Europe Passive Fire Protection Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Cementitious Materials, Intumescent Coatings), By End-use (Oil & Gas, Construction), And Segment Forecast, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview 

The Europe passive fire protection market size was valued at USD 1,096.44 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.0% from 2023 to 2030. Rising exploration activities along with technological advancements in the oil and gas industry are likely to drive market growth over the forecast period. Rising consumer awareness regarding the benefits of firestops and fire barriers has boosted their installation in residential and commercial buildings, thereby driving the market. Increasing investments from oil and gas companies in Exploration and Production (E&P) activities and stringent regulations to make the drilling sites fire safe are likely to impact market growth positively.

Increasing government initiatives to encourage both developed and developing economies to improve the overall status of passive fire protection in buildings and industries is expected to drive the market over the forecast period. The stringency of fire safety regulations in Germany is expected to boost the investments in passive fire protection systems, thereby driving growth.

Passive fire protection systems protect steel structures against fire by providing durability and strength to the structure. The safety of any passive fire protection system depends on the type of fire, duration, substrate type, material, and environmental conditions. The market has been witnessing rapid technological changes to improve the efficiency and quality of passive fire protection products.

Growing shale gas exploration activities due to improvements in exploration technologies, such as hydraulic and horizontal drilling coupled with its rising utilization in energy and manufacturing industries are likely to augment market growth over the coming years. Rising production activities in the European countries, including Russia, the U.K., Italy, and Norway, are expected to further propel the demand for passive fire protection products over the forecast period.

Several economies are focusing on the improvement of passive fire safety aspects of the existing and upcoming infrastructure owing to the increasing number of fire accidents along with loss of lives and assets. The European Union has made significant developments in enacting and reforming regulations to promote the health and safety of European citizens.

Product Insights

The cementitious materials segment led the market for passive fire protection and accounted for the largest revenue share of 41.2% in 2022. Cementitious materials are suitable for protecting rigid steel elements, including columns, beams, steel joists, and metal decking. Cementitious materials are used in spray fireproofing and can be classified into wet spay and dry spray.

Cementitious materials are extensively used in various industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, and construction, owing to the growing use of steel in structure fabrication and the stringent fire safety norms to make the facilities fire safe. The widespread presence of these industries in the matured markets of Europe is expected to drive the demand for cementitious materials.

The intumescent coatings product segment is estimated to witness a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period. Intumescent coating is a type of passive fire protection that functions by burning and expanding in the presence of extreme heat. Based on technology, intumescent coatings are classified as water-based coatings, epoxy-based coatings, and solvent-based coatings.

Pipe wraps are self-adhesive intumescent-based wraps suitable for sealing plastic and composite pipes, including PVC, ABS, PB, PE, and PP. Foams are used to seal difficult-to-reach areas and are applied on various substrates, including concrete, drywall, and metal pipes. Seal bags are used in applications that require fire-resistant barriers around multiple service patterns, including metallic and plastic pipes, cable ladders, and cable trays.

End-Use Insights

The construction end-use segment led the market for passive fire protection and accounted for the largest revenue share of 31.6% in 2022. The construction industry has been impacted significantly by the region's economic crisis coupled with the shutdown of construction activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the EUROCONSTRUCT, the growth of the construction industry declined in 2020, and the industry is expected to recover slowly from 2021 to achieve normalization by 2022.

Resumption of building and construction activities after the relaxation of containment measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 is likely to augment the demand for passive fire protection in the construction industry. Moreover, rising awareness regarding fire safety in old structures and increasing refurbishment projects are expected to drive market growth over the coming years.

The demand for passive fire protection in the oil and gas industry is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.7% over the forecast period. Increasing utilization of gas in the energy mix and rising investments in deep-water technologies are likely to augment the development of the oil and gas industry over the forecast period. This, in turn, is expected to propel market growth.

Rising emphasis by regulatory agencies in the region to improve fire safety standards across industries by implementing major fire protection products is anticipated to drive the market for passive fire protection. Facility expansion of various industrial buildings coupled with stringent regulations about fire safety in the region is expected to boost the market in Europe over the forecast period.

Country Insights

Germany led the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 24.1% in 2022. Fire protection in the country is regulated by the federal states, directed by the national model building code. A building that is prone to fire hazards is checked regularly against fire protection safety standards. Thus, stringent regulations related to fire safety are likely to bolster the growth of the country's passive fire protection market.

The Czech Republic is one of the major developed and industrialized economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Increasing demand for residential housing due to rising disposable incomes and low mortgage rates is expected to drive the construction industry over the coming years, thereby augmenting the demand for passive fire protection in the country.

In France, the market for passive fire protection is expected to witness a CAGR of 4.6% over the forecast period. Favorable financing conditions coupled with a gradual reduction in corporate tax are anticipated to boost business investments. This, in turn, is expected to drive the construction of commercial buildings in the country, thereby augmenting the demand for passive fire protection.

Oil and gas is one of the major sectors contributing to Russia's economy. The government of Russia is focusing on exploiting its Arctic reserves through LNG as a part of its Energy Strategy 2035. This, in turn, is expected to boost the country's gas production. The plan aims at tripling domestic LNG output by 2024, which is further expected to complement the growth of the country's oil and gas industry. This, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for passive fire protection in the oil and gas industry.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The Europe passive fire protection market is characterized by the presence of both global and regional players. The market competition is intense and characterized by demand for advanced and reliable passive fire protection systems. The market participants focus on research and development activities for developing new technologies for manufacturing products to achieve a competitive edge in the market.

Strategies adopted by companies in the market for passive fire protection usually include new product development, product portfolio expansion, and distribution network expansion. For instance, in November 2019, Hempel A/S launched Hempafire Optima 500, a waterborne acrylic intumescent coating that helps maintain the stability of steel structures in airports, commercial centers, stadiums, and other large infrastructural buildings by providing up to 180 minutes of cellulosic fire protection. Some of the prominent players in the Europe passive fire protection market include: 

• 3M

• RPM International Inc.

• Hempel A/S

• The Sherwin-Williams Company

• Hilti

• Mercor Tecresa

• Etex Group

• Rudolf Hensel GmbH

• Rolf Kuhn GmbH

Europe Passive Fire Protection Market Report Scope

Europe Passive Fire Protection Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at regional & country levels and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Europe passive fire protection market on the basis of product, end-use, and country:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Cementitious Materials

  • Intumescent Coatings

  • Fireproofing Cladding

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Oil & Gas

  • Construction

  • Industrial

  • Warehousing

  • Others

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)

  • Czech Republic

  • France

  • Germany

  • Italy

  • Poland

  • Romania

  • Russia

  • Spain

  • UK