15 July 2026
Coatings M&A led the week: AkzoNobel confirmed a €7.5bn offer from Nippon Paint for its Decorative Paints business, while Olin and Huntsman cleared a procedural hurdle as the SEC declared the S‑4 for their planned merger effective. Money also moved into decarbonization assets — the EIB lent OMV €450m for a 140 MW electrolyser to supply green hydrogen to the Schwechat refinery, and Nordic Ren‑Gas secured a €1bn e‑methane offtake with avanca/Alternoil. Elsewhere, Air Liquide is investing over $200M in a POX syngas unit for Oxea at Bay City, and Axens will build France's first industrial‑scale ethanol‑to‑jet SAF unit. Read on for the deals, pilots and approvals across chemicals and adjacent markets this week.
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Avantium and partners unveiled PEF‑based yarns and fabrics as plant‑based, recyclable options for apparel, supporting compliance with packaging and product‑carbon requirements. BASF expanded its biomass‑balanced additives portfolio for architectural coatings under REDcert². INEOS and Recuro will build the ‘Full Circle’ advanced recycling facility at Bamble to turn 33,000 t/yr of plastic waste into recycled feedstocks for Rafnes. EnviTec commissioned an integrated biogas‑to‑biomethane facility in Estonia using membrane upgrading and dairy residues.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
The EIB’s €450m loan to OMV for a 140 MW electrolyser will feed green hydrogen to Schwechat refinery, cutting up to 150,000 t/yr CO₂. In cement, the CI4C Catch4Climate Pure Oxyfuel plant in Mergelstetten started up, producing a concentrated CO₂ stream from a 450 tpd kiln for capture. A PwC study for Gasunie ranks CCS, low‑carbon hydrogen and hybrid boilers as the most cost‑effective options for Dutch industry, contingent on timely CO₂/H₂ networks. At Bay City, an Air Liquide POX unit for OXEA will recycle CO₂ in‑loop to optimise syngas and reduce emissions. Expect more pilots and funding to target process emissions where electrification is limited.
Energy Transition Investments
Nordic Ren‑Gas secured a €1bn offtake with avanca/Alternoil for e‑methane from Tampere, using existing gas/LNG networks for trucks. Lhyfe and Messer agreed a 10‑year renewable hydrogen supply and 30% equity in four sites to anchor volumes and financing. In Spain, Moeve and Exolum closed €105m project finance for the Muelle Sur terminal in Huelva to enable 2G biofuels logistics. TotalEnergies shipped the first cargo from ECA LNG Phase 1 on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, shortening routes to Asia during ramp‑up. Capital discipline around bankable offtake remains a gating factor.
Innovation to Commercialization in Bio & Specialties
Velocys launched the AlphaCore 400 microchannel FT reactor, doubling capacity to simplify SAF and synthetic‑fuel project designs. Axens’ ERA ethanol‑to‑jet project (50 kt/y) is set as France’s first industrial‑scale ATJ unit under the JETANOL platform. Acelen Renewables and Bunge signed a five‑year, 300,000 t/y certified soybean oil supply for SAF/HVO at a planned Bahia biorefinery. In pharma specialties, Evonik committed US$100m to modernise Tippecanoe Labs, adding automation and energy‑efficient processes to meet U.S. CDMO demand. Delivery hinges on reliable feedstocks, permitting and project financing.
