Control Valve Performance and Industry Trends Report 2025

This year has seen the beginning of a shift in the control valve industry. Energy systems are evolving. Data centers are placing strain on electrical grids. Regulatory standards are tightening. At the same time, engineers and plant managers are working under increasing pressure to deliver more efficient, resilient, and sustainable systems.

New technologies, changing buying behavior, and infrastructure challenges are opening up opportunities for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with the right mix of engineering expertise and commercial agility.

This report brings together insights from Trimteck President Christian Conesa and frontline engineers to explore the key market and technical developments shaping control valve expectations over the next year, from macro trends impacting global supply chains to what OEMs should be preparing for in the near future.

Three Macro Trends Shaping Process Control

From shifting trade policies to emerging power sources and data-driven energy demand, external forces are beginning to reshape how control valves are specified, sourced, and applied. These macro trends are redefining expectations across the supply chain and setting the stage for new opportunities in design and manufacturing.

Tariffs, Reshoring, and Infrastructure Volatility

Trade policies and shifting supply chains are causing many customers to revisit their sourcing strategies. Tariffs are driving renewed interest in domestic production.

“Tariffs are real, and they’re forcing people to reevaluate who they work with,” says Christian. “It’s creating a bigger appetite for North American suppliers.”

Manufacturers that can offer competitive pricing, support in the same time zone, and consistent specs are gaining attention. This is especially true for teams that experienced delays or miscommunication on recent international projects.

The Rise of SMRs, Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture

Clean energy infrastructure is moving from concept to execution. Projects involving small modular reactors (SMRs), hydrogen production, and carbon capture are moving through design and early deployment stages, bringing new technical demands with them.

These systems often involve higher temperatures, higher pressures, and more severe flow conditions than conventional applications. Valves must be designed with these factors in mind from day one.

“SMRs are one of the most exciting shifts we’re watching,” Christian explains. “They’ll require a new generation of compact, high-precision control valves.”

The Data Center Power Squeeze

Rapid data infrastructure expansion is pushing energy requirements to new levels. As AI workloads increase and new server clusters come online, more data centers are turning to backup systems and natural gas turbines to guarantee reliability.

“When the grid can’t keep up, we’re seeing fast-tracked turbine builds and urgent demand for fuel gas valves, pressure regulators, and shutoff solutions,” says Christian.

These environments need valves that can handle thermal cycling, frequent startup, and rapid pressure fluctuations with minimal room for error.

What Engineers Are Dealing With on the Ground

On the plant floor, day-to-day challenges are evolving just as quickly as the industry itself. Engineers are being asked to balance cost, performance, and system longevity, often without the luxury of extended lead times or straightforward specifications. These pressures are reshaping how decisions are made and what support customers expect from their OEMs.

MRO, Lead Time, and Cost Control Tensions

Plant engineers are working under tighter timelines and budget pressure. At the same time, they're looking for long-term solutions—equipment that will last, integrate easily, and reduce the likelihood of unexpected downtime.

“Every plant is worried about obsolescence,” Christian says. “Engineers are asking how long a valve will be supported and whether components are interchangeable across models.”

Support, parts availability, and repairability are playing a larger role in final valve selection than they have in previous years.

Design Engineers Want Flexible Specs

Engineers today are heavily involved in technical decision-making. They want to understand the design process behind a recommended solution and are asking more questions than ever around trim characteristics, flow behavior, and actuation logic.

“They want to know what went into the process,” Christian says. “A lot of them are walking away from bigger OEMs that don’t share that level of detail.”

Being transparent during the recommendation process has become just as important as meeting the spec.

Automation Appetite Is Rising, Cautiously

Smart diagnostics, digital twins, and remote valve monitoring are gaining interest, but adoption has been measured. Customers are weighing cybersecurity risks, integration complexity, and cost before implementing new tools.

“Industrial customers are conservative by nature,” Christian says. “They’re open to these tools, but only when they see a real operational benefit.”

Performance and uptime still come first. New digital solutions need to clearly demonstrate their value before being rolled out.

What Performance Looks Like in 2025

As system requirements evolve and regulations tighten, the definition of control valve performance is shifting. Engineers are placing more emphasis on resilience under extreme conditions, emissions compliance, and long-term maintainability. The focus is no longer just on whether a valve meets spec but how reliably it performs over time, and how easily it can adapt to changing demands.

