29 April 2026
This week’s developments point to steady, incremental progress across decarbonization and circularity. Dow continues to move forward with its Path2Zero project in Fort Saskatchewan, particularly the cogeneration and carbon capture elements, showing how large industrial sites are approaching emissions reduction through phased investments. In the U.S., INEOS and partners are planning a large low-carbon methanol plant with high CO₂ capture rates, reflecting ongoing interest in lower-emissions fuels where policy and infrastructure allow.
On the circularity side, EEW’s first pre-sorting facility for mixed waste entering trial operation highlights a practical step toward improving plastics recovery before thermal treatment—an area that remains a bottleneck in many systems.
Taken together, these updates suggest that while the direction of travel is clear, implementation remains gradual and dependent on infrastructure, policy, and economics. For broader context on how integrated production systems support these shifts, see our chemXplore Editorial: BASF’s industrial Cathedral and the ground it stands on.
Continue reading for a full overview. We hope you find these insights useful — Thank you for reading.
Kind regards, the chemXplore team.
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Dow and RDM Group’s Multiboard CirculaRR combines recycled fiber with mass‑balance recycled PE for food packaging aligned with EU recyclability goals, while BASF’s ELASTOSPRAY BMB isocyanate offers drop‑in, biomass‑balance options for SPF with verified PCF reductions. EEW’s first pre‑sorting facility for mixed waste targets higher plastics recovery ahead of thermal treatment, and ROSI secured over €20 million to industrialize high‑value PV recycling in Europe.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
Industrial decarbonization projects advanced across capture, fuels and power. Dow’s Alberta site moved forward with the cogeneration and capture element of its net‑zero cracker via the Path2Zero expansion in Fort Saskatchewan, while INEOS and Sandpiper plan a 1.1 MTPA low‑carbon methanol plant with 97% CO2 capture on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Air Liquide will supply gases to a low‑carbon steel facility in Louisiana, and Exolum is developing a CO2 storage and shipping terminal at Avonmouth Docks to serve UK emitters outside existing clusters.
Regulatory Reforms & Compliance Challenges
Japan’s Prime Polymer will absorb Sumitomo Chemical’s polypropylene and linear low‑density polyethylene businesses after JFTC clearance, while the EU opened a Phase II investigation into the UPM–Sappi graphic paper JV. In biocides, LANXESS/Fuelcare’s Kathon FP 1.5 holds full EU union‑wide approval under the Biocidal Products Regulation, and WRAP’s expanded framework via the UK Packaging Pact provides an industry platform to align with EPR and circularity targets.
Digital Transformation & AI Integration
Operational analytics and automation are moving from pilots to scaled deployment. AkzoNobel added the Iris CMX contact‑sensor drone to accelerate, quantify and predict aircraft coating maintenance; Sinopec deployed the DeepSeek‑V4‑Flash model into its private AI stack to boost internal decision support. Clariant’s PDH offering is paired with the CLARITY portal for real‑time catalyst performance, and PETRONAS used OGSE Partners Day to press coordinated advances in digital, finance and governance.
Energy Transition Investments
Capital is flowing to flexible power, renewables and gas amid policy support and demand signals. TotalEnergies reached FID on Kazakhstan’s Mirny onshore wind and BESS project and closed a 50% stake in EPH’s flexible power generation platform in Western Europe. LNG supply growth continued with QatarEnergy’s first LNG export from Golden Pass LNG, while Hydro secured Norwegian smelter power through two long‑term power purchase agreements with Statkraft.
Innovation to Commercialization in Bio & Specialties
Specialty chemistries and application platforms are scaling from lab to market. Evonik completed a specialty hydrogen peroxide plant in Leshan for semiconductor and PV supply chains and opened the Asia PAthletic Center in Shanghai to accelerate sports polyamide applications. Nextchem advanced licensing for Nextchem’s proprietary Trimellitic Anhydride technology in China, and BASF commissioned three world‑scale plants for aroma ingredients integrated into its Verbund.
