Europe Calcium Carbonate Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (GCC, PCC), By Application (Industrial Fillers, Rock Dust, Water Treatment), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The Europe calcium carbonate market size was estimated at USD 8.7 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% from 2022 to 2030. Rising demand for calcium carbonate in other industries such as dietary supplements, in metalloid minerals, and additives in thermoplastics such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is projected to drive the market. Industrial fillers are added to the materials such as plastics, concrete, and composite materials to lower the cost of expensive binder materials and enhance the properties of the end product. Calcium carbonate is used to produce Calcium Citrate (citric acid), which is used as a food additive, as a preservative, acidifier, or a flavoring agent. It is also used in applications such as cleaning agents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements.

The demand for treated drinking water is rising with an increase in population. This is expected to drive the product demand as water treating ingredient in the coming years. Calcium carbonate fillers are widely used industrial products in Europe owing to their superior properties such as special white color, excellent light scattering capability, high brightness, and relatively lower costs than wood flour or sawdust. Nano calcium carbonate is used as a filler in polymeric materials for the reduction of costs. In addition, it helps improve the impact resistance. The emergence of new industrial applications has led to significant growth of the market for calcium carbonate in Europe. The core raw materials used for the production are limestone, chalk, and calcite.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock consisting of calcium carbonate in the calcite form. It is also used as a filler for the production of paints and toothpaste. Limestone is also used as a source of calcium in cereals and bread. It improves the alkalinity of the purified water. The product is used as a filler in the manufacturing of adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, and cement which primarily finds applications in the construction industry. Ascending demand from the construction industry is likely to trigger the production of cement, adhesives, and sealants as well as paints and coatings. Therefore, the steady growth of the construction industry is anticipated to have a positive influence on the market over the projected years. 

Product Insights

The GCC product segment dominated the market for calcium carbonate in Europe and accounted for a revenue share of 85.6% in 2021. This is attributed to the growing inclusion of GCC as a filler in a wide range of industrial applications. The paper sector is one of the largest consumers of GCC products. GCC filler material is used in the wood-free papermaking process. Advantages such as high brightness and cheap price are assisting in the growth of GCC-based fillers. Kaolin is a substitute for calcium carbonate filler in paper applications. Due to the increasing demand for bulkier and brighter papers, calcium carbonate filler has been gaining more penetration in the paper sector. This can be attributed to the GCC’s particle size, which helps in better water drainage compared to kaolin fillers.

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is made from hydrating high calcium quicklime and by reacting the resultant slurry with carbon dioxide. PCC manufacturers can control the physical and chemical properties of PCC products, which allows them to optimize particle shape, particle size and distribution, surface area, and surface chemistry to meet the specifications of end-use industries. Hence, manufacturers can manufacture PCC particles with unique advantages and properties.

Application Insights

The industrial fillers application segment dominated the Europe calcium carbonate market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 71.6% in 2021. This is attributed to the growing utilization of calcium carbonate as a mineral filler in the plastic industry. It is utilized as an additive in plastics and contributes to increased performance, processing, acceptability, and sustainability of the finished part. The paper industry is the largest consumer of calcium carbonate filler products. Factors favoring the usage of calcium carbonate fillers for applications in the paper industry include higher brightness, affordable price, and attainment of a porous surface of the paper sheet due to its shape. It increases machine speed and productivity and improves water drainage.

Rock dust is widely used in power plants to scrub exhaust emissions. The road toward attaining higher efficiency from power plants is likely to result in higher demand for rock dust products in the sector. Moreover, the focus on lowering greenhouse gas emissions is another factor boosting the demand for rock dust in this application. Calcium carbonate is used to adjust the pH value of water through the neutralization process. The demand for drinking water treatment is rising with the rise in population and social awareness. This is expected to drive its use as a water-treating ingredient. Various companies have started focusing on water treatment to lower the environmental impact to earn carbon credit. Growing awareness regarding water conservation in the manufacturing and construction sectors in emerging and developed countries is expected to augment the demand in the coming years.

Regional Insights

Germany dominated the market for calcium carbonate in Europe and accounted for the largest revenue share of 24.6% in 2021. The growth is attributed to the presence of key end-use industry players in the country. The market is also growing significantly due to the presence of numerous small and medium-sized players. Over 300 paint, printing ink, and coating companies operating in the country. Moderate growth in residential and non-residential construction is expected to boost the demand for paints and coatings in Europe. The product demand is growing exponentially across the U.K. due to the presence of several packaging, printing, writing paper, and tissue paper producing companies.

The demand from paper sector is one of the key contributors to market growth. With the increasing use of paper in the manufacture of many day-to-day items such as coffee cups, packaging paper, printing paper, and tissues, paper industry is expected to grow across the country. This is likely to trigger the demand for calcium carbonate fillers in paper industry. Growing demand from end-use industries such as pharmacy, cosmetics, cleaning products, soaps, warehousing, transportation, and chemicals is anticipated to positively impact the growth of plastics sector in Italy. Calcium carbonate is also used to manufacture calcium citrate, which is used as a food additive, such as flavoring agent, preservative, and acidifier. The wide applications of food additive products are expected to fuel the demand in the country.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

In Europe, the market for calcium carbonate is expected to gain a competitive advantage as key players are focusing on expanding their product portfolio to suit customer needs. The competition in the industry is likely to stay moderate with various organic and inorganic growth strategies. Key markets have invested in the onsite production of calcium carbonate for large-scale paper and plastics industries. The major manufacturing companies in the sector are focusing on the development of new products with various properties in order to cater to industry demands.

Numerous participants own limestone quarries and form a high level of value chain integration by supplying natural and unprocessed limestone, processing the raw materials according to customer’s demand, and distributing the product. Some of the major companies include Imerys, Carmeuse, Omya AG, and Lhoist among others. Such companies are expected to widen their portfolio with respect to the rising demand for calcium carbonate in numerous vital applications in the coming years. Some of the prominent players in the Europe calcium carbonate market include:

• Imerys

• Omya aG

• Lhoist

• SIBELCO

• ACCM

• Nordkalk Corporation

• Carmeuse

• euroMinerals GmbH

• CALCIT doo

• Provencale SA 

Europe Calcium Carbonate Market Report Scope 

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts volume and revenue growth at regional and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global Europe calcium carbonate market report based on product, application, and region:

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

  • GCC

  • PCC

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Industrial Fillers

  • Rock Dust

  • Water Treatment

  • Citric Acid Production

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Russia

    • Norway

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Finland