Global SOx Removal Catalyst Market Outlook, 2031

Every litre of ultra-low-sulphur diesel, every tonne of compliant marine fuel and every Claus unit at a sour gas plant depends on SOx removal catalysts, making this a compact but strategically vital segment of the catalyst industry. Fuel sulphur limits of 10 parts per million in Europe since 2009, 15 parts per million for US on-road diesel since 2006 and a 10 parts per million average for US gasoline under Tier 3 from 2017, together with China VI and India's BS VI standards from 2020, require deep hydrodesulphurisation across more than 700 refineries worldwide. Hydrodesulphurisation and hydrotreating catalysts, mostly cobalt-molybdenum and nickel-molybdenum on alumina, account for about 70% of demand, and refiners replace them every two to five years, with large units holding several hundred tonnes. Claus and tail gas catalysts account for about 12%, vanadium-based SO₂ oxidation catalysts for sulphuric acid around 10% and FCC SOx reduction additives about 5%. Refining absorbs about 80% of demand, gas processing around 10% and smelter acid plants about 10%, while Asia-Pacific accounts for about 40% of global consumption. The supplier base is concentrated among Topsoe, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, Albemarle's Ketjen, Honeywell UOP, Axens, W. R. Grace, BASF, Clariant, Advanced Refining Technologies and Sinopec Catalyst.


Consolidation and geopolitics are reshaping the competitive map. Standard Industries' acquisition of Grace in 2021 and Honeywell's completion of its £1.325 billion purchase of Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies business in July 2026 concentrated technology and licensing power among fewer players. The IMO's 0.50% marine sulphur cap from January 2020 lifted residue hydrotreating demand, and new emission control areas in the Mediterranean from May 2025 and the Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea from 2027 add 0.10% fuel requirements. The 2026 Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted Gulf refineries and gas processing plants from March, delaying some catalyst change-outs in a region that accounts for about 15% of demand and is among the fastest growing. Volatile molybdenum, cobalt and nickel prices feed directly into catalyst costs, while spent catalyst regeneration, which can save 30% to 50% versus fresh material, and metals recovery are becoming sizeable businesses. On the demand side, refinery closures in Europe and California and slowing gasoline consumption temper growth, while new refineries in India, the Middle East and Africa, such as Nigeria's Dangote refinery, heavier crude slates and tighter sulphur recovery limits sustain it. Renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel hydroprocessing provide upside, although several projects slowed in 2025.

Drivers Ultra-Low-Sulphur Fuel Standards and Marine Fuel Rules Regulations limiting sulphur in diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and marine fuels require refineries to hydrotreat products deeply, and catalysts must be replaced regularly, typically every two to five years. The IMO 2020 sulphur cap and expanding emission control areas increase demand for desulphurised marine fuels. Countries such as India, Southeast Asian nations and African countries continue to tighten fuel standards.
Refinery Expansion, Heavier Crudes, Sour Gas and Renewable Fuels New refineries and upgrades in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, processing of heavier and higher-sulphur crudes, development of sour gas fields requiring sulphur recovery, and production of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel through hydrotreating create demand for desulphurisation and hydroprocessing catalysts. Metal smelting expansions increase demand for SO₂ oxidation catalysts.


Challenges Refinery Closures and Long-Term Fuel Demand Uncertainty Refinery closures in Europe and North America, slowing gasoline demand in some markets as electric vehicles grow, and long-term uncertainty about oil demand may reduce hydrotreating catalyst demand over time. Renewable fuels projects have faced cost and policy uncertainty, with some delayed or cancelled in 2025.
Metal Price Volatility and Spent Catalyst Management Hydroprocessing catalysts use molybdenum, cobalt and nickel, whose prices are volatile, affecting catalyst costs. Spent catalysts are classified as hazardous waste and must be regenerated, recycled or disposed of properly, adding cost. Refinery outages and disruptions, such as those in the Gulf in 2026, can delay catalyst change-outs.


Trends High-Activity Catalysts and Catalyst Systems Suppliers are developing higher-activity hydrotreating catalysts and stacked catalyst systems that allow refineries to process more difficult feeds, extend cycle lengths and meet ultra-low sulphur specifications with less hydrogen and energy. Catalysts tailored for co-processing renewable feeds with fossil feeds and for pure renewable hydrotreating are growing.
Sulphur Recovery Efficiency and Wet Sulphuric Acid Stricter limits on sulphur recovery unit emissions drive demand for high-performance Claus and tail gas catalysts, and wet sulphuric acid processes, such as Topsoe's WSA, convert dilute SO₂ and H₂S into commercial-grade acid. Caesium-promoted SO₂ oxidation catalysts reduce emissions from acid plants.




