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After an impressive growth rate of 6.4 per cent in 2020, European nonwovens production remains strong in 2021, once again demonstrating the European nonwovens industry's ability to innovate and invest in response to the new coronary pneumonia crisis.

Yield

According to the European Nonwovens Association (EDANA) statistics, in 2021, European nonwovens production reached 3.1219 million tons (surface area of 87.617 billion square meters), an increase of 2.1. Among them, the output of non-woven fabrics in the 27 EU countries was 2.203 million tons, an increase of 2.2% year-on-year, and the output of most EU member states has maintained growth (Benelux 5.4%, Spain 4.4%, Italy 4.9%, France 0.8%), but Germany fell by 1.2%. Turkey and Russia account for 17.9 and 7.3 percent of Europe's output, respectively. European nonwovens production has increased by almost 9 percent since 2019 (0.6 percent in 2019 and 6.4 percent in 2020).

1. Output by process

Three of the four web-forming processes, namely spunmelt, dry and wet, have reached the highest level of production in 2021, both in terms of weight and surface area.

In 2021, wet process production will increase surface area by 0.3 percent and weight by 1.1 percent compared to the previous year. In the past ten years, the production of wet nonwoven fabrics in Europe has increased at an average annual rate of 3%, reaching 365500 tons in 2021, accounting for 11.7 of the total.

The weight and surface area output of spunmelt (including spunbond, flash, meltblown, SMS, SMMS, etc.) will increase by more than 12% in 2020. In 2021, the weight will increase by 3.1 and the surface area will increase by 3.8, reaching 1.2805 million tons (41% of the total) and 58.255 billion square meters (66.5 of the total surface area), respectively.

Dry-process nonwovens production in 2021, weight (1.2866 million tons, up 2.4 percent year-on-year) accounted for 41.2 percent of the total, but surface area (19.676 billion square meters, up 0.2 percent year-on-year) accounted for only 22.5 percent.

The weight and surface area of the airlaid staple fiber decreased to 189400 tons (down 4.3 percent) and 2.14 billion square meters (down 1.9 percent), respectively.

2. Production by region
In general, needling in spunmelt and dry processes is the process used in most European countries, and the production capacity of wet and air-flow staple fiber-forming processes is still relatively concentrated. In terms of production line installation, spunlace in wet and dry processes is more prominent in Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

In 2021, among the various European countries and regions, the largest increase in nonwoven production was the Benelux Economic Union, with a year-on-year increase in weight of 5.4, accounting for 6.6 per cent of total European production. Germany, which covers almost all the netting and consolidation processes, continues to lead in Europe, with production reaching 677500 tonnes (12.782 billion square metres) in 2021, with weight still accounting for 21.7 per cent of the whole of Europe and 30.8 per cent of the EU-27, despite a year-on-year decline of 1.2 per cent.

In 2011, Turkish nonwovens production (by weight) accounted for only 8.2 percent of total European production. Ten years later, this proportion reached 17.9 percent (weight 559000 tons, surface area 20.6 billion square meters). Turkey's growth in the past ten years is mainly attributed to the development of spunmelt and spunlace nonwovens. The output of these two processes accounts for 79.9 percent of its total production.

In 2021, Italian nonwovens production (weight) increased significantly, with a year-on-year increase of 4.9 percent (surface area increased by 2.6 percent) to 411400 tons (12.69 billion square meters), of which dry process production accounted for 37.8 percent of the total and spinning and melting accounted for 46.6 percent.

In Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, the production of nonwovens has remained stable during 2017-2019, with an annual output of about 235000 tons, increasing to 263600 tons in 2020-2021, of which 155500 tons are produced by the spinning and melting process.
Other European countries, such as Estonia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland and Norway, have also increased their production.

Application areas

In 2021, the sales volume of European nonwovens reached 3.0754 million tons, accounting for 98.51 of the output. They are mainly used in absorbent sanitary products, wiping, medical treatment, civil engineering, transportation, filtration and other fields.

1. Absorbent sanitary products
In 2021, the consumption of nonwovens in European hygiene products accounted for 27.7 of its sales (surface area accounted for 55.2). In terms of the market for hygiene products, sales of baby diapers (down 0.7 per cent) and feminine hygiene products (up 0.1 per cent) were about the same as in 2020, while incontinence products increased by 2.9 per cent. Over the past decade, the European market for baby diapers has grown by 4.0 per cent, feminine hygiene products by 2.9 per cent and incontinence products by 36.9 per cent compared to 2011.

At present, baby diapers still occupy the dominant position of nonwovens in the application of sanitary products, accounting for 61.4 percent; since 2014, adult incontinence products have surpassed feminine hygiene products to become the second largest section of nonwovens in sanitary products.

