Claim OwnershipChemical Week
Subscribed: 54Played: 1,218
Subscribe
© All rights reserved 172735
Description
Podcasting about issues that impact the global chemical industry.
163 Episodes
Reverse
S&P Global Commodity Insights research directors Andy Orszynski and Yazmine Khan join price reporter Daniel Pelosi to discuss the outlook in Europe after June 10's European Petrochemical Luncheon in Munich. Key topics include ongoing capacity rationalization, what LyondellBasell's cracker divestiture means for efforts to sell European assets, and whether there is any case for optimism in the industry. This episode was recorded on June 20, and references some recent events.
Jennifer Abril, president and CEO of Socma, the US trade association for specialty and custom chemical makers, joins the podcast to discuss how the year is looking for companies in the sector. Topics include a topsy-turvy 2023, the likely end of destocking, interest in AI, and Socma's advocacy agenda for 2024. This episode was recorded live at the Socma Show 2024 in Nashville, Tenn. on February 20.
Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia, joind S&P Global Commodity Insights' polymers lead Kristen Hays to discuss Orbia's transition to a global player focused on sustainability, as well as the longer-term outlook for PVC markets.
Ryan Monis, director of chemical consulting with S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins the podcast to discuss a new report detailing the future for low-carbon ammonia, including rising demand and ammonia's potential uses as an energy carrier. Click here for more information about the report.
In two live interviews from the 2026 World Petrochemical Conference, Dow CEO Jim Fitterling and American Chemistry Council CEO Chris Jahn discuss the state of the industry in a moment of heightened volatility. Fitterling discusses the potential impact of the Middle East war, gives an update on the Dow's Alberta net-zero cracker, and talks about the prospects for Europe's competitiveness. Jahn highlights ACC's policy and regulatory priorities, and the ongoing uncertainty around global trade.
In a special episode in advance of the 2026 World Petrochemical Conference (WPC), Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young, senior editor Mark Thomas, and S&P Global Platts senior price reporter Daniela Morales join the show for a discussion of key themes and what to look out for at this year's WPC. The war in the Middle East, supply chain and tariff issues, the evolution of the industry in Asia Pacific, and the changing nature of energy transition take center stage as industry leaders prepare to gather in Houston. Hear more on key issues in the petrochemical sector at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC 2026), taking place at Houston, TX, March 23–27, 2026. The event will bring together industry leaders and market experts to assess market shifts, margin pressures and strategic responses across global petrochemicals. For more information and to register, visit wpc.spglobal.com/en or contact wpc@spglobal.com.
Alasdair Carmichael and Lauren Laibach of the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) join S&P Global research head Olivier Maronneaud and podcast host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the outlook for recycled PET in 2026. Key topics include the findings of NAPCOR's latest report on the state of the PET recycling sector and global challenges related regulatory differences, trade tensions, and weak supply-demand dynamics. Hear more on key issues in the plastics recycling and polymer sectors at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC 2026), taking place at Houston, TX, March 23–27, 2026. The event will bring together industry leaders and market experts to assess market shifts, margin pressures and strategic responses across global petrochemicals. For more information and to register, visit wpc.spglobal.com/en or contact wpc@spglobal.com. This episode was recorded before the current war in the Middle East broke out.
Dan Jeavons, president of Applied Computing, a developer of foundational AI models for industry, joins the podcast to discuss how AI can improve the chemical sector's operations and the challenges to implementing it. Jeavons - also a former executive at Shell - discusses why LLMs must be tuned for industrial operating environments, the importance of getting a workforce comfortable with AI, and where chemical makers see the greatest potential for operational optimization. Before the chat with Jeavons, Chemical Week specialties editor Sotirios Frantzanas joins the show for a brief discussion of the Feb. 23 cover story, a deep dive into AI's impact on established industry processes.
Daniel Krauss, director at S&P Global Ratings, joins the podcast for a discussion about the latest S&P Global Ratings chemicals report and the road ahead for the chemical industry. Topics include how the prolonged chemical downturn has affected credit ratings, the disparity in the outlook for commodity verses specialty chemicals , and what a recovery looks like when it arrives. Read the report here. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.
Sid Kalpattu Shivakumar, director of global market insights and Nouryon, joins the podcast for a deep dive into supply chain resiliency. Key themes include the multidimentional nature of supply volatility, how companies can manage multiple suppliers, and the role of AI and data in driving decisions around supply chain.
Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young, senior editor Vincent Valk and S&P Global chemicals price reporter Luke Warren join podcast host Jameson Croteau to discuss the 2026 outlook. Major themes include oversupply in the face of weak demand, opportunities related to AI, turbulent geopolitics, what's next for China's chemicals sector, and sluggish-but-resilient economic growth.
Leticia Gonçalves, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF)'s president of health and biosciences, joins the podcast to discuss IFF's Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials (DEB) platform, its journey from concept to commercialization, and the expanding market opportunities for biomaterials in sectors like home care, water treatment, and packaging. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.
Kamna Kapoor, senior price reporter at S&P Global Energy, and Andre Mikhail, price reporter at S&P Global Energy, join the podcast to discuss the latest in methanol market dynamics. Key topics include a supply glut in the US, ongoing contract negotiations, and the impact of trade barriers.
Nirav Shah, global director/growth fields at Evonik, joins the podcast to discuss the promise and challenges of using pyrolysis oil - derived from recycled plastic - as a chemical feedstock and fuel.
Eric Byer, president of distributor trade group Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), joins podcast host Jameson Croteau for a discussion of the state of the chemical distribution sector. Key topics include the impact of tariffs on the outlook for distributors, the sector's view on Trump's regulatory agenda, and the M&A market in the perpetually-consolidating distribution industry.
Mujidah Yahaya, senior price reporter at S&P Global Commodity Insights, and Mark Thomas, senior editor at Chemical Week, join the podcast to discuss key themes from this year K-show, the plastics trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. Key themes include ongoing capacity rationalization in Europe, the need for well-designed regulation in the region, and industry's commitment to sustainability and circular economy goals amid macroeconomic pressures.
Steve Elliott, chief executive of the UK's Chemical Industries Association, and Luca Raffellini, executive director/chemical consulting at S&P Global Commodity Insights, join Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young for a discussion of Project 2035, the association's initiative aimed at improving the UK industry's competitiveness. Key discussion points include the need for regulatory reform, relief on high energy costs, and prospective future scenarios for the UK chemicals sector. For more information about Project 2035, click or tap here.
S&P Global Commodity Insights price reporters Esther Ng and Kamna Kapoor join the podcast to discuss the impact of sanctions on the Asian methanol market. They explore the resulting shifts in trade flows, pricing dynamics, and the challenges faced by importers as they navigate the transition from Iranian to non-Iranian methanol sources amid fluctuating demand and inventory levels. They also focus on major adjustments due to the sanctions in the Indian market, as well as the impact in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Longtime Chemical Week editor Rob Westervelt joins podcast host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the chemical industry's competitive landscape after this week's publication of Chemical Week's annual Billion-Dollar Club ranking. Key topics include the implications of the rise of China, why the industry's leaderboard has been static in recent years, and whether equity markets have an appetite for diversified chemical manufacturers.
Torsten Heinemann, head of group innovation and sustainability at Covestro and member of the Global Impact Coalition's executive committee, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges inherent in using recycled material as a feedstock for specialty plastics. Key topics include why it's so difficult drop new raw materials into a process, bottlenecks to expanding recycling, Covestro's efforts to develop and scale technologies in this area, and the importance of cross-industry collaboration.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States