Valves And Actuators Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Valves And Actuators Market Trends and Insights

Rapid Adoption of Industry 4.0-Enabled Smart Valves and Actuators

Operators are embedding edge processors and wireless sensors in valve assemblies to detect torque deviations and seal wear, converting reactive maintenance into condition-based programs that cut refinery downtime worth USD 500,000 per day.^{[1]Fisher FIELDVUE DVC7K Digital Valve Controller, Emerson Automation Solutions, emerson.com} Emerson’s Fisher FIELDVUE DVC7K digital controller captures vibration signatures, while similar positioners from Siemens and ABB communicate over HART and PROFIBUS to legacy DCS platforms. Energy-harvesting modules now power diagnostics without the need for batteries, thereby lowering ownership costs in remote pipeline corridors. Compliance with ISO 50001 is accelerating the adoption of smart pneumatics, as they can reduce air consumption by 15%-20%. The resulting productivity gains reinforce the positive 1.4% impact on the Valves and actuators market CAGR.

Expansion of Global Desalination Capacity

Middle Eastern utilities are contracting reverse-osmosis megaprojects to ease water scarcity, adding a combined 12 million m³-per-day capacity by 2028.^{[2]World Energy Investment 2025, International Energy Agency, iea.org} Dubai’s Hassyan plant, for example, specified motorized butterfly valves with IP68 protection against salt-spray corrosion. Similar projects in Egypt and Algeria mirror these specifications, reinforcing a steady pipeline for duplex-steel ball valves and nickel-aluminum-bronze alloys that support the Valves and actuators market.

LNG Infrastructure Build-Out

North America is adding 50 million tpa of liquefaction capacity, each train outfitted with cryogenic ball valves and triple-offset butterfly valves rated to -162 °C. Rotork won contracts for stainless-steel pneumatic actuators able to withstand low-temperature brittleness, while Asia Pacific follows with floating storage and regasification units in Zhejiang and Dahej. High safety standards under API 6FA raise entry barriers, fortifying revenue for vendors with proven cryogenic portfolios.

Retrofit Demand From Fugitive-Emission Rules

The United States EPA methane rule obliges quarterly leak audits, compelling replacement of 1.2 million valves by 2027.^{[3]Final Rule on Methane Emissions, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, epa.gov} Low-emission graphite packing can cut leaks by 95%, and ISO 15848-1 certification has become a purchasing prerequisite. Penalties of USD 10,000 per non-compliant valve in the Permian Basin create an immediate retrofit wave, magnifying the short-term uplift in the Valves and actuators market.

Prolonged CAPEX Slowdown in Conventional Oil and Gas Refining

Integrated majors are diverting capital toward renewable fuels and carbon capture, reducing refinery projects by 12% year-on-year in 2025. Deferred fluid catalytic cracking upgrades eliminate near-term orders for high-temperature gate and globe valves, squeezing margins for suppliers tied to the hydrocarbon cycle. Vendors are pivoting to aftermarket services and digital retrofits, yet the chill subtracts 0.9% from the Valves and actuators market CAGR.

Supply-Chain Bottlenecks for Castings and Forgings

Foundries in North America and Europe are running at 85%-90% utilization, stretching lead times for large-diameter bodies to 18 weeks. Chinese overflow capacity contracted after energy-rationing mandates, pushing nickel-surcharge premiums up 10%. Dual sourcing in India and South Korea eases bottlenecks but adds four to six weeks for ASME certifications. The resulting price escalation weighs on cost-sensitive municipal water projects, trimming 0.7% from overall growth.

Segment Analysis

By Valve Product Type: Ball Valves Anchor Upstream Reliability

Ball valves accounted for 28.73% of the Valves and actuators market in 2025, highlighting their quarter-turn simplicity and bubble-tight shutoff, which is essential for wellhead isolation. Pressure relief and safety valves are forecast to grow at a rate of 8.21% through 2031, as petrochemical complexes upgrade to API 520 designs following high-profile overpressure incidents.

The product spectrum is splintering into niche certifications such as API 607 fire-safe and BS 6364 cryogenic approvals, consolidating supplier bases around firms that can finance multiple test rigs. Control and butterfly valves are gaining ground in desalination and HVAC networks, while plug-valve adoption in slurry services spreads from Chilean tailings dams to Indonesian bauxite mines. These shifts preserve the momentum of the Valves and actuators market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Actuator Type: Pneumatics Persist but Smart Systems Surge

Pneumatic actuators led with 37.63% revenue share in 2025, favored for intrinsic safety in explosive zones and compatibility with existing air loops. Smart electric models, however, are accelerating at an 8.44% CAGR as asset-performance software tracks stroke counts and torque profiles in real time.

Electric units are displacing pneumatics in water utilities where energy audits spotlight compressed-air costs, while hydraulic designs remain entrenched in subsea trees until all-electric systems scale. ABB’s MotorSense actuator, which harvests vibration energy to power onboard sensors, exemplifies cost-saving innovation. This bifurcation sustains healthy competition within the Valves and actuators market.

By End-Use Industry: Water Treatment Outpaces Oil and Gas

Oil and gas applications still represented 34.64% of 2025 demand, yet water and wastewater utilities are expanding at 8.56% through 2031 on the back of USD 55 billion in U.S. infrastructure funding. Automated valve grids reduce non-revenue water by 18% in pilot studies.

Chemical processors are embracing digital control to cut batch variability, while mining projects in Chile and Australia specify abrasion-resistant valves for mineral slurries. Pharmaceutical and food plants prioritize sanitary, single-use assemblies, underscoring a structural tilt that diversifies the Valves and actuators market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Material: Stainless Steel Dominates but Composites Gain

Stainless steel captured 42.62% share in 2025 thanks to its corrosion resistance in chloride and hydrogen environments. Plastic and composite valves are growing at 8.99%, riding demand for PVDF-lined units that eliminate ion leaching in drug manufacturing.

Alloy prices surged when Indonesian nickel exports tightened, spurring exploration of cobalt-free alternatives for hydrogen duties. Composite options offer 30%-40% weight savings on offshore platforms, lowering crane rentals and installation risks. Such material innovation supports continuous evolution within the Valves and actuators market size discussion.

Geography Analysis

North America retained leadership in 2025 with 38.73% of global revenue as shale play monetization and Gulf Coast LNG projects collectively required up to 500,000 valves. Installed-base services generate nearly half of regional turnover, cushioning suppliers from project lulls. Asia Pacific is forecast to register an 8.55% CAGR through 2031, propelled by China’s coal-to-chemicals complexes and India’s smart-city water grids, trends that will steadily lift the Valves and actuators market size in the region. 

Europe’s valve demand is driven more by replacement than expansion as the Industrial Emissions Directive compels chemical plants to retrofit low-emission stems every six months. Refineries, however, are shuttering or converting to biofuels, trimming orders for large-bore isolation valves. South America shows episodic spikes tied to Brazil’s pre-salt fields and Argentina’s Vaca Muerta pipelines, yet municipal water spending remains constrained by fiscal headwinds. 

The Middle East and Africa rely heavily on desalination and petrochemical megaprojects. High-salinity feedwater cuts butterfly-valve life cycles to five-seven years, guaranteeing a steady aftermarket. Nigeria’s Dangote refinery and Egypt’s Zohr gas field have set precedents for large-scale procurement, though regional distributor networks are still maturing. These geographic dynamics collectively reinforce long-term growth prospects for the Valves and actuators market.