VCI Germany expects the chemical industry to stagnate by 2026
VCI, the German chemicals lobby group, expects sales and orders to stagnate in 2019. This is due to high regulatory uncertainty, uncompetitive manufacturing costs and a long approval process. The ?association, which represents around 2,300 companies, said revenues in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry fell 1% to 220 billion euros ($256.26 billion) in 2025.
Germany's VCI predicts a "difficult road" and a stagnant chemical industry in 2026
VCI, the German chemicals lobby, expects that orders and sales will stagnate by 2026 due to high regulatory uncertainty, uncompetitive?production costs, and slow approval process. The ?association, which represents around 1,900 companies, said revenues in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry fell 1% to 220 billion euros ($256.26 billion) in 2025. The German chemicals industry…
Cobalt hydroxide, a key component in EV batteries, has seen its price rise due to export restrictions from Congo
Sources in the industry said that prices of cobalt hydrxide, which is used to make chemicals for electric vehicles batteries, have increased sharply this past year due to cobalt export limitations from the top producer Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo suspended cobalt exports from February to October. The goal was to increase state revenue and tighten up oversight.
Serra Verde cancels China offtake deal after being approached by Western firms
Serra Verde, a Brazilian rare earths mining company, has reduced the contract durations of its Chinese processing agreements, allowing it to potentially supply Western companies once their separation capacity is available in the coming years. China is the largest supplier of rare earths in the world, and 90% of it is processed. This makes it vital to electronics, defence, electric vehicles, wind turbines and other industries.
Sources say Exxon will permanently close one steam cracker plant in Singapore by March.
Four sources familiar with the situation said that ExxonMobil will cease operations in March at the older steam cracker on Singapore's Jurong Island. This is part of the global trend of the petrochemicals industry to reduce capacity due to losses. Two sources stated that the shutdown of the plant which was opened in 2002 is expected to be completed by June.
Abu Dhabi Oil and Gas Group plans to invest $150 billion in 2026-2030
ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi, announced on Monday that it plans to invest $150 billion between 2026 and 2030 in order to maintain current operations, grow and meet global demand for energy. The board of directors of the company welcomed its increased oil reserves, which now total 120 billion stock-tank barrels (stb), compared to 113 billion stb.
China's first coal-to-chemicals project with green hydrogen begins commercial operations
According to a report by state-run CCTV, China's first project for coal-to chemicals that integrates green hydrogen began commercial operations on Friday. Cao Guoan, station manager at CCTV, said that the project, operated by state-owned energy producer Datang Group is expected to produce 70,59 million cubic meters of hydrogen per year. He didn't say how…
INSIGHT- West scrambles fill the heavy rare earth gap, as China rivalry intensifies
Western efforts to create a domestic magnets supply chain in order to reduce their reliance on China, led by the massive U.S. support for Nevada-based MP Materials, are running into a major problem: a scarcity of heavy rare earth elements. United States and its allies are scrambling to find an alternative supply chain for super-strong rare earth magnetic components…
India's green hydro ambitions falter on demand uncertainty
India's green-hydrogen ambitions are slipping due to the slow commissioning of projects, which is largely driven by insufficient infrastructure and unclear demand signals. This was stated by a U.S. energy think tank on Friday. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis stated in a note that despite strong investor interest, 94 percent of the planned green hydrogen capacity of the country is still at the announcement phase.
Aster reduces diesel production at Singapore Bukom refinery sources say
Three sources familiar with the situation said that Singapore's Aster Energy and Chemicals has reduced diesel production at its Bukom Refinery this month. This is driving up premiums for 10ppm low sulphur diesel. Aster has reduced operations at its hydrocracker and hydrodesulphurisation units amid a lack of hydrogen supply from its reformer unit, they said.
VCI, the German chemicals lobby, says that despite a weak third quarter, there is no sign of a turnaround for the sector.
VCI, the industry lobby, said that Germany's chemical sector saw a drop in production, sales, and prices during the third quarter. The industry is still under pressure due to overcapacity and high operating costs, as well as a challenging economic climate. German Chemicals Association reported that quarterly production in the chemical industry including pharmaceuticals fell by 1.5%, while producer prices dropped by 0.6%.
Analysis finds that China's CO2 emission hasn't increased in 18 months.
Carbon Brief's analysis found that China's carbon dioxide emission was flat on an annual basis in the third quarter. This extends a streak of 18 months with flat or declining emissions. Lauri Myllyvirta, of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki, said that the trend started in March 2024 and could mean CO2 emissions will fall this year if there is no year-end spike.
Sponsored: Record Deals and Record Attendance Underscore ADIPEC’s Global Impact
Record-breaking 239,709 attendees from 172 countries gathered at ADIPEC 2025, reaffirming UAE’s convening power and its role as a global hub for energy, partnerships and innovation. ADIPEC 2025 generated an estimated US$400 million in economic benefits for Abu Dhabi’s economy, particularly across the hospitality, tourism and transport sectors. Expanded AI Zone and dedicated industry areas showcased the role of AI…
PetroChina will phase out 19 old chemical and refining units to reduce sector glut
Analysts say that PetroChina, a state-owned company, plans to permanently close 19 aging refining and chemicals units in order to reduce overcapacity. This is part of Beijing’s campaign to boost profitability and curb the country’s overcapacity. Due to the rapid electrification, fuel demand in this country's transportation fleet is expected to increase faster than anticipated.
PetroChina's net profit for the third quarter is down 3.9% on an annual basis
PetroChina Co Ltd, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer, reported on Thursday that its third quarter net profit fell 3.9% from the previous year due to lower crude oil prices. However, it continued to maintain steady crude production while expanding natural gas output. In a filing to the stock exchange, the company reported that its net profit had fallen to 42.29 billion Yuan ($5.94billion)…
Sinopec's profit for Jan-Sept is down by a third due to lower oil prices and weaker fuel sales
Sinopec, a Chinese oil company, reported a 32% drop in its net income year-on-year for the first three months of this year due to lower crude prices and weaker sales. Sinopec, the world's biggest refiner by volume, reported a net profit of 8.5 billion yuan (1.19 billion dollars) in its third quarter, which was almost flat compared to a year ago, according to Chinese accounting standards.
BPCL and Oil India plan to expand refinerys worth $11 billion.
Bharat Petrol Corp, the state-run oil company in India, signed three agreements on Tuesday at an industry conference. One of them was with Oil India for a greenfield refinery complex and petrochemical plant worth 1 trillion rupees ($11.38billion) to be built in Andhra Pradesh. BPCL has also partnered up with Numaligarh Refinery, Oil India and Fertilisers & Chemicals Travancore for a 35 billion rupee pipeline across the country.
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production.
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production.
Chandra Asri buys Exxon Singapore's retail fuel stations
Chandra Asri Pacific announced on Friday that it would acquire Exxon Mobil’s retail petrol stations with the Esso brand in Singapore, as the U.S. giant streamlines its downstream operation. In a press release, the Indonesian conglomerate stated that the deal should be finalized by the end this year. The value of this deal, which includes almost 60 stations and related supply agreements, has not been disclosed.