Global methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) market is projected to reach USD 18.99 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 4.8%. The use of MTBE as oxygenate is rising rapidly in Asian and Middle Eastern & African countries due to environmental restrictions to curb air pollution.
Major applications in the MTBE market are gasoline and others. Others include high purity isobutene and medical intermediates. Gasoline is the largest application of MTBE, in terms of value. MTBE has been used in gasoline since 1979 due to environmental and health concerns. The use of MTBE as gasoline additive mainly started with the replacement of metallic additives, such as lead and Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (MMT). The significant volume of MTBE consumption in gasoline is driving the demand for MTBE in the gasoline application. Rapidly increasing vehicle fleets especially in emerging economies and increasing urbanization is driving the demand for MTBE in the gasoline segment.
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This can be attributed to the high demand for gasoline from APAC, Middle East & Africa, and Latin American countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. The MTBE market has witnessed several changes in the past few decades. The use of MTBE as oxygenate has been completely banned in the US after 2006 due to the contamination of groundwater. MTBE, as oxygenate, is being replaced by Ethanol and ETBE in Japan, Brazil, and some Western European countries due to certain environmental and legal regulations. The CAGR of other applications of MTBE, such as high purity isobutene and medical intermediates is increasing at rates well above global GDP.
Rapid economic expansion and increase in foreign direct investment in countries, such as China and South Korea, the MTBE market is expected to grow significantly during the next five years. Most of the countries in the APAC region are emerging and cannot afford costly oxygenates, such as Ethanol and ETBE, due to which there are no restrictions on blending MTBE with gasoline in the region. Some of the world’s largest MTBE producers, such as Sinopec (China), China National Petroleum Corporation (China), and Petronas (Malaysia) are headquartered in the APAC region. China is the largest consumer of MTBE and also has the highest production capacity in the world.
SABIC (Saudi Arabia) develops, manufactures, sells, and markets MTBE for gasoline blending, and is the largest MTBE producer in the world. The company has adopted acquisitions as a major growth strategy to enhance its regional presence. For instance, SABIC entered into an agreement with Shell for a 50% stake in its Sadaf Chemicals. This acquisition is expected to cater the interests of both the companies in future and further optimize operations at Sadaf.
LyondellBasell (Netherlands) manufactures, sells, and markets MTBE for gasoline blending. It is one of the major players that have established a strong foothold in the MTBE market and is the second largest MTBE producer in the world. The company is focused on expansions as its key growth strategy to meet the growing demand from customers. In 2017, the company announced its decision to build the world’s largest Propylene Oxide (PO) and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (TBA) plant in the Houston area. The project is estimated to cost approximately USD 2.4 billion. TBA will be converted to two ether-based oxyfuels, MTBE and ETBE.
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