Basic Chemicals

projects tracked
426
active
147
countries
49

Commodity chemicals, such as acids, alkalis, and salts, used as building blocks in various industries.

Projects in basic chemicals

chemXplore tracks 426 projects in basic chemicals, of which 147 are active.

  1. 32 projects Announced / Concept
  2. 28 projects FEED / Pre-FID
  3. 13 projects FID / Sanctioned
  4. 64 projects Under Construction
  5. 10 projects Commissioning & Start-up

Of the active ones, 97 new construction, 34 expansion, 12 revamp / retrofit and 4 conversion / repurposing.

Expected start-up, by year
0 5 10 15 20 25 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031

40 active projects carry no start-up date yet. The dates themselves, per project, are for subscribers.

What moved recently

  • October 2026 Aurubis Hamburg automated pre-processing facility · FID / Sanctioned · Germany
  • 30 September 2026 Elkem Rana Ferrosilicon Furnace Revamp · FID / Sanctioned · Norway
  • 28 September 2026 Mesabi Metallics Iowa Steel Complex · Announced / Concept · United States
  • 22 September 2026 Arkema Jarrie SMR Hydrogen Unit · Operational / Completed · France
  • 17 September 2026 EnergyPathways Hycamite hydrogen and graphite plant at Port of Barrow · Announced / Concept · United Kingdom

Latest news in basic chemicals

8 October 2026
Arkema opens next-generation acrylic acid purification unit in Carling

New purification unit at Carling cuts energy use by 25% and site carbon intensity by 20%; nearly €150m investment, partly funded by France 2030 and NextGenerationEU.

7 October 2026
Aurubis expands Hamburg multimetal hub with automated pre‑processing facility

Automated sensor- and x‑ray-equipped plant to pre-process metal-bearing intermediates, improving valuation, safety and routing within the smelter network; due late 2028.

30 September 2026
Nextchem wins NX STAMI™ Urea licence and equipment supply for 3,150 MTPD China plant

3,150 MTPD urea plant will use an Ultra‑Low Energy design, cutting steam use by 35% and cooling water by 16% versus conventional urea processes.

30 September 2026
Elkem invests NOK 260m to replace furnace at Elkem Rana

NOK 260m project to replace a furnace and off-gas equipment; installation starts Q1 2027; second furnace stays operational; aims to cut emissions and enable more biocarbon use.

29 September 2026
Chandra Asri CA‑EDC project 80% complete as main equipment installation begins

USD>800M CA‑EDC plant at 80% completion; main equipment being installed; start planned for 2027; capacities 827 kt caustic soda and 500 kt EDC with significant import substitution and export potential.

29 September 2026
KBR Purifier® Selected for 3,500 MTPD Jubail Ammonia Plant (SABIC AN)

License and engineering package for single‑train 3,500 MTPD ammonia unit in Jubail; will produce 1.2 Mt ammonia/year and lift urea output to 7.4 Mt/year.

29 September 2026
Essar-backed Mesabi Metallics $18B mine-to-mill US steel investment

Investment will link a Minnesota iron-ore mine with a new Iowa steel complex using DRI and EAF technology to produce 100% US steel and create thousands of jobs.

29 September 2026
LKAB: extracting phosphorus and rare earths from iron ore

Luleå industrial park will recover phosphorus and rare earths from iron ore output to bolster European supply security; demo plant starts soon and ~500 jobs expected.

29 September 2026
thyssenkrupp nucera wins chlor‑alkali order from Hongniu Lanzhou

License, EPC, key equipment supply and commissioning support for a large e‑BiTAC v7 chlor‑alkali plant in Northwest China; low double‑digit million‑euro order.

29 September 2026
Technip Energies to deliver license, PDP and FEED for Petkim's Aliağa petrochemical complex

Includes license for a world‑scale mixed‑feed ethylene cracker and PDP/FEED for integrated units producing ethylene, propylene, HDPE/LLDPE and polypropylene.

Where its projects are

active all projects

The 8 with the most active projects, of 49 countries.