Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Indonesia PP buying sentiment improves but fails to lift prices
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Buying sentiment for Indonesia's polypropylene (PP) market improved as converters started restocking after the year-end break, but that failed to provide sufficient uplift for...
Why failing my first chemistry test was the best thing that ever happened to me
Lost in reactions, but driven by curiosity – how a supportive teacher enabled me to find my way to a career in science
ICIS TTF Early Day assessments: 9 January 2026
- The ICIS TTF Early Day widened its premium over the EAX as the latter dropped on Friday - Europe's stocks are at 68.34% fullness, lower than this time last year, as the region's LNG
Plant status: Taiwan’s TPCC to prolong phenol/acetone unit shutdown in Q1
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Taiwan Prosperity Chemical Corp (TPCC) Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Product: Phenol and acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 360,000 (phenol) and...
Velaris acquires Markes International to expand its automated sample preparation capabilities
Velaris, a platform of laboratory-automation brands backed by global investment firm Battery Ventures, announced the acquisition of Markes International from strategic investor Schauenburg International and its founders Alun Cole and Elizabeth Woolfenden. Markes, founded in
Start-up of the steam cracker at BASF’s Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China
BASF has successfully commissioned the steam cracker at its newly built Verbund site in Zhanjiang in South China as scheduled. This is the first cracker in the world using 100 percent renewable energy to drive
Amorphous V₂CTx MXene cathodes enable high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Scientists in China have created a high-performance cathode material for zinc-ion batteries by carefully converting a layered MXene material into an amorphous form. The new material, called amorphous V2CTx (a-V2CTx), shows remarkable improvements in battery
NBP BOM premium to front month could narrow on upward temperature revisions
Cold snap, forecasts boost BOM against February ‘26 Weather forecasts had diverged on January temperature outlook ENS weather model revised temperatures up in line with other models LONDON...
INSIGHT: US chem project drought continues into 2026
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US will continue to start up few chemical projects in 2026 amid a global supply glut that will take at least two years to absorb. The sole major project that could start up
Germany Nov manufacturing orders rise 5.6%, led by defense
LONDON (ICIS)--New orders for German-made manufacturing goods rose 5.6% month on month in November, following a 1.6% October increase, the country’s federal statistics office reported on Thursday....
Moeve and Galp in talks to combine downstream businesses
LONDON (ICIS)--Spain’s Moeve and Portugal’s Galp are in negotiations to combine their downstream businesses, they confirmed on Thursday. The discussions are focused on potentially creating two...
Leading environmental health journal defunded by Trump administration has been saved
The American Chemical Society will now publish Environmental Health Perspectives
‘Significant loss’ expected for Shell Q4 chems earnings
LONDON (ICIS)--Shell expects its fourth-quarter 2025 chemicals and products division earnings to come in below the break-even point, with the chemicals sub-set of the business to post a...
Plant status: SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz melamine plant in Germany still running at reduced rates
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz Location: Piesteritz, Germany Product: Melamine Capacity (tonnes/year): 80,000 Event start: December Event finish:...
Plant status: LAT Nitrogen melamine plant in Linz, Austria running reduced on technical reasons
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: LAT Nitrogen Location: Linz, Austria Product: Melamine Capacity (tonnes/year): 50,000 (two lines) Event start: January Event finish: Unclear...
Europe fatty alcohols spot prices hold steady amid limited activity
LONDON (ICIS)--Mid-cut fatty alcohol spot prices in Europe rolled over this week with fundamentals unchanged versus December. Market activity was subdued in early January, with participants expecting...
Europe non-fuel ethanol Q1 contract prices rollover on balanced fundamentals
LONDON (ICIS)--Market fundamentals remain relatively balanced as a simultaneous contraction in supply offsets persistent demand stagnation. Negotiations for Q1 contracts have concluded with pricing...
Indonesia imports of sulphur up by 41% year on year in January-November
LONDON (ICIS)--Indonesia’s sulphur imports amounted to 4.8 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2025, up by 41% year on year and exceeding the 2024 full-year total of 3.6 million tonnes....
Sinopec, China National Aviation Fuel to conduct restructuring
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s biggest refiner Sinopec and the country’s monopoly jet fuel distributor China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF) will go through a restructure, the State-owned Assets...
Pupuk Indonesia receives offers for 150,000 tonne potash purchase tender
LONDON (ICIS)--Indonesian holding group Pupuk closed a purchase tender on 8 January for approximately 145,000-150,000 tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) fertilizer: Delivery month Tonnage March 2x...