In Brief
Project Updates and Milestones
- BASF commissions world-scale menthol and linalool plants in Ludwigshafen and citral plant in Zhanjiang
- Evonik opens Asia PAthletic Center for sports polyamide innovation
- WuXi Biologics completes Chengdu microbial site structure; key equipment delivered
- Evonik and Fuhua complete Leshan specialty H2O2 plant
- Exolum to develop Avonmouth CO2 storage hub with Severnside Carbon
- EEW starts trial of first pre-sorting facility
- TotalEnergies greenlights Mirny 1 GW wind and 600 MWh BESS in Kazakhstan
New Projects and Expansions
- QatarEnergy ships first LNG export from Golden Pass LNG, Texas
- Sinopec commissions first electric intelligent tubular heater for oil and gas fields
- RWE completes Camster II onshore wind farm in Scotland
- INEOS Acetyls and Sandpiper partner on 1.1 MTPA low‑carbon methanol plant in Texas City
- LANXESS and Fuelcare partner on European fuel biocide distribution
- BASF’s industrial Cathedral and the ground it stands on
- ROSI raises €20m+ to scale PV recycling in Europe
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- AkzoNobel adds Iris CMX drone for precise aircraft coating inspections
- TotalEnergies completes 50% acquisition of EPH flexible power portfolio in Europe
- UPM Q1 2026: Strong start led by decarbonization solutions
- GSK Q1 2026 — Specialty Medicines Drive Growth
- Statkraft and Hydro sign 10-year power PPAs for 12.3 TWh
- MAIRE Q1 2026: Revenues & EBITDA up; 2026 guidance confirmed
- UPM approves Plywood demerger to create listed WISA Group
Innovation and Product Development
- Symrise Q1 2026: Organic sales -0.4%, full-year outlook reaffirmed
- GSK: FDA grants priority review and Breakthrough Therapy for bepirovirsen
- Air Liquide Q1 2026: growth and record investments
- MAIRE’s Nextchem wins TMA licensing, process design and technical services contract in China with NX CONSER C5+
- Sinopec Deploys DeepSeek‑V4 Privately
- Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide achieves 16.6% weight loss in Phase III obesity trial
- Clariant launches CATOFIN 1000 PDH catalyst
Operational Changes and Investments
- Neste Q1 2026 Interim Report
- Worley to deliver FEED for Dow Path2Zero cogeneration in Canada
- BASF Coatings switches European production to renewable electricity
- PPG Q1 2026 results
- LKAB’s Malmberget sorting plant to secure future production
- bp Q1 2026 results
- REMONDIS: Closing the Textile Loop
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- trinamiX Mobile NIR: Material ID for Footwear & Textiles
- BASF and Nutrien partner to expand farmer access to low‑carbon biofuel markets
- Elkem wins NOK 87m from Enova to scale biocarbon use in silicon production
- Borealis awarded EcoVadis Gold 2026
- Sinopec Debuts New Materials at China Plastics & Rubber Expo
- Dow and RDM Group launch Multiboard CirculaRR — food-contact packaging from 100% recycled fibre and recycled PE
- Veolia and Amazon to Use Reclaimed Water for Data Center Cooling
Financial Performance and Strategy
- TotalEnergies Q1 2026 Results
- FUCHS starts 2026 strongly amid volatile markets
- dsm-firmenich sells Action Pin to AP Marensin
- Galp Q1 2026 Results
- Terumo names OrganOx segment Terumo Organ Technologies
- Shell to acquire ARC Resources
- Lilly to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for AJ1‑11095, a first‑in‑class Type II JAK2 inhibitor
Executive Appointments and Governance Changes
- PPG names Jamie Beggs SVP and CFO
- Momentive names Bob Waitt CCO
- QatarEnergy hosts farewell for Qatalum ex-CEO Khalid Laram
- Synthos names Agata Gładysz‑Stańczyk President; Zbigniew Warmuz to Supervisory Board
- Chugai Pharmaceutical: Organizational Restructure and Appointments
- Ercros' Mónica Viloria appointed president of Catalan Transport Users' Council
- Perpetual Next appoints Hans van Tuyll van Serooskerken to Supervisory Board
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- UPM joint venture with Sappi enters EU Phase II merger review
- Johnson & Johnson: FDA approves CAPLYTA sNDA to reduce schizophrenia relapse risk
- Johnson & Johnson’s IMAAVY granted FDA Priority Review for wAIHA
- GSK efimosfermin granted FDA Breakthrough and EMA PRIME for MASH
- BASF launches ELASTOSPRAY BMB biomass‑balance isocyanate for North American SPF market
- EMA recommends Redemplo for adults with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS)
- Chugai Q1 FY2026 Results
Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Sinopec's 12 Innovation Studios Join Petrochemical Industry Innovation Alliance
- Linde on Ethisphere's 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies list
Crisis and Risk Management
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