The stone, sand, and clay extraction market - Italy (2023)

1.2 The global market

The market for sand, stone and clay is a crucial sector in the world economy, playing a key role in multiple industries. Demand for these materials is growing steadily, fueled by their use inconstruction, building, glass and ceramic production, and numerous other applications. These natural components form the essential basis in the creation of infrastructure, manufactured goods and consumer products that directly influence economic development globally.

Analyzing these economic segments presents an analysis of the global value trend of mineral sands; the latter differ from silica sands mainly because of their chemical composition. Mineral sands include a wide range of minerals, while silica sands are specifically those composed of a significant amount of silica. The market size of mineral sands is expected to reach $**.** billion by **** from $**.** billion in ****, with a CAGR of *.* percent during the forecast period.

Global market - mineral sands World, ****-****, US$ billion MMR

Silica sands are composed of silica, a chemical compound consisting of silicon and oxygen, often present in the form of quartz. Silica sands are particularly desirable in industrial applications such as glass production and the manufacture of refractory materials. The global silica sand market was valued at $**.** billion in **** and is expected to ...

1.3 The local market

The value of turnover of enterprises engaged in stone, sand, and clay extraction between **** and **** is considered below. During the time frame under analysis, there is an overall growth in turnover from * billion euros in **** to *.* billion euros in ****. This increase translates into +**.*%. The growth appears to be constant throughout the entire period considered, with the only exception being **** when turnover registers a decrease of *.* percent. However, the decline recorded in **** is reabsorbed in ****, with a **.*% growth in turnover.

Total turnover of stone, sand and clay mining enterprises Italy, ****-****, € billion Istat

Between **** and **** , the value of production sold is also on the rise, and just as was noted with regard to the value of turnover, there is a decline only in ****, at *.* percent. From **** to **** there is an increase of **.* percent in the value considered.

Value of production for stone, sand and clay mining Italy, ****-****, billion € Istat

1.4 Foreign market analysis

The analysis of trade flows related to imports and exports of the analyzed sector is broken down by product type. In particular, natural sands(***) are considered.

Regarding the value of the foreign market for natural sands, there is an oscillating flow in the value of both imports and exports. There is a **.* percent decrease from **** to **** in the value of imports, before showing a slight sign of growth in **** (***). As for exports, there is a gradual decline from **** to **** of **.* percent; this value showed a sign of recovery in ****, growing by **.* percent and then declining again in **** by **.* percent. With the exception of ****, the value of exports never exceeded that of imports, indicating that the sector may be trending toward a trade deficit.

Exports, Imports and Coverage Rate - natural sands Italy, ****-****, US$ million UNComtrade

Regarding the value of imports in the sector, there is a strong dependence on the relationship withAustralia, which accounts for **.* percent of Italian imports. It is followed by Germany (***).

Breakdown of imports among the top * supplier countries - natural sands Italy, ****, % UNComtrade As for exports, it can be seen that the top consumer country is France (***).

Distribution of exports among the top * consuming countries - ...

1.5 Impact of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has had a significant impact on the global economy, including Italy's, also affecting thestone, sand and clay mining sector. The tensions and uncertainties generated by the military crisis have grafted onto a picture already made difficult by the continuing pandemic and upward pressure on the prices of various commodities. This situation acted as a deep supply shock, with varying effects across areas and sectors. In particular, the European Union, and consequently Italy, is among the hardest hit areas. The repercussions of the conflict are mainly manifested throughrising energy, agricultural and metal prices, due to the role of Russia and Ukraine as the world's main suppliers of these commodities. For Italy, this has led to a significant increase in costs for businesses, including those in the extraction sector. In concrete terms, the impact of energy costs on total production costs has increased significantly.

The following is an analysis of producer prices for the extraction of the above materials, which is useful in highlighting the increase discussed. Between January **** and September ****, there is an increase of *.* points; this means that over a period of ** months, extraction costs have increased by *.* percent.

Producer price index for stone, sand and clay mining Italy, ...

