Global aggregate demand growth to 2024?

Global consumption of construction aggregates is tipped to reach 62.9 billion tonnes by the end of 2024, up considerably from 43.3 billion tonnes in 2016, according to a new report by US-based independent business research analysts, Persistence Market Research (Persistence).

Persistence says sand will record the maximum demand, recording an absolute incremental opportunity of nearly US$89 billion over the 2016-2024 period. But for many Aggregates Business International – Asia, Africa & Middle East readers, the fact that Persistence tips China’s dominant market share of global construction aggregates demand - 26.7% in 2015 – to continue to 2024, will also be of great interest. Despite its economic troubles, China still represents a hotbed of opportunity for globally-minded quarry operators and contractors along with major and ambitious medium and small-sized quarrying equipment OEMs.

The Persistence report also notes how more vibrant infrastructure and renovation sectors are helping to propel the demand for construction aggregates globally. Indeed, readers of this magazine will be familiar with how India and East Africa are starting to see huge sums poured into new residential and transport infrastructure to meet the challenges posed by rapidly growing populations. Given this, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the huge growth forecasted by Persistence in construction aggregates demand to the end of 2024 turned out to be pretty bang on the mark.

The likes of 4334 SANY, 441 LiuGong, 429 Hyundai and 411 Doosan will bring a strong Asian quarrying and construction equipment manufacturing presence to 404 CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 in Las Vegas, USA (7-11 March). Staged under the theme ‘Imagine what’s next’, the huge five-day showpiece exhibition will include numerous global and North American market product launches, with many big money deals to be finalised over the course of the event. This issue of ABI includes an extensive preview of the cutting-edge quarrying models you can expect to see in Las Vegas.

The big ABI Interview this issue is with Andries van Heerden, CEO of 8533 Afrimat, the leading South African industrial minerals and construction materials supplier. Through shrewd leadership and under the business mantra of ‘Growth through Diversification’, van Heerden tells ABI’s Munesu Shoko how he plans to develop Afrimat, partly through realising the full potential of recent company acquisitions, allowing the company to offer a wider product range to the market. With a government election due to take place in South Africa in 2018, Afrimat is also well-positioned to take advantage of a growth in demand for aggregates triggered by the likely increase in the current administration’s infrastructure spending in the run up to polling day.

Remaining in South Africa, this issue’s Quarry Profile looks at how an ambitious fledgling quarrying firm, Red Stone Quarries, has invested in 435 Kleemann equipment in order to meet aggregate demand fuelled by new transport and social infrastructure projects in and around Nquthu, KwaZulu-Natal.

This issue of ABI also includes a two-page report on all the key model launches and market news from 8253 bauma CONEXPO India 2016 held 12-15 December at Gurugram, near New Delhi. There’s also a report on LiuGong’s recent Global Dealer event; and a special feature on 2836 Weir Minerals Africa’s growth strategy for the popular 669 Trio product range in South Africa.