The 2007 world compressor market reached 21.1 billion US dollars, driven by the growth of such countires as China, Brazil, Russia and India, as well as upcoming events such as the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The consequent increase in the demand of HVAC products, especially AC and refrigeration systems, explains the growth of the compressor market.

Specifically, the reciprocating compressor market reached 11.9 billion US dollars, with 178 million units sold. These are mainly used for household refrigeration, and whereas there was a growth in the refrigerator sales, the same did not happen with AC systems. Regarding the rotary compressor market, it reached 4.9 billion US dollars, with estimated sales of 104 million units. This type of compressor is especially used for RAC (room air conditioners) and dehumidifiers, and the market is dominated by Asian countries. 2007 was marked by shrinking profits. In what concerns the scroll compressor market, it reached about 3.4 billion US dollars, with 15.4 million units sold. These devices are used for refrigerant flow. In this market, which shows an annual growth rate of 7% for some years now, the USA account for 40% of the total production, Copeland being the most important manufacturer. The screw compressor market reached 0.7 billion US dollars, with 131,000 units sold. Demand presents a solid growth and China is most active market for this type of compressors, which are mainly used in chillers. Finally, the centrifugal compressor market reached about 0.2 billion US dollars, with 9,400 units sold. China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan account for 50% of the world market.

Current trends in the compressor industry include the shift towards environmentaly friendly refrigerants, such as CO2, which is used in compressors for automotive ACs, heat pumps and light commercial applications (automatic vending machines, bottle coolers). Hydrocarbon R600a (household refrigerators) and R410A (commercial AC) are also some of the natural refrigerants used.

Source: BSRIA/JARN study