Industrial Alcohol Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Ethyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Isobutyl Alcohol, Methyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Others), By Source (Sugar and Molasses, Grains (excluding Corn), Fossil Fuels, Corn, Others), By Application (Personal Care Products, Food Ingredients (excluding Beverages), Chemical Intermediates & Solvent, Pharmaceuticals, Fuel, Others) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2024-2032

Market Overview

The global industrial alcohol market was valued at USD 183.23 billion in 2023. It is expected to reach USD 373.35 billion in 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.23% over the forecast period (2024-32). Industrial alcohol, particularly ethanol, is widely used as a biofuel additive in gasoline to reduce emissions. Government mandates and environmental regulations promoting renewable energy sources drive the demand for ethanol in the biofuels sector.

In various industrial applications, including those in the chemical industry, the personal care industry, the energy sector, and medicines, industrial alcohols serve both as reagents and solvents. In addition to being used in beverages, these alcohols have various applications. In addition, performing several functions boosts the adoption rate across various end-use applications. In addition, ethanol, which accounts for the lion's share of both production and consumption of alcohol, is widely used as a biofuel across the globe.

Fermentation of sugars obtained from wheat, corn, sugar beets, sugar cane, and molasses are used to make these fuels. These fuels are used to power vehicles. In addition, it can be substituted for gasoline in internal combustion engines that run on petrol. In addition, alcohols such as methanol, benzyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol are utilized in the manufacturing process of various items, including adhesives, flavourings, cosmetics, and food products.

Market Dynamics

Market drivers

An increase in the consumption of alcohol across a diverse range of fields

Since the beginning of recorded history, alcoholic beverages, as well as medicines, have made use of alcoholic substances. Alcohol, on the other hand, has made its way into a wide variety of other uses as a result of advances in technology. Ethyl alcohol, one of the several types of alcohols sold commercially, is the type of industrial alcohol consumed the most frequently and is generally recognized everywhere in the world. Currently, most of the ethyl alcohol that is manufactured is sold into the fuel industry so that it can be used as biofuel. Studies on bio-butanol development have also acquired relevance and are gradually paving the path toward commercialization. The creation of bio-butanol has also gained relevance, even though ethyl alcohol is a commercially available biofuel used around the world.

Applications for alcohols can be found in many different industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, home and personal care goods, chemical industries, research laboratories, paints, inks, adhesives & coatings, and pesticides. Biofuel is just one of many businesses; even though ethyl alcohol is the most common type of alcohol utilized in these fields, methyl alcohol, sorbitol, maltitol, benzyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol are all utilized in specific processes. Because of its solubility, insect repellency, antibacterial nature, preservation characteristics, and anti-freezing properties, ethyl alcohol has applications in the abovementioned fields.

The growing use of bioethanol will help the market expand

For transportation, bioethanol is frequently utilized as a biofuel to lessen the impact of greenhouse gases (GHG). High energy demand results from the expanding global population and developing industry. Over the past few years, this has increased the price of natural gas and crude oil. The creation of bioethanol is a result of the growing concern over climate change and the rapid use of renewable resources. Renewable energy sources, such as biofuels, have helped to meet market demand for fuel that lowers global pollution levels.

Alternative fuel sources are favoured because of the lack of energy security, rising fuel costs, and rising CO2 emission levels. The use of leftovers like molasses and sugar beet pulp is necessary to reduce GHG emissions. Significant benefits include lower trash disposal costs. Additionally, the product's affordability lowers the cost of ethanol production.

Many countries have increased their ethanol production, including Thailand (cassava), India (sugar cane), China (corn), France (sugar beet), and Canada (wheat). Fermentation procedures result from the transformation of cellulosic material into ethanol. This procedure increases ethanol yields while also converting energy crops into bioethanol. The technological innovation positively supports the market expansion to develop efficient conversion of forestry and agricultural land for bioethanol production.