2. Wet wipes
According to Euromonitor Information Consulting (Euromonitor), retail sales of personal care wipes in Europe will increase by 1.9 per cent in 2021 (5.7 per cent in 2020), baby wipes (61 per cent market share) and general wipes (21 per cent market share), up 0.4 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively. According to EDANA statistics, in 2021, the number of nonwovens used in wet wipes is 554200 tons (554500 tons in 2020 and 471800 tons in 2019).

3-Medical
In general, different medical end products require nonwovens produced by different processes. In 2021, the application of spun-melt nonwovens in medical supplies accounted for 71.6 percent, spunlace nonwovens for 7.1 percent, and air-blown staple nonwovens for 5.9 percent.
In 2010-2019, European manufacturers sold about 71500 tons of medical nonwovens per year; in 2020, sales have more than doubled (118 per cent increase in weight and 136.8 per cent increase in surface area); in 2021, if measured by weight, sales have decreased by 1.1 per cent, but surface area has increased again by 6.0 per cent.

4. Civil engineering
In terms of weight, the consumption of civil nonwovens ranks first in the durable end use of nonwovens. In 2021, the delivery of nonwovens for construction (residential and other industrial and civil buildings) reached 324800 tons, accounting for 10.6 of the total sales of nonwovens in Europe, an increase of 12.4 percent (surface area increased by 14.0 percent year-on-year); the delivery of nonwovens for geotechnical engineering (infrastructure) increased by 4.1 percent to 157700 tons.

5, other
In 2021, the use of non-woven fabrics for vehicles (134300 tons, only 19700 tons more than a decade ago) continued to decline, with a weight drop of 1.0 and a surface area drop of 4.6. Sales of non-woven fabrics for gas filtration reached 81700 tons (up 9.1 percent year-on-year), and sales of non-woven fabrics for drinking liquids (water, tea, milk, beverages, etc.) and other liquids were 55600 tons and 74000 tons respectively; the amount of nonwovens consumed by wall coverings and tablecloths in interior decoration is 71000 tons and 31000 tons respectively; the amount of nonwovens used in agriculture reaches 67400 tons (2.573 billion square ratio).

Raw Materials

In 2021, the European nonwovens industry's consumption of fibers, polymer chips/granules and adhesives reached 3.3796 million tons, an increase of 2.6. Compared with the production volume in 2021, it means that 8.3 percent of the raw materials did not eventually form a nonwoven web, and this proportion has fluctuated between 7.7 and 9.5 percent over the past decade. Of the total raw material consumption, 1.8709 million tons of fibers were used, 1.3333 million tons of polymer chips/granules, and 175400 tons of adhesives and other chemicals.

In 2021, the consumption of polyester (fibers and chips/granules) in the European nonwovens industry increased by 2.5 (by 22000 tons), accounting for 26.1 of the total raw material consumption. Compared to 2020, consumption of polyester staple fiber increased by 2.3 per cent (by 15900 tonnes) to 699000 tonnes, accounting for 37.4 per cent of all fiber consumption. The consumption of recycled polyester staple fiber increased by 6.9 in 2021, and its proportion in polyester staple fiber consumption increased from 27.6 in 2012 to 35 in 2021. In the production of non-woven fabrics with resin chips as raw materials, the consumption of polyester chips accounts for 13.8 per cent of the total resin consumption.

In 2021, the European nonwovens industry will use 1.249 million tons of polypropylene, up 1.9 year-on-year, accounting for 37.0 of the total consumption of all raw materials. Consumption of polyethylene fiber 1520 tons and chips 71500 tons; The consumption of viscose fiber was about 245400 tons, up 7.5 year-on-year, of which 82.6 was used for spunlaced nonwovens. The use of wood pulp was 341800 tons, down 2.7 from the same period last year. The usage of cotton fiber was 92500 tons, it accounts for 4.9 percent of the fiber consumption of nonwovens.

Trade

In 2021, the trade balance of EU nonwovens is further tilted, and the import volume, which doubled in ten years, continues to rise, while the export volume is declining.

In 2021, the export volume of nonwovens from the 27 EU countries to other countries and regions reached 462800 tons, down 4.5 percent from the same period last year; the value was 2.27 billion million euros, up 5.1 percent from the same period last year. On the other hand, the EU-27 imported 379800 tons of nonwovens worth 1.573 billion million euros, up 6.4 percent and 9.2 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The international trade of nonwovens in the EU27 is very concentrated, with exports to the top five countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Russia and Switzerland) accounting for 51.4 per cent of all exports; the concentration is even more pronounced in terms of imports, with imports from the top five countries (China, Turkey, Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom) accounting for 77.2 per cent of all imports.

Source: China Industrial Textile Industry Association
Author: YANG Yaolin

Source: Jung-International Nonwoven Industry Business