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Market information
that the customer can receive support and advice in choosing the most ef cient technology,” says Bissel. As pipe manufactur- ers, Vallourec, for example, pro- vides a system called Cleverscan for optimising the welding of pipe ends. This service goes far beyond the production of seamless pipes.
More realistic demand forecasts
But even though there are posi- tive indications in the develop- ment of the oil and gas industry and therefore also positive effects on the steel pipe industry in 2018, Dr. Dirk Bissel from Vallourec can see “uncertainties in the demand forecast”. They depend on devel- opmentsofbusinessactivitiesin the BRIC states, though also in Europe and America. The demand is apparently there, and new pro- jects are being launched through- out the world.
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Nevertheless, “projects will be scrutinised more critically for their economic viability, and pos- itive decisions will be based on far more realistic demand fore- casts and price developments,” sums up Bissel. Although, in the medium term, a boom in demand is unlikely, “the market situation will stabilise at a healthy level,” as oil and gas will continue to be an indispensable source of energy for a very long time.
Questions for the future
However, there are questions about the future. “We, too, would like to know what the future rela- tionship will be between fossil fuel and renewable energies,” says Markus Zimmermann, head of Energy Sales at Schoeller Werk. Decisive factors will include new developments and political deci- sions.
Yet alongside traditional oil and gas production, we will also see new business segments opening up. What Vallourec nds par- ticularly interesting for Europe is solutions in the geothermal sector – another industry with some good depth and good future prospects. The oil and gas indus- try will continue to demonstrate its ability to handle pressure.
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 40474 Düsseldorf Gernany
Petra Hartmann-Bresgen, M.A. Ulrike Osahon
Tel.: +49 (0)211 4560 541 Fax: +49 (0)211 4560 87 541
HartmannP@ messe-duesseldorf.de www.messe-duesseldorf.com
Bringing water to the mills of innovative companies
China is in urgent need of envi- ronmental technologies – a huge market is opening up
Dirty rivers, heavily polluted ground water, water scarcity and poor air quality in large cities not only harm people, but also China’s economy. This can no longer con- tinue. Stricter environmental laws in Chinese state leadership should ip the switch and contribute to the health of the country. But without suitable environmental technologies – particularly from the piping industry – this will not succeed. Companies from around the globe can expect lucrative contracts.
“Urbanization is a worldwide phe- nomenon,” reports Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI): Half of the world’s population lives in a city today. According to the UN, by 2030 the number of megacities will rise to 41 worldwide, each with over 10 million inhabitants and thus increase the rate of urbanization to 60 percent”. This poses great challenges for the cities in ques- tion,” according to GTAI. Espe- cially as there are also forecasts that believe that in China in par- ticular there could be an increase to about 220 million-population cities by 2025.
ITAtube Journal No2/July 2018
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