Market restraints

Rising environmental concerns could limit the market growth

Due to water contamination and depletion, the manufacture of industrial alcohol using fossil fuels has a substantial negative impact on the environment. As raw ingredients, many hazardous compounds are needed to produce alcohol. The ecology is harmed when these dangerous substances are discharged into the atmosphere. The manufacturing of industrial alcohol is constrained by strict government laws regarding environmental issues, which also restricts the market's expansion. Isopropyl and butyl synthesis costs are expected to hinder market growth, as well, due to their high price.

Market opportunities

Emerging markets in developing countries

The trend toward using renewable resources in developing nations, along with shifting lifestyles and a growing economy, has increased the demand for alcohol in fuel applications and other applications. It is anticipated that the demand for various types of alcohol, including ethyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol, will rise significantly in the coming years in developing nations like China and India and in the Middle East and Africa. An increase in alcohol use and a shift toward more ecologically friendly energy technologies are predicted to stimulate demand for this product. In addition, these areas offer a competitive edge in terms of cost of production, labour cost, and processing, respectively. A crucial factor that is anticipated to be beneficial to providers of alcohol is the combination of high demand with a low cost of manufacturing.

Regional Analysis

The global market for industrial alcohol is broken down into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa based on the region.

Compared to other regions, the Asia-Pacific region had an exceptionally high production of agricultural raw materials such as sugarcane, cereals, and corn, amongst other products. According to the International Agricultural Trade and Economic Forum, India is the world's second-largest producer of both sugarcane and cereals. The policy governing agricultural output in India has established a goal of producing 298 MT of agricultural goods in 2020-2021. Countries such as China, India, and Thailand have become some of the major manufacturers of ethyl alcohol as a result of the high availability of raw materials. It is one of the factors that is driving the industrial alcohol market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Because of the strong participation of the government in the research and development of renewable energy sources, the North American market has a significant potential for substantial expansion. More than 98 per cent of gasoline sold in the United States contains 10 per cent ethanol, which helps to meet the ever-increasing demand for ethanol in the country's domestic market. In addition, North America is one of the world's leading manufacturers of isopropyl alcohol, which has a significant positive impact on the market for industrial alcohol. It is anticipated that the market for industrial alcohol will experience tremendous expansion across Europe and the rest of the world.

Segmental Analysis

The global industrial alcohol market is divided into product type, source, application and region. Further, the market is divided into Ethyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Isobutyl Alcohol, Methyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol and Others, based on product type. In terms of value, the ethyl alcohol segment accounted for the most significant market share, while the methyl alcohol segment came second. The market for ethyl alcohol is propelled forward by an upward trend in demand for biofuel and by extensive research into the development of future generations of biofuel.

Based on the source, the market is broken down into Sugar and Molasses, Grains (excluding Corn), Fossil Fuels, and Corn and Others. The market for fossil fuels as feedstock remained the most significant segment throughout the entire market. As a source for producing industrial alcohol, primarily ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol, fossil fuels are gaining an increasing amount of appeal as a source. It is one of the reasons why it is anticipated to have the quickest growth rate. This method produces ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol, resulting in lower pollution levels and minor damage to the natural environment.

According to the application, the market is divided into Personal Care Products, Food Ingredients (excluding Beverages), Chemical Intermediates & Solvent, and Pharmaceuticals.

Fuel and Others. In addition to fuel generation, alcohol is increasingly used as a solvent or reactant in synthesizing chemical intermediates. Because of its high-octane number and capacity to minimize emissions when blended with gasoline, the demand for ethyl alcohol in the industry that produces fuels has been rising. It is because ethyl alcohol has a high-octane number.

The market is broken down into Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa based on the region. Asia-Pacific dominated the market.

Recent Developments

• January 2024 - BCL Industries Ltd made a Rs 339-crore ethanol supply order. In addition, according to a filing on the exchange, BCL Industries' subsidiary Svaksha Distillery has obtained an order for ethanol delivery worth Rs 222 crore.
• January 2024 - Praj Industries, an industrial biotechnology business, initiated the nation's first pilot project to produce aircraft turbine fuel from alcohol. The company will manufacture sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its research and development facility in Pirangut, close to Pune.