EDANA’s European annual statistics on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2012 were recently disclosed at its Nonwoven Producers Forum.

Jacques Prigneaux, EDANA’s Market Analysis and Economic Affairs Director, described the evolution by nonwovens process leading to an overall growth of 2.2% in production volume for 2012, despite an unfavourable macroeconomic context in Europe.

Total deliveries reached the level of 1,954,000 tonnes and 57,690 million square metres last year, with Spunmelt processes accounting for 45% - the rest was fibre-based materials. Within the drylaid category, the leading bonding technologies remain spunlace and needlepunch in terms of tonnage produced.

“This is the third year in a row of output growth following the slowdown of 2009. Nevertheless, the different market segments follow different trends. In nonwovens, drivers are multiple as linked to the numerous and increasing possible applications. Some sectors like construction and automotive are directly impacted by the economic background, while disposable end-uses are less affected. Moreover, within the Greater Europe, different major trends have also been observed on a country basis,” Jacques Prigneaux said.

Compared to the situation in 2011, hygiene wipes and automotive segments showed some growth rates higher than 5%, but construction, the second most important sector in volume, recorded a decline of 3%.

Nonwovens trade flows in and out of the European Union are still limited compared to local production. The positive trade balance with the rest of the world increased last year, in both volume and value. A large part of the flows was in spunmelt materials and EU27 maintained a positive trade balance for each sub-category by weight.

“The EDANA nonwovens database and statistical methodology, which is over 30 years-old (and has been refined over the years using the latest IT features), is unique and the largest of its kind in the world, based on an exhaustive annual survey with direct input from nonwoven producers,” EDANA explains.

With all significant players from Greater Europe and a large number of companies participating already from the Middle East and Africa, more than 100 major nonwoven producers are directly involved, representing over 85% of the production in both regions. The remainder of the market is covered by qualified estimates for an equivalent number of generally much smaller players.

“EDANA’s leadership in this area is based on a multi-dimensional expert system with internal consistency checks, based on verified reports of the consumption of raw materials, production of roll goods by process, and deliveries both by process and end-uses,” the organisation adds.

Other systems, relying on less frequent direct input, on nominal - published or estimated - capacities of installed nonwoven production lines and/or random telephone interviews, often result in much less accurate data.

“Our leadership in nonwoven market surveys, with a scope representing well over 30% of the world’s nonwoven production, gives EDANA both an advantage and responsibility for the future provision of global nonwovens statistics”, said Pierre Wiertz, General Manager.

“We are pleased to cooperate with INDA on a Global Nonwovens Outlook 2012-2017, and during ANEX 12, we have offered our colleagues from ANFA (representing companies from China, Japan, India, Korea, and other countries) to explore a similar collaboration for the future.”

EDANA members, as part of their membership benefit, will get soon their complimentary copy of the full report and detailed data for the 2012 European Nonwovens Production and Deliveries.

www.edana.org