Industry News
Chemical Industry News
‘Living biosensor’ lights up to detect wine spoilage in real time
Genetically modified bacteria glow in high levels of acetic acid, a common signal that wine has gone bad
GAS ALERT: Czech utility CEZ eyes extending capacity at Dutch Eemshaven LNG terminal
LONDON (ICIS)--The Czech government tasked utility CEZ with extending capacity at the Dutch Eemshaven LNG terminal, Karel Havlicek industry and trade minister has said. The current contracted...
GAS ALERT: UAE’s XRG acquires stake in Southern Gas Corridor
LONDON (ICIS)--XRG, the international investment arm of the UAE’s state-owned producer Adnoc, officially signed the documents to purchase a part of the Azeri government’s shares in the Southern...
Plant status: Calumet plans naphthenic base oils plant maintenance in H1 April
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Calumet Location: Princeton, Louisiana, US Product: Naphthenic base oils Capacity (barrels/day): 7,000 (373,800 tonnes/year) Event start: H1 April...
German players agree MoU for Saudi green ammonia imports
LONDON (ICIS)--A consortium of Germany-based companies have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to transport green hydrogen from Saudi Arabia to Germany, the companies said. The terms of the...
Plant status: S Korea’s Hanwha Total restarts Daesan BD plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Here is a plant status report: Name: Hanwha Total Energies Petrochemical Location: Daesan, South Korea Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 150,000 Event start: H2...
Indonesia sulphur imports up by nearly half in 2025
LONDON (ICIS)--Indonesia’s sulphur imports amounted to more than 5.3 million tonnes in 2025, growing by 47.6% year on year and exceeding the 2024 full-year total of a little over 3.6 million...
India announces fertilizer subsidy at Rs 1.71 trillion for 2026–27
LONDON (ICIS)--India has kept its fertilizer subsidy broadly steady for the 2026–27 financial year, allocating an estimated Indian rupees (Rs) 1.71 trillion, according to the Union Budget announced...
GAS ALERT: Morocco pauses LNG import terminal project
Morocco has paused its LNG import terminal project at the port of Nador West Med. The reason for the postponement is not completely clear, with Morocco's energy ministry citing "new parameters and...
Europe benzene spot activity drops as prompt supply concerns ease
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot activity was unusually thin in the Europe benzene market in week 5 as the February contract window concluded. With only three February trades reported during the week, window...
IPEX: NE Asia and US Gulf rise in January, NW Europe slips
LONDON (ICIS)--The ICIS Petrochemical Index (IPEX) increased in the northeast Asian and US Gulf chemical markets in January, reflecting production issues and an inflow of capital into China's futures...
US ammonia imports down by 3% in January-November 2025 year on year
LONDON (ICIS)--US ammonia imports dropped by 3% in January-November 2025 compared with the same period a year before, according to customs data. The main exporter was Canada, followed by Trinidad and...
Amino acids weave organic molecules into chiral knots
Rare chiral Solomon links formed in single step
The summer I became a science journalist
Mason Wakley on being a science writer intern at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Sustainable Polyurethane Production Without Toxic Isocyanate
Polyurethanes (PUR) are found in many products, such as upholstered furniture, foam or insulation materials, flooring, paints and even medical catheter tubes. The production of these high-demand plastics, however, relies on toxic isocyanate. Fraunhofer researchers
A quantum leap in optical microscopy
From smartphone cameras to space telescopes, the desire to see ever finer detail has driven technological progress. Yet as we probe smaller and smaller length scales, we encounter a fundamental boundary set by light itself.
How CO2 can be stored intelligently and efficiently
Current geopolitical crises have caused us to lose sight of climate change. Nevertheless, it remains one of the greatest long-term threats to human coexistence on Earth. The "climate gas" CO2, which accelerates global warming, plays
Europe BD export spot prices extend gains on firm pull into Asia
LONDON (ICIS)--The European butadiene (BD) market remains largely focused on the continued momentum seen in export prices towards Asia. Since the end of December 2025, average European FOB (free on...
PRISMA quarterly gas capacity auctions highlight key routes for storage demand in summer
Shippers made larger Q2, Q3 2026 bookings amid volatile spreads relative to the previous auction session This suggests shippers are focusing on ensuring supplies to replenish stocks where it is most...
ISM US Manufacturing PMI surges to expansion in Jan after 10 months of contraction
NEW YORK (ICIS)--US manufacturing activity surged in January 2026 following 10 consecutive months of contraction with a higher-than-expected reading. The January ISM US Manufacturing PMI report...