Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Lack of ammonia vessels exacerbated by Iran conflict
LONDON (ICIS)--Vessel availability to transport ammonia continues to worsen following the US-Iran conflict. Even before the conflict started, ammonia tanker availability was tight due to a lack of...
WEEKLY CRUDE OUTLOOK: Intensifying Middle East conflict has prices exposed to a major bounce
LONDON (ICIS)--Optimistic sentiment is factoring in a short war despite the US and Israel intensifying attacks on Iran this week. However, the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz retains the...
UPDATED: CORRECTED: Maintenance to limit flows at VIP Iberico in early April
(Correction: The dates of the outage in the first paragraph have been amended Update: This story was updated on 10 March to include additional information provided by Enagas to ICIS) LONDON...
Europe PA flake spot prices up on Middle East conflict uncertainty
LONDON (ICIS)--European phthalic anhydride (PA) flake spot prices firmed in the week ended 6 March following higher offers reported in the market as upstream costs increased globally on the back of...
Asian naphtha markets vulnerable to Middle East refinery and shipping disruptions
LONDON (ICIS)--Naphtha prices are expected to increase over the coming weeks in line with higher crude oil prices and freight rates. If the Strait of Hormuz remains inaccessible due to the conflict...
EU Commission to publish first CBAM certificate price on 7 April, highlighting costs for fertilizers
LONDON (ICIS)--The European Commission will publish the first Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) certificate price on 7 April, setting the carbon cost that importers, including fertilizer...
MCM declares sales control on US methacrylic acid
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Mitsubishi Chemical Methacrylates (MCM) has declared sales control on the following imported products in the US, according to a customer letter seen by ICIS: Methacrylic acid (MAA)...
Europe etac market faces mounting concerns over supply
LONDON (ICIS)--The European ethyl acetate (etac) spot market shifted rapidly from ample availability to tight supply within days as escalating Middle East tensions disrupted supply chains, altered...
Europe MTBE prices surge on higher Eurobob values due to Middle East conflict
LONDON (ICIS)--The European methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) market saw average prices increase dramatically in the week ending 6 March, aligning with higher Eurobob gasoline values due to the...
US existing home sales rise 1.7% in February
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Sales of existing homes in the US rose 1.7% month on month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million in February, following a decline of 8.4% in January, the National...
Series of attacks in Mideast conflict expected to squeeze Group III base oils supply
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Mideast Group III base oils supply is expected to shrink with a series of attacks that have impacted refinery complexes in Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. After the de facto closure of...
LyondellBasell declares Europe polyolefins force majeure
LONDON (ICIS)--LyondellBasell has declared force majeure on polyolefins sales from two of the producer’s European subsidiaries, citing the uncertainty and market volatility brought on by the...
Fertilizer production halted in Bangladesh on natural gas supply issues
LONDON (ICIS)--Five out of six urea fertilizer plants in Bangladesh have halted production due to natural gas supply issues. Government-owned Ghorashal Polash Fertilizer, Chittagong Urea Fertilizer...
Hydrogen bubble’s squeaky pop
Were cancelled hydrogen production projects overly optimistic or commitments of convenience?
‘A philosophical attack on the nature of science’
Norine Noonan and Susan Coady Kemnitzer, who have retired from decades-long senior leadership roles at key science agencies and the White House, talk about the importance of collecting data at this historic moment
Cone snail venom peptides offer new hope for pain relief
Cone snails deploy sophisticated venom cocktails to paralyse prey. Anthony King talks to the researchers harnessing these peptides to develop new pain medications
Alexandra Knauer mit Pittcon Heritage Award ausgezeichnet
Entrepreneur Alexandra Knauer, managing director of lab instrument manufacturer KNAUER, is honored in the USA with the Pittcon Heritage Award 2026. The award honors outstanding individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the development of
Silox acquires selected hydrosulfite-related assets from BASF
BASF and Silox have entered into a definitive agreement under which Silox acquires selected hydrosulfite-related assets from BASF. The transaction comprises specific assets, including intellectual property rights, special containers, selected production equipment, technical expertise, and
A second life for solar modules
According to statistics, electricity generation from renewable energies in Germany reached a new high of around 64% at the end of 2025. In addition to wind power, photovoltaics in particular increased. The challenge posed by
How a 270-year-old physics trick could supercharge affordable battery technology
Roughly 270 years ago, Dr Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost from Germany observed a peculiar behaviour of water droplets on heated metal surfaces. In his manuscript, “A Tract About Some Qualities of Common Water,” he described how