Industry News
Chemical Industry News
China July vehicle sales drop to 2.58 million amid seasonal lulls
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s vehicle sales stood at 2.58 million in July, a decrease of 8% from June and 0.3% from one-year ago, weighed down by the traditional lull season, according to data from...
Plant status: China’s Bright Lyondellbasell restarts PP Line 1
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Bright Lyondellbasell PC. Location: Panjin, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 200,000 Event start: 31 July Event...
Plant status: China’s BASF Zhanjiang postpones MEG unit restart plan
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: BASF Location: Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonnes/year): 830,000 Event start: 7 August 2026 Event...
East China’s SM inventory drops 23.1% on week
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Styrene monomer (SM) inventory level in east China dropped by 23.1% week on week due to no arrivals, ICIS data showed on Wednesday. The total stock was at 78,800 tonnes, decreasing...
India’s Supreme Petrochem plans 80,000 tonne/year PS plant
MUMBAI (ICIS)--India’s Supreme Petrochem plans to invest rupee (Rs) 3.25 billion ($34 million) to build a new 80,000 tonne/year polystyrene (PS) plant at its complex at Amdoshi in the western...
Australia PE pipe prices largely softer due to lower offers, discussions
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Polyethylene (PE) pipe grade import price discussions in Australia were mostly softer during the current week, due to increased supply from various suppliers including some from the...
Germany’s Brenntag Q2 net profit surges on pricing gains, cost savings
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Brenntag's net profit jumped more than fourfold year on year in the second quarter of 2026 as higher chemical prices and cost savings boosted earnings amid ongoing supply chain...
China average BDO plants’ run rate drops on plants shutdown
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The average run rate of butanediol (BDO) plants in China dropped amid shutdowns at Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe, Shaanxi Yanchang and Ningxia Weiyuan. Meanwhile, Xinjiang Xinye‘s No...
Scientists turn one of the world’s most hated plastics into premium lubricant
Virginia Tech chemist and chemical engineer Guoliang “Greg” Liu and his lab have developed a process that converts the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into polyalphaolefin, a key component in lubricants such as engine oil. Published
LANXESS Powers Large-Scale Plant with Hydrogen
LANXESS is making its production at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site more sustainable. The specialty chemicals company will use hydrogen instead of natural gas to dry its iron oxide pigments. This will make the spray dryer one
Energy-efficient electric drying with superheated steam
Industrial drying processes consume large amounts of energy and negatively impact the climate since they burn fossil fuels to heat air. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working with
New cathode material brings aqueous zinc-ion batteries closer to reality
One of the biggest challenges facing scientists and engineers in the clean energy era isn’t how to make energy using sun and wind, it’s how to store it. Traditionally, lithium-ion batteries have been used in
Messy megamergers
Rumoured merger between AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb has collapsed, and that’s probably a good thing
Brazil imports more urea in July but year-to-date level still weaker; Russia gains share
LONDON (ICIS)--Brazilian urea imports increased in July, after three consecutive monthly declines, supported by renewed purchasing ahead of the next planting season, and as the price advantage of...
Brazil imports more urea in July but year-to-date level still weaker; Russia gains share
LONDON (ICIS)--Brazilian urea imports increased in July, after three consecutive monthly declines, supported by renewed purchasing ahead of the next planting season, and as the price advantage of...
Asia-Europe chemical tanker freight rates up on security concerns
LONDON (ICIS)--Asia-Europe chemical tanker freight rates edged higher in the week ending 7 August, amid rising tensions between the US and Iran and ongoing security concerns in the Red Sea. Demand...
Asia-Europe chemical tanker freight rates up on security concerns
LONDON (ICIS)--Asia-Europe chemical tanker freight rates edged higher in the week ending 7 August, amid rising tensions between the US and Iran and ongoing security concerns in the Red Sea. Demand...
Uniper H1 ’26 wholesale gas activity rises while end-user sales, LNG margins fall
Total gas sales increase 3.7% to 51.43bcm Direct customer deliveries decline 12% to 5.94bcm LNG remains profitable but margins weaken FRANKFURT (ICIS)--Uniper increased its wholesale gas...
Uniper H1 ’26 wholesale gas activity rises while end-user sales, LNG margins fall
Total gas sales increase 3.7% to 51.43bcm Direct customer deliveries decline 12% to 5.94bcm LNG remains profitable but margins weaken FRANKFURT (ICIS)--Uniper increased its wholesale gas...
BASF to close sulfation and reactor plants in India
LONDON (ICIS)--BASF plans to close sulfation and low temperature reactor plants pertaining to its Care Chemicals Business at Dahej in India’s Gujarat state by the end of 2026. The decision to close...