Hydrodesulphurisation and hydrotreating catalysts account for about 70% of SOx removal catalyst demand because every refinery must remove sulphur from fuels to meet ultra-low-sulphur standards, consuming large catalyst volumes replaced on two-to-five-year cycles. Hydrodesulphurisation and hydrotreating catalysts, typically containing around 15% to 25% molybdenum oxide and 3% to 6% cobalt or nickel oxide, are used in naphtha, kerosene, diesel, vacuum gas oil and residue hydrotreaters that react sulphur compounds with hydrogen to form hydrogen sulphide. Cobalt-molybdenum catalysts are favoured for low-pressure desulphurisation, while nickel-molybdenum catalysts provide stronger hydrogenation for nitrogen removal and difficult feeds, and stacked systems combining both are increasingly common. Deep desulphurisation to 10 to 15 parts per million requires high-activity formulations that remove refractory sulphur compounds such as dibenzothiophenes. Residue hydrotreating catalysts support production of very low-sulphur fuel oil for shipping, a market that expanded after January 2020. Renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel units use hydrotreating catalysts to remove oxygen from vegetable oils and fats, creating a new demand stream. Claus catalysts, mainly activated alumina and titania, and tail gas treatment catalysts, typically cobalt-molybdenum, account for around 12% of demand, converting hydrogen sulphide into elemental sulphur in refineries and gas plants. SO₂ oxidation catalysts, vanadium-based with potassium or caesium promoters, accounted for about 10%, converting SO₂ to SO₃ in smelter acid plants and sulphur-burning plants, with caesium-promoted grades reducing emissions at lower inlet temperatures. FCC SOx reduction additives, typically magnesium-aluminium spinels, accounted for around 5%, capturing sulphur oxides in catalytic cracker regenerators. Sulphur guard beds and zinc oxide absorbents protect downstream catalysts in hydrogen, ammonia and petrochemical plants. Performance differences between suppliers' catalysts can be worth millions of dollars a year to large refineries through longer cycles and lower hydrogen use. Refiners frequently run pilot plant tests comparing suppliers before major change-outs, so technical service and testing capability strongly influence purchasing.


Refining accounts for about 80% of SOx removal catalyst demand because global transportation fuel, marine fuel and renewable fuel standards require extensive hydrotreating, while gas processing and smelter acid plants form smaller but steadily growing applications. Refining accounts for about 80% of demand, spread across more than 700 refineries worldwide with combined capacity above 100 million barrels a day. Diesel and jet hydrotreaters are the largest users, followed by naphtha hydrotreaters protecting reformer catalysts, FCC pretreatment units that improve cracker yields and reduce sulphur in gasoline, and residue hydrotreaters for low-sulphur fuel oil. Gasoline post-treatment units selectively remove sulphur from FCC gasoline while preserving octane. Renewable fuels production, using standalone units or co-processing in existing hydrotreaters, adds demand, although several projects were delayed in 2025 as margins and policy incentives weakened. Gas processing accounted for around 10% of demand, including Claus and tail gas catalysts at sour gas plants in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States, and sulphur removal before LNG liquefaction. Large new sour gas developments, such as Saudi Arabia's Jafurah, create significant first-fill catalyst orders. Metals smelting and sulphuric acid production accounted for about 10%, using SO₂ oxidation catalysts in acid plants attached to copper, zinc, nickel and lead smelters and in sulphur-burning acid plants serving fertiliser producers, with smelting expansions in China, Indonesia, Chile, Peru and Africa supporting growth. Chemical and petrochemical plants use sulphur guard catalysts to protect sensitive catalysts in ammonia, methanol and hydrogen production. Coal gasification and syngas plants, particularly in China, use sulphur removal catalysts and absorbents. Catalyst change-out schedules, tied to refinery turnaround cycles, create year-to-year volatility in demand for individual suppliers. Growth in hydrogen production for refineries, ammonia and emerging low-carbon hydrogen projects also requires desulphurisation guard beds upstream of reforming catalysts, creating additional catalyst demand linked to the energy transition.


Fresh catalyst sales account for the largest share of the market because new units require first fills and most refiners replace spent catalysts with new material, while regeneration and catalyst services are expanding as cost and sustainability pressures rise. Fresh catalysts account for an estimated 80% of SOx removal catalyst volume, covering first fills for new hydrotreaters, sulphur recovery units and acid plants and replacement of spent catalysts at the end of operating cycles. Refiners typically replace hydrotreating catalysts every two to five years depending on feed severity and product specifications, and large units may hold several hundred tonnes of catalyst. Regenerated and rejuvenated catalysts, produced by burning off coke and treating spent catalysts to restore activity, account for around 12% of volume and offer savings of 30% to 50% versus fresh material for less demanding services, with Evonik's Porocel and Eurecat among leading providers. Catalyst services, including loading and unloading, pre-sulphiding, technical support, performance monitoring, spent catalyst handling and metals recovery, account for a growing share of activity and are expanding as refiners outsource specialised work and seek to recover molybdenum, cobalt, nickel and vanadium from spent material. Process licensing is frequently bundled with catalyst supply, especially for sulphur recovery and hydrotreating technologies from Topsoe, Honeywell UOP, Axens and Shell. Long-term supply agreements and performance guarantees are common, with suppliers competing on cycle length, hydrogen consumption and product quality. Spent catalyst is classified as hazardous waste in many jurisdictions, so recycling and metal reclamation reduce disposal costs and support circular economy goals. Digital catalyst monitoring tools that predict end-of-run timing are increasingly offered to optimise change outs and reduce unplanned downtime. Some suppliers also offer reload and regeneration programmes under which they take back spent catalyst, regenerate it and return it with performance guarantees.

