Recent developments
Energy and feedstocks
To secure energy and feedstock stability, BASF and Equinor signed a 10-year natural gas deal supplying up to 2 bcm per year from October 2025, supporting BASF’s European operations. Aurubis AG secured a €200 million European Investment Bank loan to expand copper refining and recycling, including a Bulgarian tankhouse increase to 340 kt/y cathodes and the Complex Recycling Hamburg program.
Decarbonizing basic chemicals
Bondalti Chemicals launched a chlor-alkali facility in Estarreja using Asahi Kasei electrolysis with nine electrolyzers, co-financed by Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan to cut power intensity. Solvay’s Dombasle site began sourcing biogenic CO2 from Air Products, cutting about 4,000 t/y and strengthening CO2 supply resilience, with extensions following deployments at La Rochelle and planned for Rosignano.
Antwerp fossil-free plastics
In Antwerp, an LDPE plant (110 kt/y) will apply ECI Group's autoclave technology with certified green methanol feedstock, supported by Repsol’s market expertise. A 200 kt/y polypropylene unit will deploy Lummus Technology's Novolen polypropylene technology, using segregated green propylene and electrified processes with renewable power and hydrogen. Both assets are backed by A.P. Moller Holding via Vioneo, aiming for fully traceable, fossil-free plastics.