Coconut Shell Activated Carbon: Recent Market Intelligence Report

I. Market Price Dynamics
1. Overall Price Trend
- In May 2026, the market price of coconut shell activated carbon remained at a high level, with significant price differentiation across products of varying iodine numbers. Premium-grade products commanded substantially higher prices than mid- and low-tier offerings. For instance, virgin coconut shell activated carbon with an iodine number of 800 was quoted stably at RMB 9,000–10,000 per ton; products with an iodine number of 900 were priced at RMB 9,800–10,200 per ton; and select high-end grades reached RMB 11,000–13,500 per ton.
- Regenerated coconut shell activated carbon was comparatively more affordable, with iodine numbers ranging from 300 to 1,000 and quoted prices between RMB 3,000 and 4,500 per ton.

2. Regional Price Variations
- Pricing varied significantly across regions and manufacturers. For example, Henan Senlin Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. quoted RMB 5,500 per ton for its coconut shell activated carbon with an iodine number of 1,000, whereas Henan Huiyihai Water Purification Materials Co., Ltd. offered regenerated carbon of the same specification at RMB 4,000 per ton, and virgin coconut shell activated carbon (iodine number 700–1,100) at RMB 9,000 per ton.

3. Impact of Raw Material Prices
- Tight supply of coconut shell raw materials has been a key driver of price increases. As the primary producing region, Southeast Asia has experienced declining coconut yields due to climate variability and natural disasters, resulting in sharp rises in raw material prices. Import prices for carbonized coconut shell feedstock continued to climb: large-sized feedstock from the Philippines and Indonesia—delivered duty-paid—reached RMB 5,200–5,300 per ton, while standard-sized feedstock averaged around RMB 5,500 per ton, representing an increase of approximately RMB 200 per ton compared to pre-year levels.

II. Market Supply-Demand Analysis
1. Demand Growth
- Demand for coconut shell activated carbon continues to expand across water treatment, air purification, and gold recovery applications. Against the backdrop of stricter drinking water safety standards and heightened industrial exhaust gas control requirements, demand for high-performance coconut shell activated carbon has surged dramatically. The domestic granular coconut shell activated carbon market reached approximately RMB 8.73 billion in 2025, with a stable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 12.6%. It is projected to surpass RMB 10 billion in 2026.

2. Supply Constraints
- Constrained coconut shell raw material supply has limited production capacity, making it difficult for market output to keep pace with rising demand. Some manufacturers have reduced output or suspended operations entirely due to raw material shortages—further exacerbating supply-demand imbalances. Additionally, tightening environmental regulations have raised compliance costs for activated carbon producers; numerous small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), unable to meet stringent environmental standards, have exited the market—further shrinking overall supply.

III. Policy Environment Analysis
1. Favorable Policies
- The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), jointly with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), issued the \"Three-Year Special Action Plan for Industrialization of Key Environmental Protection Functional Materials (2025–2027).\" Coconut shell activated carbon has been designated as a core foundational material for advanced water purification and VOCs adsorption. The plan explicitly mandates that by 2027, the domestic self-sufficiency rate for high-iodine-number (≥1,100 mg/g) coconut shell activated carbon must reach at least 92%.
- Central government fiscal support for the environmental protection functional materials industry totals RMB 1.86 billion, of which RMB 430 million is specifically allocated to green transformation projects for coconut shell activated carbon production capacity.

2. Environmental Requirements
- With growing global environmental awareness, regulatory expectations for environmental performance throughout the activated carbon manufacturing process have intensified. China has likewise introduced a series of stringent environmental policies mandating strict emissions standards and traceability systems for raw materials used in activated carbon production.

IV. Analysis, Outlook & Forecast
1. Short-Term Price Trend
- Influenced by persistent raw material scarcity, sustained demand growth, and tightening environmental regulation, coconut shell activated carbon prices are expected to continue trending upward with volatility in the near term. Spot prices may exceed RMB 9,600 per ton in March, with premium-grade product prices likely to rise further.

2. Long-Term Price Trend
- Over the longer term, price volatility is anticipated to narrow to 8–10%, driven by recovery in Southeast Asian coconut cultivation, advances in eco-friendly production technologies, and diversification of supply sources. Nevertheless, prices are expected to remain elevated overall.

3. Market Development Trends
- The coconut shell activated carbon industry is entering a high-quality development phase, shaped collectively by technological iteration, standards-driven upgrades, and consumption upgrading. High-iodine-number, low-ash, high-abrasion-resistance, and other high-performance products will become mainstream offerings.
- Rapid growth in emerging sectors—including new energy and environmental protection—will create new growth drivers. Notably, in energy storage applications, coconut shell activated carbon serves as a critical raw material for supercapacitors and hard carbon anodes, with demand projected to grow rapidly.

4. Competitive Landscape Evolution
- Industry concentration is expected to intensify further. Leading enterprises—with advantages in technology, production capacity, and distribution channels—will dominate the premium segment, while SMEs will increasingly focus on niche mid- and low-tier markets. Companies possessing capabilities in material modification, deep domain expertise in downstream application scenarios, and cross-sectoral collaborative resources will gain competitive advantage.