Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe butyl-A softens with sellers eager to move volumes
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot prices in Europe's butyl acrylate (butyl-A) market decreased this week. The move down comes due to the weak demand and long supply picture. This means some sellers are under...
UK government proposes regulatory framework for hydrogen pipeline networks
LONDON (ICIS)--On 15 July the UK government launched a consultation on a proposed economic and regulatory framework for 100% hydrogen pipeline networks. The Department for Energy Security and Net...
Brazil Unigel in talks with creditors to halt payments
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Unigel is in talks with creditors to temporarily halt payments so it can strengthen its capital structure and focus on improving operations, the Brazilian styrenics and acrylics...
Europe AA contracts continue to cover weak demand
LONDON (ICIS)--The Europe acrylic acid (AA) spot market has seen prices remain stable once again, with most needs being met by contracted volumes. This price stability has come from the ongoing weak...
EUROPEAN BIOMETHANE UPDATE: Europe’s biomethane capacity reaches 7bcm in 2025; Italy to launch new tender
ICIS has expanded its European biomethane coverage, including comprehensive reporting on regulation, news, and analysis, along with ICIS data on biomethane production from key European countries. Our...
Lhyfe successfully subs natural gas for renewable hydrogen in Spanish ceramics project
LONDON (ICIS)--Renewable hydrogen producer, Lhyfe, announced on 10 July that it had successfully swapped out natural gas from a ceramics combustion process using renewable hydrogen. As well as this,...
US retail sales rebound 0.6% in June, beating expectations
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Following a 0.9% decline in May, US retail and food services sales rose 0.6% month on month to $720.1 billion in June, according to US Census Bureau data on Thursday. The June...
China sulphur port inventories up 51,000 tonnes
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s sulphur port inventories rose to around 2.45 million tonnes on 17 July, because of intensive arrivals, ICIS data showed. This marks an increase of 51,000 tonnes from the...
China DAP port inventories stable at 230,000 tonnes
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s diammonium phosphate (DAP) port inventories were around 230,000 tonnes on 17 July, as there are no new supplies arriving at the ports, ICIS data showed. The inventories...
Brazil investor hits milestone in bid to buy controlling stake in Braskem
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Investor Nelson Tanure has moved closer to acquiring a controlling stake in Braskem, the Brazilian polyolefins producer said on Thursday. Under Tanure’s proposal, his investment...
Fundamental risks to support French power Q4 ’25 closer to delivery, narrowing spread with UK
French power Q4 '25 prices could climb, tightening spreads with the UK Traders note that further French heatwave and nuclear risks could narrow the discount UKA/EUA spreads are likely to have more...
Europe Group III base oils supply holds steady in May
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Europe’s Group III base oils supply held steady in May as a jump in shipments from Asia countered a drop in flows from the Middle East. The region’s total supply came to close...
Latin America lube demand up for first time in four months in May
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Latin America’s lube demand rose in May for the first time in four months as a recovery in consumption in Mexico countered shrinking demand in other key markets like Brazil. The...
PODCAST: Europe acetone and phenol value chain challenges to continue through H2 2025
LONDON (ICIS)--With H1 2025 already in the rear-view mirror, and the summer heatwave upon us once again, the acetone and phenol, and derivative markets, continue to be blighted by difficulties....
Chemistry ‘deserts’ threaten to push poorer undergraduates out
Course and departmental closures in the UK are creating ‘cold spots’, leaving students high and dry
Navigator Gas orders two new ammonia carriers
LONDON (ICIS)--Liquefied gas carrier Navigator Holdings (known as Navigator Gas) said on Thursday that it has ordered, through a joint venture, two new liquefied ammonia carriers, each with a...
European naphtha market stays soft amid weak cracks, narrowing spreads
LONDON(ICIS)--Northwest European naphtha markets faced pressure through the week, with physical cracks and East-West (E/W) spreads remaining soft across the curve, reinforcing bearish sentiment....
New bundle structure for Rehden gas storage likely to boost bookings
Rehden users topped up injection rates using interruptible capacity on days with wider THE Q1 ’26-spot (Day-ahead and Weekend) spreads Doubling of injection rates per bundle from 17 July likely to...
German chemical production lags pharma as output shrinks in first half
LONDON (ICIS)--Chemicals production in German contracted 3% in the first half of 2025 offsetting an expansion in pharmaceuticals output to drive the industry as a whole to a 1% contraction, trade...
‘CrystalGPT’ set to enhance how chemists design crystals in silico
Model for predicting molecular crystal properties is readily adaptable to specific tasks, even with limited data