2.1 Demand characteristics

By analyzing the production sold in tons, it is possible to obtain a quantitative measure of the demand for a product, allowing one to assess its popularity and level of demand in the market. Specifically below is the production sold of stone, sand and clay during the last few years available in the Istat database.

The analysis begins by taking into consideration the entry regarding the sale of marble and travertine and building limestone between **** and ****. Building stones are natural materials extracted from the earth and used for the construction of buildings and other structures. Building stones are valued for their durability, strength, and aesthetic variety. Between **** and **** , there was a significant reduction of **.* percent in tons sold.

Moving to the production of marble and travertine, it can be seen that the quantity sold increased slightly(***). Marble and travertine are both types of limestone widely used in the construction industry; marble is a metamorphic rock with a crystalline structure, often used for floors, wall tiles and sculptures. Travertine, also limestone, is formed in freshwater deposits and is known for its porous characteristics and variety of hues.[***]

Production sold in quantity - stones Italy, ****-****, million tons Istat

Regarding the production sold ...

2.2 Demand drivers

To carry out a drier analysis of the demand for stone, sand and clay extraction, the evolution of the number of construction companies (***) thanks mainly to the introduction of tax bonuses for renovation andmodernization of buildings starting in ****.

Construction companies Italy, ****-****, in thousands Istat

2.3 Geographical distribution of demand

To analyze the value of the geographical distribution of demand, enterprises active in the construction sector are taken into consideration. Specifically, the Northwest collects the largest share of enterprises, accounting for **.* percent of the total; followed by the Northeast with **.* percent and the Center with **.* percent. In the South , the share drops to ** percent of the total. Finally, the Islands come in at*.* percent of the national total.

3.1 Market structure and dynamics

Enterprises involved in the extraction of stone, sand and clay in Italy play a key role in the national economy. These materials are used in various sectors, such asconstruction,manufacturing, and the infrastructure sector. Mining contributes to the production of construction materials essential for the construction of buildings, roads and infrastructure. Below is an overview of the activity of enterprises in the sector, and it is noted that from **** to **** (***) there was a reduction in the number of active enterprises by **.* percent.

Enterprises active in stone, sand and clay mining Italy, ****, in number Istat

Enterprises generate local employment, promoting economic development in the areas where they operate. The presence of natural resources such as stone, sand and clay provides employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities. Specifically, it can be seen that during the period considered below (***) there was a * percent reduction in the number of employees present in the sector, in line with the number of active enterprises.

Number of employees enterprises active in stone, sand and clay mining Italy, ****-****, in thousands (***) Istat Analyzing the legal form most present in the sector, we see a predominance(***). This type of legal structure offers limited liability to the owners, which means ...

3.2 Value Chain

The value chain in the stone, sand and clay mining market involves several stages. Initially, extraction takes place in quarries, followed by processing and transformation of materials. Then, companies distribute the finished products to builders, building material manufacturers and other related industries. Success depends on the quality of the extracted materials, efficiency in processing, and the ability to meet the demand of the construction and industrial markets.

Extraction: involves a resource location and evaluation phase and an activity of drilling and removing raw material from quarries; Transportation: phase of moving the extracted materials to processing facilities; Processing: this is the phase of crushing and sorting materials to obtain specific sizes; Distribution: this involves packaging and preparation for distribution, which is the stage of delivering materials to customers (***); End use

3.3 Geographical distribution of mining sites (quarries and mines)

In order to know the geographical distribution of active mining sites, a map is proposed with the share of quarries and mines present in each macro-region in relation to the national total. The Northeast and Northwest concentrate the highest percentage of the mining sites present in Italy, **.* percent and **.* percent, respectively; followed by the Center, with **.* percent of the total, and the South, with **.* percent. Finally, the Islands are home to**.* percent of quarries and mines.