Extrudates dominate hydrotreating and many Claus catalyst volumes because shaped extrudates balance activity, pressure drop and mechanical strength in fixed bed reactors, while rings, spheres and microspheres serve acid plants, guard beds and FCC applications. Extrudates, including cylindrical, trilobe and quadrilobe shapes, account for an estimated 70% of SOx removal catalyst volume, as they are the standard form for hydrotreating catalysts in fixed-bed reactors. Trilobe and quadrilobe shapes increase external surface area and reduce diffusion limitations, improving activity while keeping pressure drop manageable. Spheres and pellets accounted for around 12% of volume, used mainly for Claus catalysts, alumina guard beds and zinc oxide absorbents, where uniform packing and crush strength are important. Rings, daisy shapes and other specialised forms accounted for about 10%, used for SO₂ oxidation catalysts in sulphuric acid converters, where large open shapes minimise pressure drop across multiple beds treating high gas volumes. Powders and microspheres accounted for around 5%, used as FCC SOx reduction additives that circulate with the cracking catalyst. Monolith and structured catalysts form a small niche in specialised applications. Catalyst support materials, mainly gamma alumina with controlled pore structures, are critical to performance, and suppliers invest in proprietary support technologies. Grading materials and inert balls are loaded above and below catalyst beds to distribute flow and trap contaminants, adding to supply volumes. Shape and size selection depends on reactor design, feed properties, pressure drop limits and cycle length targets, and suppliers provide loading diagrams and technical service to optimise performance. Dense loading techniques increase the amount of catalyst in a reactor by up to 15%, extending cycle length. Catalyst size is also tailored to reactor position, with larger particles at the top of beds to trap scale and smaller, more active particles lower down to maximise sulphur removal.


Asia-Pacific accounts for about 40% of SOx removal catalyst demand, led by China and India, while North America, the Middle East and Europe are significant markets. Asia-Pacific accounts for about 40% of global demand, led by China's large refining sector and domestic catalyst industry led by Sinopec Catalyst, India's expanding refining capacity and fuel standards, South Korea's, Japan's and Singapore's refining hubs, and Southeast Asia's refinery investments. Chinese and Indian smelters also use SO₂ oxidation catalysts. North America accounts for about 22%, with large refining capacity, renewable diesel production in the United States and gas processing, and suppliers such as Honeywell UOP, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, Ketjen and Grace. The Middle East accounts for about 15% and is one of the fastest-growing regions, with large refineries and sour gas processing in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar, although the 2026 Iran war disrupted operations. Europe accounts for about 15%, with refining, renewable fuels and suppliers such as Topsoe, Axens, BASF and Clariant, though refinery closures limit growth. Latin America, led by Brazil and Mexico, and Africa, including Nigeria's Dangote refinery, add demand.

• July 2026 – Honeywell completes acquisition of Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies: Honeywell completed its £1.325 billion acquisition of Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies business, expanding its catalyst portfolio for refining, petrochemicals and renewable fuels.
• March 2026 – Hormuz crisis disrupts Gulf refining and gas processing: The Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure disrupted operations at Gulf refineries and gas plants, affecting catalyst change-outs and logistics.
• 2025 – Renewable fuels projects slow: Some renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel projects were delayed or cancelled due to costs and policy uncertainty, moderating growth in renewable hydroprocessing catalyst demand.
• May 2025 – Mediterranean emission control area increases low-sulphur fuel demand: The Mediterranean ECA required 0.10% sulphur marine fuels or scrubbers, increasing demand for desulphurised fuels.
• September 2021 – Standard Industries completes acquisition of W. R. Grace: Standard Industries acquired Grace, a major supplier of FCC catalysts and additives, including SOx reduction additives, for about USD 7 billion.
• January 2020 – IMO 2020 sulphur cap takes effect: The global 0.50% marine fuel sulphur limit increased demand for low-sulphur fuel production and hydrotreating catalysts.


Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base Year: 2025
• Estimated Year: 2026
• Forecast Year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Global SOx Removal Catalyst Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• Ongoing trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Catalyst Type
• Hydrodesulphurization and Hydrotreating Catalysts
• Claus Catalysts
• Tail Gas Treatment Catalysts
• SO₂ Oxidation Catalysts
• FCC SOx Reduction Additives
• Sulphur Guard and Adsorbent Catalysts

By Application
• Refining
• Gas Processing
• Metals Smelting and Sulphuric Acid
• Chemicals and Petrochemicals
• Gasification

By Product Status
• Fresh Catalysts
• Regenerated Catalysts
• Catalyst Services

By Form
• Extrudates
• Spheres and Pellets
• Rings and Shaped Catalysts
• Powders and Microspheres