chemXplore
About Us
Sign in

16 September 2026

SABIC AN's new ammonia-urea complex | Axens reaches FID on S-Oil LPI licence | Clariant wins CATOFIN for China PDH

SABIC Agri-Nutrients gave the green light to a new ammonia and urea complex, handing the EPC to Samsung E&A and tapping Nextchem for its urea technology — one of the week's more concrete capacity commitments. Refinery upgrades featured too: OMV Petrom wrapped a €115m modernization at Petrobrazi to make room for SAF, HVO and green hydrogen units, and Axens reached FID on an LPI licence for S-Oil, with start-up slated for Q2 2027. Clariant, meanwhile, won the CATOFIN catalyst supply for a 1.2 Mtpa propane dehydrogenation unit in China. On the legal side, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva settled North Carolina PFAS claims for $455m. Read on for the projects, deals and approvals 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

TotalEnergies consolidated control of circular feedstocks in France by taking full ownership of the Grandpuits advanced plastics recycling plant, while Plastic Energy transferred its stake in the TEPEAR plant but continues to license its TAC technology. In polymers, Avantium signed a capacity reservation agreement with Klöckner Pentaplast to evaluate plant-based PEF for thermoformed food packaging. Together these moves show tighter integration of waste-to-value assets and early market testing of bio‑based materials; broader adoption will hinge on technical qualification and consistent feedstock quality.

Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies

Refinery energy efficiency gained traction as OMV Petrom completed a €115 million modernisation at Petrobrazi to enable SAF, HVO and green hydrogen units, and INA installed back‑pressure steam turbines at Rijeka to save energy and reduce CO₂. Power‑to‑X integration advanced with Nordic Ren‑Gas selecting partners for an integrated e‑methane plant in Tampere combining electrolysis, biogenic CO₂ capture and district heat recovery. Upstream, the PETRONAS‑led SEA METEC collaboration targets stronger methane measurement and reporting; expect incremental emissions cuts and system efficiencies as these deployments mature.

Regulatory Reforms & Compliance Challenges

EU policy clarity increased, with the Commission keeping battery‑recycling efficiency and material‑recovery targets unchanged and allocating about €430m in 2025 EU ETS allowances to airlines using SAF. Separately, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva reached a $455m settlement with North Carolina entities over PFAS claims, highlighting ongoing liabilities and cash‑flow planning needs. The EU’s Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement with Ecuador also points to streamlined rules for sustainable energy and raw‑materials investment; together, these measures raise compliance expectations while directing incentives toward low‑carbon supply chains.

Digital Transformation & AI Integration

R&D is adopting domain AI: dsm‑firmenich partnered with Boltz to apply biomolecular foundation models in flavor and fragrance discovery, and Air Liquide with ENS launched an ‘AI for chemistry’ research chair to build physics‑grounded models and talent. In subsurface, TotalEnergies and Mistral will co‑develop frontier AI to accelerate data interpretation and scenario generation. On the plant floor, Metso’s Sampo Cell coarse‑particle flotation showed industrial recovery gains, underscoring how standardized, instrumented platforms can lift productivity; expect broader use of targeted models where data and domain knowledge are strong.

Energy Transition Investments

Gas contracting remained active: METLEN signed a five‑year supply deal with PETRONAS for Greece, while Petrobras secured a 20‑year 0.8 mtpa offtake from Sempra’s Port Arthur LNG. In Germany, a cluster of agreements by ADNOC, XRG and Masdar spans prospective LNG SPAs, low‑carbon ammonia chains and renewables plus storage. Project delivery is evolving too, with Technip Energies’ SnapLNG 1.5 offering standardized, electrified trains to compress schedules; these steps indicate diversified sourcing and modular adds to manage demand and security‑of‑supply risks.

Innovation to Commercialization in Bio & Specialties

Specialty players expanded high‑value capacity: Evonik started a biotechnology expansion at Fermas in Slovakia, and Clariant Health Care launched its VitiPure Superior platform with a new U.S. PEG excipient site. Equipment and delivery advances included Aptar Pharma transferring APF preservative‑free pump production to Argentina and Asahi Kasei Bioprocess unveiling a benchtop, single‑use virus filtration system. In electronic materials, PI Advanced Materials’ unstretched 4µm polyimide film supports thinner FPCBs and packaging; as portfolios skew toward higher‑margin niches, local‑for‑local manufacturing and quality differentiation should weigh more in procurement.

In brief

Project Updates and Milestones

More Project Updates and Milestones news →

New Projects and Expansions

More New Projects and Expansions news →

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships

More Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships news →

Innovation and Product Development

More Innovation and Product Development news →

Operational Changes and Investments

More Operational Changes and Investments news →

Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives

More Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives news →

Financial Performance and Strategy

More Financial Performance and Strategy news →

Regulatory and Compliance Updates

More Regulatory and Compliance Updates news →

Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

More Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) news →

Upcoming events

All upcoming events →

Enjoyed this issue?

Get chemXplore Weekly free — the week’s key developments in your inbox every Wednesday.

Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe any time.

Previous All issues Next