Recent developments
Low‑carbon liquid fuels
Airline decarbonization advanced via drop‑in options. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank invested in Infinium to expand Japan eSAF supply, leveraging captured CO2 and green hydrogen. Petrobras selected Honeywell UOP’s Ethanol‑to‑Jet process for a proposed REPLAN unit (up to 10,000 bpd SAF), complementing prior HEFA licensing. In Southeast Asia, eFuels SEA launched a regional platform licensing Infinium technology for multiple projects.
Hydrogen deployment
Europe coordinated on clean hydrogen. The European Resilience Alliance for Clean Hydrogen & Derivatives (ERA) launched with a CEO‑led platform and a white paper citing fewer than 7% FIDs and recommending policy harmonization, lower power costs, and infrastructure risk‑sharing. Gasunie and Fluxys signed a cross‑border hydrogen transmission link JDA reusing gas pipelines by ~2030. In Norway, FEED started for the RjukanLH2 liquid hydrogen facility backed by renewable PPAs and maritime offtake.
Grid and storage
Electrification supply chains expanded. Borouge increased semicon and XLPE output across South Korea, Sweden and the UAE to serve medium‑ and high‑voltage cables. Offshore, RWE installed two substations for Nordseecluster A ahead of 660 MW commissioning in 2027. Onshore, Iberdrola added a 42 MW solar PV plant in Lazio, Galp acquired 351 MW of Spanish wind assets, and Uniper/NGEN broke ground on a 50 MW (100 MWh) battery in Wilhelmshaven.
Process decarbonization
Industrial sites moved to lower‑carbon heat and feedstocks. Evonik and Uniper commissioned a high‑temperature heat pump in Herne, upgrading process waste heat to 130°C and supplying district heating. The Long Son Petrochemicals Enhancement (LSPE) project will convert its cracker to include ethane using USC and HRS technologies. In Turkey, KÖKSAN selected Melt‑To‑Resin continuous polycondensation for a 324 ktpa PET plant, targeting up to 30% energy‑related CO₂ reduction versus conventional SSP.
Circular feedstocks
Circular hydrocarbons and renewable gases advanced. WPU (Vitol) will build an 80,000 t/yr chemical recycling plant in Rotterdam using batch pyrolysis to supply pyrolysis oil to petrochemical units. EnviTec Biogas commissioned a 417 Nm³/h EnviThan upgrading unit in Slovakia for grid‑quality biomethane, with plans to scale inputs and shift to waste feedstocks. Caleyda, a PHA biopolymer, will be used in asphalt binders, enabling CO₂ sequestration and fossil binder replacement.
Enabling materials
Suppliers introduced materials targeting efficiency and emissions. Nouryon launched Expancel 081 microspheres to increase paperboard bulk with less fiber and energy. It also expanded premium Levasil colloidal silica in Guangzhou for catalyst and electrical‑steel applications. Brenntag became distributor for BASF’s Keropur fuel‑additive packages in Europe and Turkey. Evonik highlighted recycling additives TEGO CYCLE and TEGO Sorb, plus PFAS‑free processing aids, at CHINAPLAS 2026.
Clusters and strategy
Industrial‑cluster governance and finance developments continued. Port of Antwerp‑Bruges announced a leadership transition as it enters a phase centered on cost efficiency and sustainable value creation. Equinor sold an 8.07% stake in Scatec while retaining 8.05%. Eni’s Plenitude completed the acquisition of 100% of Acea Energia and 50% of Umbria Energy, expanding its retail base for long‑term contracted renewables.