Industry News
Chemical Industry News
YEAR IN REVIEW: Geopolitics key driver of energy policy in 2025
Geopolitics key factor in energy-market policy in 2025 EU agrees major legislation to end Russian gas imports Mixed results on policy levers to lower energy costs LONDON (ICIS)--Geopolitics continued...
Wells Fargo downgrades US chemicals on ‘deeper trough conditions’ in 2026
NEW YORK (ICIS)--Wells Fargo is downgrading LyondellBasell, Eastman, Celanese and Air Products from ‘overweight’ to equal weight’ on a weaker 2026 outlook. “Our checks suggest trough-like...
Over 3.4GW capacity awarded at first Polish offshore wind CfD auction
Three offshore wind projects awarded in first Polish offshore wind CfD auction at over 3.4GW capacity This will likely aid in reaching the Polish government’s 2040 target of 18GW The projects are...
European butadiene January 2026 contract price drops €20/tonne
LONDON (ICIS)--The European butadiene (BD) contract reference price for January has been set at €700/tonne, a €20/tonne decrease compared with December. So far, five suppliers and three consumers...
Plant status: Spain’s Elix Polymers declares force majeure on ABS after fire
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Elix Polymers Location: Tarragona, Spain Products: Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) Capacity (tonnes/year): 145,000 Event start: 4 December,...
INSIGHT: EU auto sector concessions fail to meet the moment
LONDON (ICIS)--The European Commission this week announced a suite of concessions on its automotive emissions reduction targets for 2035 and some movement on 2030 goals. Commission dilutes 2030, 2035...
China acetic acid run rate rises on plant restart
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China acetic acid plants’ average run rate increased as Celanese restarted and Sinopec Great Wall resumed full production. While Hengli shut No 2 plant and was estimated to...
Vynova Runcorn unit placed in administration
LONDON (ICIS)--Vynova Runcorn Limited has entered administration, following the unit managing its Wilhelmshaven, Germany site filing for insolvency late last week. The Vynova subsidiary manages the...
China’s average PTA plants’ run rate to rebound next week on unit restarts
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plants are expected to post a higher average operating rate in the coming week from current 74%, due to planned restarts of two units....
China’s average PX plants’ run rate stable for weeks
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s para-xylene (PX) plants have posted an unchanged average operating rate at 89% for several weeks amid stable operations at domestic units. Zhejiang Petroleum &...
HYDROGEN: Europe’s renewable hydrogen ambitions lag on slow deployment, high costs – ACER
Electrolyzer deployment below targets Demand limited by high costs Investors uncertain despite EU funding LONDON (ICIS)--The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)...
Europe December PX contract price settles at a rollover
LONDON (ICIS)--The European paraxylene (PX) contract price for December has settled at a rollover amid slightly higher prices in Asia and a stronger euro versus the US dollar. One single PX...
EU decides against provisional PET duties on Vietnam, case continues
LONDON (ICIS)--There will be no provisional anti-dumping measures imposed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) imports from Vietnam, according to the European Commission's website. Sources agree that...
OUTLOOK ‘26: Reduced supply, fragile demand for Europe CX
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe’s cyclohexane (CX) market enters 2026 shaped less by a demand recovery than by a materially reduced supply base. While macroeconomic conditions show signs of stabilization,...
Langmuir’s pump and the optimism of science
Creativity nurtured by an explorative environment
East China acetone inventories up by 25.5% to 29,500 tonnes
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Acetone inventories at Jiangsu ports in east China have increased to 29,500 tonnes in the week ended 19 December, ICIS data showed on Friday. The inventories were up by 25.5% from...
Plant status: China’s Shaoxing Sanyuan shuts PP unit for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Shaoxing Sanyuan Petrochemical Location: Zhejiang, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 200,000 Event start: 15 December...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Hainan to shut No 2 PP unit for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Hainan Petrochemical Location: Yangpu, Hainan, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 200,000 (No 2) Event start: 22...
Tree-D printing for Christmas
Watch how this Christmas ornament was 3D printed using supercooled water
Structure as a strategy
Progress in materials chemistry has often come from changing what things are made of, yet today we understand that how those components are arranged is just as important