In Brief
Project Updates and Milestones
- Nordic Ren-Gas and avanca/Alternoil sign €1bn renewable e‑methane offtake
- EnviTec Biogas opens first integrated biogas‑to‑biomethane plant in Estonia
- Merck KEYTRUDA improves PFS vs platinum chemotherapy in dMMR endometrial cancer (Phase 3)
- Roche: FDA grants Priority Review for Gazyva/Gazyvaro (obinutuzumab) in primary membranous nephropathy
- Genentech’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) granted FDA priority review for primary membranous nephropathy
- Sonatrach launches 140,000 m3/day desalination plant construction in Ben M’Hidi, Skikda
- Rompetrol Energy tests island-mode operation at Petromidia cogeneration plant
New Projects and Expansions
- Axens to build France’s first industrial-scale Jetanol™ SAF unit
- Topsoe and Sasol license G2L SAF technology to Allied Biofuels for Uzbekistan plant
- Acelen Renewables and Bunge sign five-year certified soybean oil supply for SAF and HVO
- OMV secures €450m EIB loan for 140 MW green hydrogen plant
- Anglo Asian Mining hires Worley for Xarxar and Garadag copper feasibility studies
- PCC SE: Revenue +5–10% to nearly €1bn and EBITDA +20%+ expected in FY2026
- EIB lends €450m to OMV for Bruck green hydrogen plant
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- Olin and Huntsman: SEC Declares S‑4 Effective for Planned Merger
- Mitsui Chemicals to establish MC Dental Holdings America as oral-care global HQ
- Sinopec completes reorganization of China Aviation Oil into wholly‑owned subsidiary
- PETRONAS and Shizuoka Gas renew 30‑year LNG partnership
- Lhyfe and Messer: 10-year renewable hydrogen supply deal and 30% equity in four sites
- AkzoNobel confirms Nippon Paint €7.5bn offer for Decorative Paints
- Eni and BMW Group agree use of Enilive HVOlution for BMW corporate fleets
Innovation and Product Development
- Evonik and evitria launch eviCHO CHO‑K1 transient expression kit
- Velocys launches AlphaCore 400 to extend microchannel FT into larger SAF projects
- BASF adds three REDcert² biomass‑balanced additives for architectural coatings
- Novo Nordisk: denecimig (Mim8) shows positive long-term Phase 3 FRONTIER4 results in haemophilia A
- Hansoh Pharma: Ris‑Rez (risvutatug rezetecan) ARTEMIS‑008 shows overall survival benefit in Chinese SCLC patients
- Sinopec wins three 2025 national science and technology awards
- Lilly to present 16 Alzheimer's abstracts at AAIC 2026, including Kisunla and P‑tau217 data
Operational Changes and Investments
- POSCO HOLDINGS expands into lithium and energy under 'Triple-core' portfolio
- Salzgitter AG to acquire 100% of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM)
- Evonik invests US$100 million to upgrade Tippecanoe Labs in Lafayette, Indiana
- Brenntag and Evonik REXIM: exclusive GMP amino acids distribution across most of Europe
- Takeda and Indonesia to build national plasma ecosystem for PDMPs
- Galp 2Q26 trading update and Moeve downstream talks
- Sinopec completes reorganisation of China Aviation Oil
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- European Commission adopts CRCF certification methodologies for carbon farming
- PwC study for Gasunie: CCS, low‑carbon hydrogen and hybrids are most cost‑effective for Dutch industry decarbonisation
- Air Liquide invests over $200M in POX syngas unit at Oxea Bay City, Texas
- Air Liquide to invest $200M in Bay City POX unit for Oxea supply
- Topsoe to supply SynCOR tech for J Westling blue ammonia fertilizer plant
- INEOS and Recuro to build advanced pyrolysis recycling plant at Bamble (33,000 t/yr)
- thyssenkrupp debuts CI4C Catch4Climate Pure Oxyfuel plant in Mergelstetten
Financial Performance and Strategy
- BASF raises 2026 EBITDA outlook after stronger Q2 results
- Johnson & Johnson Q2 2026 results and raises 2026 outlook
- BP Q2 2026 trading statement
- Elkem Q2 2026 results: cost reductions and balance‑sheet strengthening
- Dangote Settles on Lamu, Kenya for Proposed 700,000 bpd East African Mega-Refinery
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- Merck: FDA approves KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX with Padcev for perioperative MIBC
- GSK’s Jemperli shows sustained clinical complete responses in dMMR/MSI‑H locally advanced rectal cancer
- Roche Elecsys IGRA TB gains CE mark for automated latent‑TB blood test
Crisis and Risk Management
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