25 March 2026
Dear chemXplore Weekly reader,
This week’s issue is packed with the latest industry developments and analysis amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
If you’re looking for a more personalized and focused news experience, we’d like to remind you that chemXplore Focus — our new personalized news search alerts service — launched just last week.
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We hope you enjoy this edition and find it valuable.
All the best, The chemXplore Team
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Brand owners and converters moved circular inputs from pilots to plants. Mitsui secured ISCC PLUS certification for ACTCOL under a mass‑balance system, while MAIRE’s Nextchem won feasibility work to deploy NX Replast technology for polyolefin upcycling in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Plastic Energy and TotalEnergies started the Grandpuits advanced recycling plant to turn hard‑to‑recycle waste into virgin‑quality feedstock, and UPM with Paramelt unveiled a bio‑based, paper‑based food packaging concept designed for recyclability and home compostability. Expect more certified mass‑balance products and regional upcycling hubs aligned with EPR and PPWR timelines.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
Hydrogen and on‑site renewables continued scaling from demonstrations to multi‑hundred‑MW projects. Asahi Kasei’s long‑running 10 MW alkaline‑water electrolysis system underpins durability claims, while thyssenkrupp nucera will supply 300 MW of alkaline water electrolysis equipment for Spain’s Onuba plant. The EU’s Innovation Fund committed €2.7bn to 54 net‑zero projects, and Holcim with TotalEnergies inaugurated Europe’s largest floating solar plant dedicated to self‑consumption. Industrial buyers are prioritizing bankable, behind‑the‑meter solutions as electrolyzer scale and grant support reduce cost and risk.
Regulatory Reforms & Compliance Challenges
Tightening standards are shaping portfolios, capex and documentation. Veolia’s purchase of Enviropacific expands capability to expand PFAS treatment in Australia, signaling accelerating remediation demand. Brenntag opened a VDA‑certified AdBlue production site in Asia Pacific, and BASF shifted intermediates to production using 100% renewable electricity credits with TÜV‑certified PCFs. Verification and traceability are becoming prerequisites for tenders and customer access, adding compliance complexity but also differentiation.
Digital Transformation & AI Integration
Industrial AI moved from proofs to deployments across operations and supply chains. Siemens and Alibaba Cloud expanded their partnership to deliver cloud CAE and LLM‑enabled workflows, and Honeywell launched Experion Operations Assistant to predict alarms minutes ahead. Sumitomo will roll out the Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform to optimize OCTG inventory and processing, while Siemens will expand U.S. manufacturing capacity for electrical infrastructure for AI and large data centers. Expect integrated software‑hardware offerings that couple analytics with electrification to lift productivity in a low‑demand environment.
Energy Transition Investments
Capital is concentrating on grid, renewables and flexible gas, with portfolio reshaping where returns lag. Iberdrola reached 11,000 MW of installed generation capacity in the United States, and ScottishPower secured financing for the Eastern Green Link 4 subsea HVDC interconnector. TotalEnergies will relinquish two offshore wind leases and redirect capital toward U.S. LNG, while Equinor acquired the 230 MW Esquina do Vento onshore wind complex in Brazil. Near term, transmission and gas‑to‑power projects appear favored for system value and bankability.
Innovation to Commercialization in Bio & Specialties
Scaled rollouts underscore how novel platforms are entering mainstream supply. BASF started the world’s first industrial production plant for catalysts based on X3D technology, and Toray will mass‑produce STF‑1000 photosensitive polyimide for tall, narrow microstructures. WACKER introduced the fermentation‑derived BELNEXT line for personal care, while Tianjin Petrochemical’s 100,000 t/yr solution‑method POE unit advances domestic IP for PV and EV uses. Regionalized, proprietary processes are likely to rebalance sourcing and shorten innovation cycles.
Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness
Security shocks are reshaping supply, pricing and risk premiums. Qatar’s strikes removed 12.8 MTPA of LNG capacity for years, and ADNOC warned that weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz imperils global flows of fuels and petrochemicals. Producers responded: WACKER will raise prices for its silicone‑based products, and EPCs like Technip Energies are monitoring a volatile situation in the Gulf. Companies may accelerate localization and diversify routes to buffer logistics and feedstock shocks.
