Utility Locator Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

Market Overview

The utility locator market is expected to register a CAGR of 5% over the forecast period 2021-2026. Utility locators are the tools used to identify and mark underground utilities such as electric cable and fiber optics distribution, water and natural gas pipes, telecommunication lines, gas pipelines, and others. These are also used to evaluate the amount of deterioration of bridge decks, parking decks, and other structures. Factors such as an increase in real-time detection of leakages, inspections, and monitoring of underground utilities, stringent government policies to locate underground utilities before excavating and construction activities, and development of technologically advanced tools are driving the utility locator market.

• According to the UN report, by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity and that poses a major threat to several sectors including food security. About 80% of illnesses in the developing world are linked to inadequate water and sanitation. Many countries are taking initiatives together to help developing countries to access water resources.
• For instance, the Food Security Innovation and Mobilization initiative in Peru, Bolivia and Burkina Faso enhances access to groundwater resources by investing USD 17 million from 2015 to 2020. They are using innovative technologies to detect water resources and extract through hand pumps and hydroponic greenhouse technology. This improves food security and reduces water use in the dry season.
• In November 2019, the Caribbean government announced the completion of the twin islands’ new cruise pier at Port Zante. With the opening of second pier, Port Zante, located on St. Kitts, it can host up to three of the world’s largest cruise ships.The St. Kitts Cruise Pier project costed USD 48 million and was funded in part by revenue Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP). The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) believes that these islands will soon become the Caribbean destination and so it is investing to further develop the country’s cruise sector. Hence, it will drive the utility locator market as tools and equipments are employed to keep in check the deterioration of underwater structure of pier.
• The high possession and maintenance costs of the equipment and lack of experts with necessary skillsets can limit the growth of the utility locator market in the future. Nevertheless, factors such as growing demand of real-time utility locating tools and services and deteriorating infrastructure will provide abundant opportunity to the players in the market.

Scope of the Report

The scope of the study of the utility locator market includes the type of techniques utilized in the equipment, target material, tools and services offered by the majority of the vendors for a wide range of applications globally.

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Key Market Trends

Transportation section to witness significant growth in forecast period

In order to prevent possible delays and cost overruns in construction project, important emphasis is given on gathering of information such as subsurface site characterizations before actual construction begins. Utility locators which not only detect, survey and mark the land but also significantly reduce the uncertainty. Digital technologies such as electromagnetic field and GPS in utility locators aids convenient communication and coordination between different operational points in the various process such as mapping and survey and enhances accuracy and precision.

• More than 35 million miles (56 million kilometers) of known underground utilities exist in the United States and many more remain unidentified. Known underground utilities include telephone and internet cables, electric and gas lines, and pipes (both large and small) are all at risk when a transportation agency digs into the earth. The second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) is a partnership between Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Transportation Research Board that creates collection of tools for transportation agencies and address common transportation challenges including utility location.
• The road and highway construction in China have been growing steadily driven by the increase in car ownership, increase government investment and urbanization. The total length of roads in China increased from 4.5 million kilometers in 2014 to 4.9 million kilometers in 2019. The China aims to increase the share of public transport in large-and medium-sized cities to 30% for motorized trips by 2020 and by promoting cycling and walking in order to lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40% to 45% compared to 2005 levels by 2020.
• Moreover, deadly outbreak of COVID-19 has delayed and disrupted China’s construction and investment plans overseas. The quarantine measures prevented Chinese workers from construction in foreign building sites and resulted into labor shortage. International projects such as high-speed rail line in Indonesia for USD 5.5 billion, railway initiative in Malaysia and construction projects in Sri Lanka are adversely affected by the spread of COVID-19 across the world.

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