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Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) represent a cutting-edge technology employed in tunnel excavation across a diverse range of ground conditions, including hard rock and sand. The geological characteristics at the tunnel site dictate the selection and positioning of cutting devices on the TBM's face. The face rotates gradually, efficiently removing rock and soil as it advances, with some TBMs achieving up to 12 revolutions per minute under optimal soil conditions, as exemplified by those used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel. To ensure continuous contact with the target, TBMs are consistently propelled forward, with jacks at the rear applying forward pressure by pressing against the most recently installed tunnel lining segment. Gripper arms may extend from the sides of the TBM, anchoring against tunnel walls to stabilize the machine while the face advances. Muck, comprising excavated material, is suctioned through face holes and transported to the rear via a conveyor belt, eventually being carted out of the tunnel. Bentonite, a soil-conditioning agent, can be injected into the TBM face to enhance workability and facilitate muck transportation. Some TBMs are equipped with robotic arms at the rear, strategically placing and attaching tunnel lining components as the machine progresses.
The tunnel boring machine market is experiencing significant growth, driven by an increasing emphasis on micro tunneling and the expanding adoption of these machines in the mining and construction sectors. However, challenges such as high initial costs and a shortage of skilled labor impede market expansion. Nevertheless, the market presents notable opportunities, with a rising demand for tunnel boring machines and untapped potential in emerging economies. The global tunnel boring machine market, valued at USD 5,782.5 million in 2020, is projected to reach USD 8,366.5 million by 2027, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%.
Detailed insights into industry trends, dynamics, market size, competitive landscape, and growth prospects are provided by the global tunnel boring machine market study. The market is categorized based on machine type, application, geology type, end users, and region/country. Machine types include slurry TBM, earth pressure balance shield TBM, shielded TBM, multi-mode TBM, and other machines. Applications comprise boring, grouting, lining, and others. Geology types include soft ground, hard rock ground, heterogeneous ground, and variable ground. End users are classified into road transport, railway transport, metro and transit, mining, oil and gas, and others.
Regional analysis covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2020, North America dominated with a market share of 36.09%, driven by collaborations and investments in micro tunneling projects. Europe held the second-largest share at 34.50%, fueled by population growth, urbanization, and extensive infrastructure projects. Asia-Pacific, accounting for 22.67%, showcased high adoption of tunnel boring technology, particularly in China, India, and Japan. The APAC region is projected to achieve the highest CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period.
The competitive landscape is intense, reflecting the surging demand for machinery across diverse mining applications. Leading players have established strong positions in the market, with new entrants expected in the coming years. Market players are strategically employing organic and inorganic growth tactics, including product enhancements, technological advancements, launches, acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, and collaborations, to fortify their positions in the global tunnel boring machine market.
Covered Aspects:
| Report Attribute/Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Market Size Value In 2022 | USD 1.42 Billion |
| Market Size Value In 2023 | USD 6.75 billion |
| Growth Rate | 24.09% (2022-2030) |
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Highlights:
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Overview:
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Size was valued at USD 6.75 billion in 2023. The Global tunnel boring machine market industry is projected to grow from USD 7.08 Billion in 2024 to USD 10.09 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% during the forecast period (2024 - 2030). Rising spending on roads and railway infrastructure by government and private companies, increase in focus toward micro-tunneling and rise in adoption in Mining industry the key market drivers enhancing the market growth.
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Trends
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Rising spending on roads and railway infrastructure by government and private company boost the market growth
The expansion of roadway and railroad infrastructure is anticipated to fuel the market for tunnel boring machines. Government funding for rail pipeline projects is also anticipated to support the expansion of the tunnel boring machine market. As an instance, the Italian government invested $33.79 billion in a railway infrastructure project in July 2019. The need for tunnel boring machines rises as a result of the application of these machines in projects such as pipelines for oil and gas, water, and hydropower. It is anticipated that developing nations like China, India, and others will continue to experience rapid urbanization and industrialization, which will accelerate the expansion of the tunnel boring machine market.
Manufacturers of tunnel boring machines focus micro-tunneling operations. This is expected to increase demand for tunnel boring machines, that will propel the market for these machines to expand. In addition, it is anticipated that increased use of tunnel boring machines in the mining sector will support the expansion of the market for these machines.
However, it is projected that factors like high investment costs and a lack of flexibility will restrain the growth of the tunnel boring machine market. The expansion of the worldwide tunnel boring machine market is also anticipated to be hampered by price fluctuations in raw materials. For instance, the U.S. administration raised taxes on imports of variable steel and aluminium in February 2020. This range of increases includes a 10% increase in aluminium imports and a 25% increase in steel imports, which have had a severe impact on the manufacturing sector in the United States and, in turn, the country's entire economy. The development of the tunnel boring machine market is also anticipated to benefit greatly from technological developments in rock cutting and tunnel boring machines with automation.
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Segment Insights:
Tunnel Boring Machine Machine Type Insights
The tunnel boring machine market segmentation, based on fusion Machine Type, includes Slurry TBM, Earth Pressure Balance Shield TBM, Shielded TBM, Multi-Mode TBM, Other Machines. The Slurry TBM segment held the majority share in tunnel boring machine market revenue. This is primarily owing to a growth in utility and transportation projects around the world, the market for slurry TBM machines is anticipated to expand during the forecast period. The market is expected to develop as a result of all of these factors.
Sept. 2021: The first of the nine TBMs in Phase 2 of the Metro project in Bangalore, India to make a breakthrough was the hard rock/slurry TBM Urja (DZ670) developed by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Cooperation Limited (CRCHI).
