG olefinicity, while reducing the formation of coke and dry gas. This advanced formulation enables refiners to boost the yield of high-value products, enhance overall profitability, and lower the FCC unit's environmental impact.
Refinery Catalysts Market Report Scope
|
Report Attribute |
Details |
|
Market size value in 2025 |
USD 8,639.1 million |
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Revenue forecast in 2030 |
USD 10,662.7 million |
|
Growth rate |
CAGR of 4.3% from 2025 to 2030 |
|
Base year for estimation |
2024 |
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Historical data |
2018-2023 |
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Forecast period |
2025-2030 |
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Quantitative units |
Volume in kilotons, revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2025 to 2030 |
|
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
|
Segments covered |
Product, application, region |
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Regional scope |
North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa |
|
Country scope |
U.S.; Canada; Mexico; Germany; UK; France; Italy; Spain; China; India; Japan; South Korea; Brazil; Argentina; Saudi Arabia; South Africa. |
|
Key companies profiled |
Albemarle Corporation; BASF SE; Johnson Matthey Plc; W. R. Grace; Clariant International Ltd.; Arkema; Zeolyst International; Chevron Corporation; Exxon Mobil Corporation; Evonik Industries AG; DuPont; Haldor Topsoe A/S |
|
Customization scope |
Free report customization (equivalent to 8 analysts' working days) with purchase. You can add or alter the scope of the country, region, and segment. |
|
Pricing and purchase options |
Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options |
Global Refinery Catalysts Market Report Segmentation
This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, MIR has segmented the global refinery catalysts market report based on the product, application, and region.
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Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018-2030)
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Zeolite
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Metallic
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Chemical compounds
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Other Products
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Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018-2030)
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FCC Catalysts
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Alkylation Catalysts
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Hydrotreating Catalysts
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Hydrocracking Catalysts
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Catalytic reforming
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Other Application
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Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018-2030)
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North America
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U.S.
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Canada
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Mexico
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Europe
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Germany
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UK
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France
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Italy
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Spain
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Asia Pacific
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China
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India
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Japan
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South Korea
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Latin America
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Brazil
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Argentina
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Middle East & Africa
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Saudi Arabia
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South Africa
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