Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe DEG spot prices plateau as buyers take wait-and-see approach
LONDON (ICIS)--European diethylene glycol (DEG) spot prices were assessed as unchanged in the week ending 17 April sentiment in the market has turned. DEG truck spot prices were assessed unchanged at...
Brazil’s bioceanic road corridor to reshape LatAm trade flows, cut logistics costs – minister
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Brazil's planned bioceanic road corridor linking its interior to Pacific ports in Chile could cut freight costs by 30% to 40% and shave 14 days off shipping times to Asia, according...
Operators launch Trans-Adriatic Pipeline capacity-expansion consultation
Consultation launched on increased Greece-Italy pipeline capacity Capacity expansion could unlock higher gas flows Binding capacity test planned for Q1 2027 MILAN (ICIS)-- Infrastructure operators...
Europe MEG spot prices stable-to-firm as market sentiment turns
LONDON (ICIS)--European monoethylene glycol (MEG) spot prices were assessed stable to firm in the week ending 17 April, but a range of spot price directions were mentioned by market sources as...
Plant status: Avista Oil’s base oils re-refinery in Dollbergen ends maintenance
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Avista Oil Location: Dollbergen, Germany Product: Re-Refined Base oils Group I Capacity (tonnes/year): 118,239 (2,300 barrels/day) Event start:...
Ethiopia imports more urea in Q1 on import system revamp
LONDON (ICIS)--In Ethiopia, urea imports jumped by 31.5% in the first quarter to 379,834 tonnes compared to 288,906 tonnes in the same period of 2025, according to customs data, following a...
German caustic soda ECU contract margins rise in week ending 17 April, calculated value of chlorine higher
LONDON (ICIS)--Average German membrane electrochemical unit (ECU) contract margins rose in the week ending 17 April, as the value of chlorine was higher week on week. The ECU value increased, with...
ICTA works to launch Global Responsible Distribution to fill in regional gaps – exec
NEW YORK (ICIS)--The International Chemical Trade Association (ICTA) is working towards a full launch of its flagship Global Responsible Distribution (GRD) program that will bring certification for...
China’s MX-toluene price spread to stay negative amid split demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s toluene and mixed xylenes (MX) prices have fallen by varying degrees since April amid ongoing Middle East tensions, sharp crude volatility and domestic supply-demand...
Europe MX prices slip, spot premium range steady
LONDON (ICIS)--The European mixed xylenes (MX) spot premium range was stable on both ends in the week ending 17 April, on the back of ongoing minimal buying interest from the market. The spot premium...
South Korea sulphuric acid interactive trade map January-March 2026
LONDON (ICIS)--South Korea’s Trade Statistics Promotion Institute (KTSPI) has released sulphuric acid trade data for January-March...
Europe toluene spot prices continue downward trend
LONDON (ICIS)--European toluene spot premiums continued to generally trend down in the week ending 17 April, despite the spread widening from midweek onwards. Gasoline prices remain generally high on...
‘Human-in-the-loop’ approach could cut costs of robotic labs by 90%
Reducing costs may democratise field by making self-driving labs more accessible
The battery chemistry race shaping the future of electric vehicles
Science and global politics intertwine in the rivalry between lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides and lithium iron phosphate
Evonik reorganizes its executive leadership: CEO stays on, CFO joins
Christian Kullmann will remain Chief Executive Officer of Evonik until 2030. That’s what the Supervisory Board agreed to at an extraordinary meeting. It also appointed Michael Rauch as new Chief Financial Officer for the chemical company. Both decisions were taken unanimously. Kullmann has been with...
A chance discovery in the lab earns a startup a NATO grant
Prof Dr Rainer Herges was actually looking for molecules that could be used as infinitely small switches - a hundred thousand times tinier than the tiniest transistors. The discovery he made by chance may save
Green hydrogen from sunlight and water – without electrolyzers and without electricity
No electrolyzers, no power consumption and no grid connection required - photreon, a founding project of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), wants to advance the hydrogen economy with mass-produced photoreactor panels. The panels make
AI company Synera receives 35 million euros
Bremen-based startup Synera, which develops AI agents to automate industrial product development processes, has closed a Series B financing round of 35 million euros. The round is led by European growth investor Revaia with significant
Leonhard Zirkler takes over management of HÖFER CHEMIE
Leonhard Zirkler is the new Managing Director of HÖFER CHEMIE® GMBH. He took over the position in January 2026 and has since been responsible for the strategic and operational development of the company. Leonhard Zirkler
Izatt-Christensen Award 2026 for Frank Würthner
The prestigious Izatt-Christensen Award 2026 goes to Professor Frank Würthner, Chair of Organic Chemistry II and Director of the Center for Nanosystems Chemistry at the University of Würzburg. The prize is regarded as the world’s