Recent developments
Waste-to-methanol projects
Clariant and Repsol are collaborating on the Ecoplanta project in El Morell, Spain, converting 400,000 t/y municipal waste into 240,000 t/y methanol via Enerkem gasification, targeting 2029 and 3.4 Mt CO2 abatement over 10 years; outputs span fuels and chemical feedstocks. Separately, NEXTCHEM/MyRechemical will deliver a feasibility study at Equinor’s Mongstad refinery for a large-scale waste-to-methanol, using NX Circular technology to meet FuelEU Maritime/Aviation compliance and support potential methanol-to-jet pathways.
Semiconductor-grade basics
BASF is constructing a new Electronic Grade Ammonium Hydroxide plant in Ludwigshafen, operational in 2027, to supply wafer cleaning/etch chemicals for advanced nodes. The project targets localizing Europe’s semiconductor supply chain under long-term agreements, supporting automotive and AI-related chip production.
Electrolysis components expansion
Asahi Kasei is expanding its Kawasaki Works to manufacture components for electrolysis systems—cell frames and membranes—serving alkaline water electrolysis and ion-exchange membrane chlor-alkali. Backed by METI’s GX Supply Chain program, the site pivots from MMA/CHMA/PMMA and SB latex lines to Energy & Infrastructure, pursuing vertical integration for hydrogen, chlorine, and caustic markets.
Flexible chlor-alkali operations
Nobian implemented flexible operations for chlor-alkali electrolysis at the Höchst Industrial Park, coordinated with Next Kraftwerke’s virtual power plant, using E‑Flex for real-time response to price spikes and storage balancing. The model is now deployed at Ibbenbüren and Bitterfeld, aiming to reduce energy costs while maintaining supply and supporting grid stability.