Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe BDO in precarious state on affordability concerns, downstream weakness
LONDON (ICIS)--After the initial rush to secure volumes following the onset of the Middle East conflict, European butanediol (BDO) demand has resumed a more lackluster tone seen in the past few...
EU agrees legislation to implement US trade deal, energy-purchase agreement remains unclear
EU provisionally agrees legislation to implement US trade deal This allows for reduction of tariffs on both sides of Atlantic, but does not cover $750bn of energy purchases agree in 2025 Deal must be...
Germany April producer prices rise 1.2% from March, naphtha up 19.9%
LONDON (ICIS)--Germany’s producer prices rose 1.2% from March to April, and they were up 1.7% year on year from April 2025, according to data by the country’s federal statistics office on...
Nottingham’s chemistry department faces loss of 30% of faculty amid university-wide staff cuts
The department’s technicians and support staff are also at risk
Elusive electronic effect could explain the origins of chirality for all life on Earth
Study suggests spin selectivity is different in enantiomers – altering their reaction rate – which ‘challenges a fundamental assumption in the field’
Detecting airborne pathogens by DNA sequencing
UK spin-out Agnos Biosciences turned a ‘wacky idea’ into a sensor with applications from agriculture to hospitals
Africa should treat entrepreneurial science as a lifeline, not a luxury
Synchronised action from universities, policymakers and scientists is needed to bridge the gap from ideas to impact
Cooling without a compressor or refrigerant—quieter, more efficient, and more sustainable than ever before
The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) industry faces fundamental challenges: regulatory, environmental and technological. Qurie has the answer. The Freiburg-based start-up – founded in 2026 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical
EU rules could make fossil-free aviation fuels unnecessarily expensive and energy-intensive
The effects of the Iran war on the oil market have brought renewed attention to the EU’s plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels. But EU rules for synthetic aviation fuels risk steering development
Controlling chemical reactions more efficiently and sustainably
A team at the University of Vienna, led by chemist Nuno Maulide, has developed a groundbreaking method for controlling chemical reactions in a more targeted and efficient manner. At the heart of this is the
Making green hydrogen more affordable
Green hydrogen – produced from water using renewable energy – is an important sustainable fuel and energy storage medium. However, its industrial production is significantly more expensive than the conventional production of hydrogen from fossil
Plant status: Malaysia’s Petronas delays glycol ethers plant restart
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Petronas Chemicals Derivatives Location: Kerteh, Malaysia Product: Glycol ethers Capacity (tonnes/year): 60,000 Event start: 27 March 2026 Event...
Plant status: Taiwan’s OUCC restarts glycol ethers unit, FM still in place
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Oriental Union Chemical (OUCC) Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Product: Glycol ethers Capacity (tonnes/year): 120,000 Event start: 29 April 2026...
S Korea, Japan to jointly secure energy supply chains amid US-Iran conflict
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan and South Korea have agreed to jointly take steps to secure energy supply chains, which will include mutual supply and swaps of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied...
SEE electricity peak price spikes reflect ongoing structural weakness – ACER report
SEE power peak prices averaged €350/MWh in summer 2024 Spikes driven by tight supply-demand balances, restricted cross-border capacity due to incomplete implementation of EU market rules. ACER...
China keeps benchmark lending rates stable for 12 straight months
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China leaves its benchmark lending rates unchanged for 12 months in a row in May fixing, according to the central bank. The loan prime rates (LPR) are maintained at 3% for 1-year...
S Korea isomer MX export prices flat day on day, upstream values lose ground
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea’s isomer grade mixed xylenes (MX) were unchanged day on day as of 19 May against a backdrop of upstream losses which reduced support for any further gains in isomer MX...
North American TiO2 contract prices rise for Q2 2026; volatility limited due to minimal sulfuric acid exposure
HOUSTON (ICIS)--North American titanium dioxide (TiO2) contract prices have ticked up for Q2 2026, rising 4 cents/lb ($88/tonne) on the low end of the price range and increasing 8 cents/lb on the...
Brazil Potash signs MOU for diesel power plant for Autazes Project
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Brazil Potash signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with power generation company Gera Center for a modular diesel power plant to serve as the primary source during...
NYMEX: US gas futures gain on warmer weather, despite US LNG feedgas demand dip
Front-month US natural gas futures increased on 19 May as US weather warms up The June 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $3.114/MMBtu, up nearly 3% from the previous session The US Climate...