5 August 2026
This week leaned heavily on earnings, with a wave of chemical majors reporting their Q2 and H1 2026 results. Project news was thinner but not absent: Linde committed $1bn to a new on-site industrial-gas complex in Phoenix to supply semiconductor expansion, the Evonik-licensed Leshan hydrogen peroxide megaplant (Fuhua) started production in China, and Silleno delivered the largest fractional column for its ~$7bn polyethylene plant in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. On the M&A side, Kemira acquired REPUR to add activated-carbon reactivation capacity for water treatment. Read on for the results, projects and deals across chemicals and adjacent markets this week — and if you want to follow these projects gate by gate, chemXplore Alpha tracks their status, dates and stakeholders as they move.
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Automotive and packaging supply chains are incrementally substituting fossil inputs with certified circular feedstocks: Dow and Adient launched ISCC PLUS mass‑balance polyurethane seating foam, while CPPC and SCGC delivered food‑grade recycled pet food packaging using advanced recycling and chain‑of‑custody certification. Beyond products, Kemira’s acquisition of REPUR adds activated carbon reactivation capacity that keeps materials in use in water treatment. Framing the technology choices, BASF researchers point to a portfolio of mechanical, solvent, depolymerization and thermochemical routes to reach quality targets. Expect more mass‑balance claims, regeneration services and selective recycling deployments as procurement standards and regulatory frameworks tighten.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
Infrastructure and policy actions are enabling lower‑carbon molecules and emissions management: Exolum joined the SeaSeaS Amsterdam CO₂ export terminal to aggregate emissions for North Sea storage, and Australia’s NGERs reform now recognizes certified co‑processed fuels, supporting refinery investment and domestic waste‑to‑fuel supply chains. On the production side, OMV Petrom’s green hydrogen project at Petrobrazi and SAF/HVO offtake steps illustrate refinery‑adjacent decarbonization, while ORLEN New Power’s 216 MW hybrid renewable project applies cable pooling to improve grid utilization. These initiatives indicate steady build‑out of capture, certification and renewable integration that could reduce Scope 1–3 footprints across regional value chains.
Digital Transformation & AI Integration
Companies are embedding digital tools to improve speed, cost and quality in constrained markets. Umicore’s H1 2026 results flagged higher corporate spend on digital and AI, while Wacker Biotech and Eclipsebio combined AI‑optimized RNA design with GMP manufacturing to shorten time to clinic. In specialties, Symrise’s ONE SYM Transformation emphasizes digitalization for commercial and operational efficiency, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Veritas In Silico advanced an AI‑aided nucleic acid pipeline with a new patent filing. As datasets and workflows connect from R&D to supply chains, near‑term gains should come from faster design cycles, better yield predictability and tighter cost control.
Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness
Portfolio reshaping continues amid divergent regional economics and energy policies. bp initiated a sale process for its North Sea business and completed the sale of the Gelsenkirchen refinery, while Shell agreed to sell BG Cyprus Ltd to MOL Group as it focuses its LNG value chain. In chemicals, LyondellBasell closed the divestiture of four European O&P assets, and upstream, SOCAR’s acquisition of ITOCHU’s 3.65% stake in ACG consolidates national participation in a strategic Caspian asset. These moves signal disciplined capital allocation and localized strategies that could influence feedstock access, asset utilization and downstream pricing across Europe and adjacent regions.
In Brief
Project Updates and Milestones
- Silleno delivers project's largest fractional column
- bp starts up Atlantis Major Facility Expansion
- Sasol and partners commission 2 kW HySA PEM electrolyser in Sasolburg
- KazMunayGas and Sinopec review joint projects
- Sinopec's Xinjiang Petroleum exports first No.0 diesel to Kyrgyzstan
- Eli Lilly: olomorasib receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy for previously treated KRAS G12C advanced pancreatic cancer
- Aramco Q2 and H1 2026 results
New Projects and Expansions
- ORLEN acquires 216 MW hybrid solar‑wind project in Greater Poland
- Essar marks 15 years of Stanlow ownership
- Linde to invest $1 billion in Phoenix on-site gases complex for semiconductor expansion
- Borouge Plc delivers 23% QoQ net profit rise despite Ruwais incident
- OMV Q2 2026: Clean CCS operating result €1,706m
- Moeve H1 2026: €1.2bn Clean CCS EBITDA; 69% of H1 capex to energy transition in Spain
- KazMunayGas and CITIC Group deepen strategic partnership
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- Wacker Biotech and Eclipsebio partner on end-to-end RNA design and GMP production
- Kemira acquires REPUR S.r.l., adds activated carbon reactivation capability
- SOCAR acquires ITOCHU’s 3.65% stake in Azeri‑Chirag‑Gunashli, lifting its share to 35.3%
- SOCAR buys ITOCHU's 3.65% ACG stake, raising its share to 35.3%
- bp sells Gelsenkirchen refinery to Klesch Group
- bp launches sale process for its North Sea business
- Shell to sell BG Cyprus Ltd to MOL Group for up to $720 million
Innovation and Product Development
- CPPC and SCGC launch ASEAN’s first food-grade recycled pet food packaging
- Dow and Adient launch SPECFLEX™ REN seating foam with ISCC PLUS bio‑circular attribution
- Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Veritas In Silico file patent for nucleic acid drug targeting lncRNA H19
- LANXESS launches Disflamoll Advance platform and Disflamoll Advance OT
- Clariant Q2 2026: margins improve and Amsterdam court dismisses Shell ethylene claim
- Chugai files for Enspryng indication to prevent relapses in MOGAD in Japan
- BASF: Mix of technologies required to recycle engineering plastics
Operational Changes and Investments
- BASF reports stronger Q2 results, advances restructuring and portfolio moves
- Symrise H1 2026: €2.54bn sales as Q2 organic growth accelerates
- Vopak H1 2026 results: raises FY outlook and declares EUR 0.72 interim dividend
- Evonik‑licensed Leshan H₂O₂ megaplant (Fuhua) starts production
- WACKER Q2 2026 results — PACE savings and pension effect boost earnings
- MAIRE: H1 2026 results — €3.7bn revenues, strong order intake and M&A in Nextchem
- SABIC Q2 2026 revenue $6.62bn; earnings fall
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- Viva Energy and Cleanaway: NGERs reform recognises co‑processed low‑carbon fuels
- Heidelberg Materials reports Q2 revenue €6.04bn and narrows 2026 RCO range
- Veolia wins 20-year contract to modernize Cúcuta water infrastructure
- Exolum takes minority stake in SeaSeaS Amsterdam CO₂ export terminal
- PETRONAS extends LNG supply to Hokuriku Electric and signs carbon-neutral MOU
- Uniper signs 2 mtpa long‑term LNG agreement with Ksi Lisims LNG
Financial Performance and Strategy
- Umicore H1 2026 results
- MCG Group Q1 consolidated results (FY Mar 2027)
- OMV Petrom Group H1 2026 results
- LyondellBasell Q2 2026 earnings
- FUCHS posts 11% H1 sales growth to EUR 2,003m and raises EBIT outlook
- Holcim: H1 recurring EBIT +11.5% organically, guidance upgraded
- Arkema Q2 2026 results
Executive Appointments and Governance Changes
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
Crisis and Risk Management
chemXplore
chemxplore.com
1e Pauwenlandstraat 12
7413ZA Deventer
The Netherlands
Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 82353735