Figure 2: Tunnel Boring Machine Market, by Machine Type, 2021 & 2030 (USD Billion) 
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
Tunnel Boring Machine Geology Type Insights
The tunnel boring machine market segmentation, based on Geology Type, includes Soft Ground, Hard Rock Ground, Heterogeneous Ground, Variable Ground. The Heterogeneous Ground segment dominated the market in 2021. The heterogeneous ground surfaces are developed in areas with an increase in glaciation, that reshapes the terrain. These tunnels, which combine rock sections with uneven lost ground, are increasingly common in the tunnel regions of Switzerland. Additionally, it is projected that an increase in tunneling project development will generate attractive opportunities for market expansion.
Tunnel Boring Machine End Users Insights
The tunnel boring machine market data has been bifurcated by End Users into Road Transport, Railway Transport, Utilities, Metro and Transit, Mining, Oil, Gas and Others. The Metro and Transit segment dominated the market in 2021. The market demand for tunnel boring machines is fueled by an increase in metro transportation projects. Additionally, large metro pipeline companies' investments in infrastructure projects are anticipated to fuel market expansion. As more metropolitan areas need metro services, metro tunnelling projects are now controlled using SAAS services to speed project completion. Future deployment of a high-speed underground public transportation system using automated pods and hyperloops is planned. This is anticipated to fuel the market for tunnel boring machines.
Sept. 2019: Terratec Ltd. has entered into a contract with Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. to deliver four tunnel boring machines to India for Pune metro project.
Tunnel Boring Machine Regional Insights
By Region, the study provides the market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific Tunnel Boring Machine market accounted for USD 2.66 billion in 2021. This is attributed to the population growth, rapid urbanization, and robust economic expansion. These factors contributed to the market for tunnel boring machines expanding. In addition, it is projected that the need for tunnel boring machines would soon increase due to the large number of metro projects that are now under construction in India.
Further, the major countries studied in the market report are: The U.S, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.
Figure 3: TUNNEL BORING MACHINE MARKET SHARE BY REGION 2021 (%)
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
Europe tunnel boring machine market accounts for the second-largest market share due to economic expansion and numerous investments in infrastructure projects in Europe, numerous prominent players in the area are providing tunnel-boring machines for effective and reliable operations. Further, the German tunnel boring machine market held the largest market share, and the UK tunnel boring machine market was the fastest-growing market in the European region
The North America Tunnel Boring Machine Market accounts for the third-largest market share due to increased tunnelling projects across the NA as a result of an increase in road development activities support the market for tunnel boring machines. Moreover, United States tunnel boring machine market held the largest market share and fastest-growing market in the North America region
Tunnel Boring Machine Key Market Players & Competitive Insights
Major market players are spending a lot of money on R&D to increase their product lines, which will help the tunnel boring machine market grow even more. Market participants are also taking a range of strategic initiatives to grow their worldwide footprint, with key market developments such as new product launches, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, increased investments, and collaboration with other organizations. Competitors in the tunnel boring machine industry must offer cost-effective machines to expand and survive in an increasingly competitive and rising market environment.
One of the primary business strategies adopted by manufacturers in the tunnel boring machine industry to benefit clients and expand the market sector is to manufacture locally to reduce operating costs. In recent years, tunnel boring machine industry has provided machine with some of the most significant benefits. The tunnel boring machine market major player such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, China Railway Group Limited (CRGL) and others are working to expand the market demand by investing in research and development activities.
In June 2022, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced the shipment of the bulk carrier PHILHOKUSAI at the Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS), which is situated in Dalian City, China and is operated in collaboration with China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited (China COSCO Shipping).
Also, in Spet.2022, China Railway Engineering Equipment Group and Sinohydro Bureau 14 jointly developed the "Hongyi," the largest diameter hard rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) in the world, and the second bid (Xianglushan Tunnel) of the Dali Section of the Central Yunnan Water Diversion Project formally decided to enter the TBM excavation stage.
Key Companies in the tunnel boring machine market includes
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China Railway Group Limited (CRGL)
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IHI Corporation
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Hitachi Zosen Corporation
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Bosch Rexroth AG, among others
Tunnel Boring Machine Industry Developments
April 2022: The Macau Light Transit (LRT) extension to Hengqin has entered the tunnel construction stage and is anticipated to take three more years, according to Zhuhai city authorities. A tunnel-boring Earth pressure balanced shield machine was developed in Changsha, Hunan for this project. It will be the largest instrument of its sort to be used in the SAR, measuring 7.98 meters in diameter and 87 meters in length.
March 2019: The 23-mile mineral transportation tunnel being built by Sirius Minerals will have a first-ever 1,800-tonne tunnel boring machine that was formally unveiled in Europe.
Oct 2022: Six tunnel boring machines (TBMs) owned by HS2 have started building more than 26 miles of tunnel under London. The fourth of ten HS2 tunnel boring machines to be launched, it will travel five miles from the Victoria Road site in west London to Greenpark Way in Greenford before being dismantled and lifted from the earth. Another TBM will also be launched from the same location later this year to construct the second twin-bore tunnel for HS2 that will lead towards the city centre.
Tunnel Boring Machine Market Segmentation:
Tunnel Boring Machine Component Outlook
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Video Generators
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Projectors/Projection Units
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Display Units
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Software
Tunnel Boring Machine Product Type Outlook
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Windshield HUD
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Combiner HUD
Tunnel Boring Machine Technology Outlook
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Augmented Reality (AR)
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Conventional
Tunnel Boring Machine Fuel Type Outlook
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ICE
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Electric
Tunnel Boring Machine Regional Outlook
North America
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US
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Canada
Europe
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Germany
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France
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UK
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Italy
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Spain
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Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific
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China
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Japan
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India
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Australia
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South Korea
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Australia
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Rest of Asia-Pacific
Rest of the World
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Middle East
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Africa
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Latin America
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