3.4 Main actors

The following is a list of the main players involved in stone, sand and clay mining in Italy:

Stone quarrying:

Cava Leonepietra - extraction from natural stone quarry in Gorgoglione: a company operating in the extraction and processing of extra-hard Arenite nautral stone from Gorgoglione for over ** years. Founded in **** as Scalpellini Tagliapietre, it became Leonepietra in ****. Since then, a path of growth begins, leading to the creation of numerous works nationwide. Ranieri Pietra Lavica: a company that promotes the use of natural stone for interior design; the company forges monolithic stone blocks up to * meters in size, producing high-end elements for residential and luxury hotel projects. Mura Antonio Lussorio Ignazio: known nationally and internationally, it is involved in the extraction and processing of natural stone. Menegoni srl marbles: has been in the industry since ****, producing some of the most sought-after materials in the world. Thanks to its experience, accumulated over the years, it is able to meet any request for the production of green marble blocks. Grassi **** quarries srl: based in Nanto, is a historic company created by the work of Vittorio Grassi's family. With over *** years of experience and continuous research, it aims to design and perfect new techniques ...

4.1 Type of Offering

The cultivation of quarry material deposits is subject to the issuance of a permit for quarry activity; the latter is subject to the provisions of R.L. March **, ****, No. ** - "Rules for the regulation of quarry activity." The types of extractable materials are classified by Article * of the said law as follows:

Group A materials (***):

Sands and gravels: granular materials derived from the fragmentation of rocks. Sands are finer particles, while gravels are larger; commonly used for construction, concrete production and filling. Debris material: rock fragments from natural processes such as erosion or landslide; they are used for filling base layers in construction. Construction limestones: are sedimentary rocks rich in calcium carbonate and are used in the construction of buildings and structures.

Group B materials (***):

Limestones forindustrial uses (***): limestones with high calcium purity, used for the production of cement, lime and granulates. They are essential materials in the cement industry, lime production and granular materials. Clays: plastic sedimentary rocks composed mainly of clay minerals; commonly used in ceramics, lateritics and thermal insulation. Basalts and volcanic materials: these are volcanic igneous rocks, often dark in color, and with resistant properties; used to produce concrete, paving and ornamental stones. Ornamental stones: these are ...

4.2 Prices

To analyze the prices forstone, sand, and clay extraction, we consider the producer price indexes over the time period from **** to ****. When analyzing the producer price index for stone, sand, and clay extraction, a significant increase can be seen between January **** and October ****. During this period, the producer price index increased by **.* points, or an increase of **.* percent. The increase is recorded in January **** and peaks in June ****. Compared with ****, production costs increased by **.* percent.

Producer price index for stone, sand and clay mining Italy, ****-****, base ****=*** Istat As for theextraction of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum stone, clay and slate, the producer price index shows an increase. Between January **** and October ****, the index rose by *.* points. The increase in production costs starts in January ****, peaking in May **** and then decreasing throughout ****. Compared to ****, production costs increased by *.* percent.

Producer price index for the extraction of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum stone, chalk and slate Italy, ****-****, base ****=*** Istat

5.1 Rules and regulations

Italian and European regulations governing sand, clay and stone mining vary depending on the material being mined.

In Italy, sand mining activities are regulated by specific regulations that focus on the safety and health of workers in this sector. Relevant general regulations include Legislative Decree No. ***/**** and Legislative Decree No. **/****. These regulations establish requirements for the safety of workers in open-pit quarries, including such aspects as manual de-mining, the transport and use of explosives, the handling and excavation of aggregates, and the use of earthmoving equipment. it is important that mining activities are subject to research permits, concessions, or mining authorizations, and that workplaces are safe, with well-designed and maintained equipment and facilities. Stone mining is regulated by mining legislation, which includes several regulations. These laws set the parameters and rules for mining in quarries and mines. Among the most important laws are Royal Decree No. **** of July **, ****, which regulates the exploration and cultivation of mines, and Legislative Decree No. *** of November **, ****, on the safety and health of workers in extractive industries. Italian regions with ordinary statutes require research permits and mining concessions approved by the Ministry of Economic Development, while in regions with special statutes these practices are handled by ...

6.1 Segmentation

Italian enterprises

Foreign enterprises

• Ranieri Pietra Lavica srl
• Menegoni srl
• O.M.G. Ossola marmi e graniti srl
• Odorizzi soluzioni in pietra srl
• RUGGI - materie prime per industria e ceramica
• Castiglia Inerti
• Sibelco Italia spa