In Brief
New Projects and Expansions
- Air Liquide opens first Advanced Materials plant in Taiwan
- WACKER expands silicone emulsion production in India
- Croda opens Dahej manufacturing facility in India
- ADNOC and OMV advance formation of Borouge Group International AG
- Siemens expands industrial AI OS, unveils new tech and Alibaba Cloud partnership
- BASF opens world's first industrial 3D‑printed catalyst plant in Ludwigshafen
- Sinopec Completes Polymer Solid-State Battery Microgrid Demonstration
Project Updates and Milestones
- Equinor begins Raia pre‑salt gas drilling offshore Brazil
- MOL cleared by US to proceed with NIS majority‑stake acquisition talks
- MAIRE's Nextchem awarded two NX Replast™ feasibility studies for plastic upcycling in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia
- Sinopec expands POE capacity with China's first full‑chain domestic IP
- Brenntag opens Asia Pacific’s first VDA-certified AdBlue site
- Roche opens Institute of Human Biology hub to accelerate drug discovery
- EnviTec Biogas and LIQVIS expand Bio‑LNG network
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- Zephyr to buy permanent carbon removals from Carbon Centric
- Veolia acquires Enviropacific for AUD220m to expand PFAS treatment in Australia
- bp to sell Gelsenkirchen refinery to Klesch Group
- UPM and Paramelt launch bio-based paper food packaging
- TotalEnergies and Holcim open Europe’s largest floating solar plant for self-consumption
- Eni reorganises Plenitude ownership, prompting deconsolidation
- Hou Qijun Meets BASF Chairman Kairi to Discuss Chemical Cooperation
Innovation and Product Development
- Plastic Energy powers start-up of TotalEnergies' Grandpuits advanced recycling plant
- Asahi Kasei wins Tanahashi Prize for 10 MW alkaline electrolyzer durability
- Chugai obtains MHLW approval for Lunsumio–Polivy combo in relapsed/refractory large B‑cell lymphoma
- Petrobras resumes investments in Minas Gerais during Lula visit
- Chugai: Roche discontinues GYM329 (emugrobart) development for SMA and FSHD
- FDA approves Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy HD (7.2 mg) after ~21% weight loss in STEP UP trial
- WACKER unveils BELNEXT bio-based ingredients at in-cosmetics Global 2026
Operational Changes and Investments
- Siemens invests $165M to expand U.S. AI infrastructure manufacturing
- Clariant opens pharma-grade PEG manufacturing plant in Texas
- BASF converts Ludwigshafen acid chlorides and chloroformates to 100% renewable electricity credits
- Teijin Aramid cuts drinking water use by 80% at Chemie Park Delfzijl
- EU invests €330m in fusion and nuclear R&D and skills
- Heidelberg Materials to reduce clinker production at Skövde plant
- Tecnimont (MAIRE) wins $50m rehabilitation study for Guaracara refinery in Trinidad & Tobago
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- Mitsui Chemicals Obtains ISCC PLUS Certification for ACTCOL
- WuXi Biologics posts record 2025 results
- Toray announces TORAY VISION 2050, TORAY Challenges 2035 and IGNITION 2028
- EU Innovation Fund commits €2.7bn to 54 net‑zero projects
- Vattenfall 2025 Report: Progress Toward Fossil‑Free Energy
- Mitsui Chemicals: Collaborative Rail Freight Enables Same‑Container Continuous Round‑Trips
- Ercros: EcoVadis Gold, 85/100
Financial Performance and Strategy
- Boehringer Ingelheim launches two late-stage medicines, 2025 sales up 7.3%
- LANXESS hikes Microbial Control prices up to 30%
- TotalEnergies ends U.S. offshore wind projects, returns leases to DOI
- LANXESS raises Polymer Additives prices up to 50%
- ADNOC’s Al Jaber: Weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz Is Economic Terrorism
- Petrobras contracts two thermoelectric plants in 3rd Capacity Reserve Auction
- FUCHS posts solid FY 2025 results
Executive Appointments and Governance Changes
- Genmab: Board constituted; grants RSUs and warrants to employees
- MOL aligns directors' term expirations to April
- Equinor creates two business areas to sharpen market focus
- Kemira board elects chair, vice chair and committee members
- TotalEnergies Annual Shareholders' Meeting — May 29, 2026
- Eni 2025 Financial Statements
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- GSK’s risvutatug rezetecan granted orphan drug designation for SCLC in Japan
- GSK: Lynavoy (linerixibat) FDA-approved for cholestatic pruritus in PBC
- Equinor Annual Report 2025
- Novo Nordisk: FDA approves Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg) — 20.7% mean weight loss
- Johnson & Johnson FDA approves ICOTYDE (icotrokinra) for first‑line systemic treatment of plaque psoriasis
- Petrobras Contracts 8 Thermoelectric Plants in 2026 Capacity Reserve Auction
Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Toray Named Next Nadeshiko Company Again for Employee Work‑Life Balance
- LANXESS expects recovery from H2 2026 at the earliest
- Huntsman opens expanded Performance Products unit in Petfurdo, Hungary
- ScottishPower secures £600m National Wealth Fund loan for EGL4 subsea link
Crisis and Risk Management
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