ICIS - chemical podcasts

LONSON (ICIS)--An evolving supply landscape, cautious procurement and continued ambiguity surrounding the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are shaping European oleochemical markets, as glycerine, fatty alcohols and fatty acids navigate logistical constraints, contract negotiations and shifting pricing dynamics.In this podcast, senior editor manager Eashani Chavda joins markets editor Nazif Nazmul to discuss the latest market developments and expectations across the European oleochemicals sector. Non-GMO glycerine supply remains tight; low Rhine water levels compounding production and logistics constraints Fatty alcohol buyers face sizeable initial premiums for EUDR-compliant material, although price discovery remains ongoing Fatty acid Q1 negotiations are progressing slowly as the market aims to work through legacy stocks ahead of the EUDR transition Security of supply, EUDR compliance and the extent to which proposed premiums translate into traded prices remain key market themes

Increasing pressure caused by high energy costs and rising exports from China will force Europe into difficult decisions over which strategic chemical value chains to save. - Chinese ethylene capacity forecast to rise from 60 million tonnes/year in 2025 to 81m tonnes/year by 2030- Chinese producers are exporting more, shifting towards specialties - Europe must identify strategically important value chains- Regional chemicals champions can be built around major production hubs- Iran crisis initially lifted European operating rates and margins- High oil and gas prices now squeeze cracker margins and downstream buyers- ICIS expects Middle East disruption to last into 2028- Crude inventories have fallen from five-year highs to lows- Europe is less exposed to Middle East supply than Asia- Commission may adapt Chinese EV import quotas for chemicals In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS senior analyst for olefins James Wilson and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

Recycling technology company ReVentas is building three quarters of a million tonnes of dissolution recycling capacity, directly and through technology licensing, with European regulatory targets in mind. But what is dissolution? How does it compare to traditional mechanical and chemical recycling? And is there enough demand to justify this build-out? ReVentas CEO Tom Rose discusses these topics and more with recycling markets editor Sam Lovatt on the ICIS Sustainably Speaking podcast.

Europe’s petrochemical industry needs to find innovative ways to evaluate decarbonizing technologies amidst an increasingly tough global competitive environment. Decarbonization must improve competitiveness, not simply cut emissions A competitiveness ladder can prioritise decarbonization investments Cost and intensity of electricity, best use of limited green electrons, value in market, water use and toxicity determine technology attractiveness Mechanical and chemical recycling offer opportunities today Electrified crackers could become globally competitive Scarce renewable carbon should favor highest-value applications Europe needs far lower industrial electricity prices Europe needs integrated industrial policy across manufacturing sectors China combines chemical self-sufficiency with clean technology ambitions In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Rafael Cayuela, former corporate chief economist plus strategy and sustainability lead for Dow  EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India).

LONDON (ICIS)--The oxo-alcohol and derivative markets continue to face the challenges of high energy and feedstock costs, coupled with weak demand.However, beneath the surface ,additional challenges such as supply disruptions as antidumping duty measures are also shaping the market.Acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech is joined by glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch and oxo-alcohols and butac editor Marion Boakye to discuss the latest developments.