Pressure and Temperature Tolerances

New applications are placing significant mechanical stress on control valves. Hydrogen, supercritical CO₂, and turbine fuel systems all push materials, seals, and trim performance further than legacy systems.

“Our customers are dealing with new thermal and mechanical challenges,” says Christian. “We’ve had to evolve our trim designs and surface treatments to match.”

Valve designs are becoming more application-specific, and the margin for overengineering or generalizing is narrowing.

Emissions Compliance

Fugitive emissions are under the spotlight in both regulated and non-regulated environments. ISO 15848 and API 641 standards are being referenced in more RFQs, even for systems that aren’t legally required to comply.

“Regulations are bleeding over into procurement,” Christian explains. “We’re seeing more specs requiring verifiable emissions compliance, even when it’s not strictly mandated.”

This shift has created a broader need for emissions-oriented packing, seat materials, and documentation practices.

Valve Adaptability and Lifetime Support

Customers are requesting more adaptable designs. That includes valve platforms that can be repaired, actuators that can be reconfigured in the field, and diagnostic options that can be added later without disrupting core operation.

Field-reversibility, spare parts compatibility, and performance visibility are becoming central to procurement conversations, not secondary features.

What Customers Are Prioritizing

Across industries, the buying criteria for control valves are becoming more specific. Speed, communication, and technical depth are emerging as just as important as product specs or pricing. OEMs that provide clarity, support, and confidence throughout the process are standing out in a market where trust and reliability carry more weight than ever.

Speed and Responsiveness

Fast delivery and responsive support are becoming essential. Engineering teams need to move quickly, and they want to work with manufacturers who can quote and adapt fast without cutting corners.

“Customers are asking how fast you can ship, whether you’ll answer their questions on a call, and whether you know what they’ve ordered before,” Christian says.

Clear communication and a practical understanding of urgency can make or break deals, particularly for customers working with limited internal resources.

Technical Confidence and Support

Technical transparency is emerging as a major differentiator. Engineers want suppliers that explain their design thinking and share data that supports each decision.

“They want a team they can talk to,” Christian says. “And they want partners who’ll flag a design risk and recommend a better alternative.”

Relationships built on that kind of collaboration tend to grow stronger over time. We pride ourselves on such relationships at Trimteck. We talk more about our approach in 20 Years of Trimteck: Six Lessons We’ve Learned About Business.

What OEMs Should Be Preparing For

Expectations for control valve manufacturers are changing. Customers want more than a well-made product. They’re looking for support across the full lifecycle, integration with digital systems that make sense in real-world environments, and clear steps toward sustainability. The OEMs that focus on these areas now will be better equipped to meet what’s coming next.

Lifecycle Support

Customers are expecting more than a product handoff. Many are asking for post-installation tuning support, field service, and lifecycle planning as part of the quote.

“The sale doesn’t end with the PO,” Christian says. “Our best relationships are built over years, often solving challenges the customer didn’t know they had at the start.”

OEMs that provide design input, commissioning support, and long-term visibility into part and service availability are likely to stay top of mind.

Digital Readiness

Digital readiness is no longer a future consideration. It’s becoming part of procurement checklists. At the same time, customers are cautious about layering in too much complexity.

“Smart technology has to make life easier,” Christian says. “If it adds complexity without improving reliability, it’s not going to get adopted.”

The opportunity is there, but it must align with the reliability and simplicity that industrial customers expect.

Higher Expectations Around ESG

More plants are documenting their environmental performance across the supply chain. That includes traceable materials, energy-efficient manufacturing practices, and support for low-emission product design.

“It’s not enough for a valve to perform,” Christian says. “It has to perform cleanly and predictably, with documentation to match.”

Expectations around transparency, compliance, and sustainability are increasing. That pressure is coming from both regulators and customers.

Final Thoughts

Expectations around control valves are changing. Customers are looking for stronger technical support, flexible designs, emissions compliance, and faster response times.

Engineering-led OEMs that prioritize transparency, precision, and long-term reliability are well-positioned to meet the moment.

Trimteck continues to invest in these priorities with a commitment to technical expertise, product adaptability, and service that builds confidence over time.

If you’re working on a project and want to explore how our team can support it, get in touch with us here.