17 December 2025
Welcome to the latest issue of chemXplore Weekly for 2025. We take a short holiday break and the next issue will be published on January 7th 2026.
As we close out the year in which we launched chemXplore Weekly and introduced our new chemXplore website, we want to extend our sincere thanks for your readership and valuable feedback.
We wish you and your teams a peaceful, restorative, and joyful holiday season, wherever you are in the world and look forward to continuing to keep you informed on the evolving chemical industry landscape in the new year.
Best regards, The chemXplore Team
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Circular feedstocks advanced as Röhm engaged NEXTCHEM on a feasibility study for Röhm's PMMA recycling plant in Germany, targeting r‑MMA with virgin-like quality via depolymerization. Strategic consolidation continued with Borealis’ move to scale chemical recycling through its strategic partnership with BlueAlp, aligning with rising PPWR-grade demand. Fluorine value chains edged toward resource recovery with AGC’s first UL2809 third-party verification for its Fluon PTFE G grade resin made using recycled fluorite. Waste-to-feedstock pilots broadened with BASF, Essity and TU Wien’s gasification pilot project to recycle absorbent hygiene products; expect more certified, high-spec recycled inputs to penetrate contact-sensitive and hygiene markets as municipalities and licensors partner up.
Decarbonization Pathways
CCS momentum in Asia grew with Technip Energies winning a detailed engineering contract for the Arthit Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in Thailand, designed for up to 1 MtCO2/y. Electrolysis costs are in focus as Lummus and Advanced Ionics launched a pilot plant for green hydrogen production at Lummus's R&D facility in Pasadena. On the demand side, Johnson Matthey opened its first hydrogen internal combustion engine (H₂ICE) facility in Gothenburg to validate heavy-duty transport pathways. Process electrification advanced in minerals with thyssenkrupp Polysius set to develop the first industrial flash calcination plant using Electric Arc Calciner (EAC) technology for lower-carbon lime; together these moves tighten the integration between capture, electrons-to-molecules, and end-use uptake, potentially easing future abatement cost curves.
Innovation to Commercialization in Bio-Based & Specialty Chemicals
Scale-up execution remains pivotal: Avantium appointed Hero de Jager as interim Chief Operations Officer to steer the FDCA flagship start-up while also signaling a shift in the timeline for securing government-related funding. In elastomers, Michelin–IFPEN–Axens reported readiness milestones on the BioButterfly project, targeting mid‑2026 homologation for bio‑butadiene derived from bioethanol. Market pull and application development are being reinforced as Nouryon builds a customer experience and innovation center in Itupeva, Brazil for bio‑based chelates and biopolymer solutions. Expect commercialization timelines to hinge on financing and customer validation, with regional tech centers accelerating formulary adoption.
Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness
Industrial strategy shaped capital plans in Europe as BASF signed a new site agreement for BASF SE at the Ludwigshafen site, anchoring investment and jobs through 2028. Portfolio realignment and local champions featured in India, where AkzoNobel finalized the sale of Akzo Nobel India Limited to the JSW Group. EU regulatory frameworks also steered infrastructure ownership with Uniper initiating the sale of its 20% stake in the OPAL gas pipeline as the asset transitions into the Hydrogen Core Network. In Southeast Europe, OMV Petrom progressed energy security via advancing the Neptun Deep project; collectively, these moves signal policy- and cost-driven reallocation of assets and newbuilds, likely influencing where value chains cluster next.
In Brief
New Projects and Expansions
- Lummus and Advanced Ionics Launch Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant
- Mitsubishi Chemical Expands Carbon Fiber Production in Japan and US
- Shell Invests in Kaikias Waterflood Project in Gulf of America
- Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Expands MDI Production Capacity
- Borealis and BlueAlp Partner for Chemical Recycling
- Gasunie Completes European Tender for Onshore Pipeline Supply
- UPM Unveils Bio-Based, NIR-Detectable, Carbon-Negative Pigment for Packaging
Project Updates and Milestones
- Technip Energies Wins Engineering Contract for Thailand's First CCS Project
- FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson's AKEEGA for BRCA2-Mutated Prostate Cancer
- Avantium Updates on Government Funding Timeline
- UPM Ends Graphic Paper Production in Ettringen
- Statkraft and Fortescue Update Power Deal for Norway Hydrogen Project
- Janssen's TECVAYLI® and DARZALEX FASPRO® Join FDA's Priority Voucher Program
- Borealis Settles Kallo PDH2 Dispute
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- BASF Sells Optical Brightening Agent Business to Catexel
- AkzoNobel and Winning Shipping Partner for Sustainable Marine Coatings in China
- Iberdrola and Microsoft Sign 150 MW PPAs and Expand AI Collaboration
- Brenntag Acquires UK-Based Airedale Group
- Brenntag and SEQENS Partner to Distribute Non-GMP Intermediates in Europe
- TotalEnergies and Google Sign Renewable Power Agreement in Malaysia
- TotalEnergies and PTTEP Expand Partnership in Malaysia
Innovation and Product Development
- Borealis Advances EU Project ELECTRO for Recycling Hard-to-Recycle Plastics
- thyssenkrupp Polysius Aids SMA Mineral in EAC Pilot Plant Pre-Engineering
- Borealis Among Top Circularity Leaders in BloombergNEF Ranking
- Lilly's Inluriyo™ Shows Efficacy in ER+, HER2- Breast Cancer
- Ercros Achieves Top ESG Rating from Lighthouse
- BASF Introduces Sustainable WALLTITE RSB Insulation
- Novo Nordisk: EMA Recommends Higher Wegovy® Dose for 20.7% Weight Loss
Operational Changes and Investments
- Equinor Retains Forus as Head Office Location
- bp Launches Seventh Major Project of 2025
- Asahi Kasei Wins 2025 TSMC Performance Award
- Johnson Matthey Opens Hydrogen Engine Facility in Gothenburg
- Equinor and Partners Invest in Johan Castberg Expansion
- Terumo BCT's Automation Enhances Platelet Supply at Appleton's CBC
- BASF SE Signs New Site Agreement for Ludwigshafen
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- PPG Secures REDCert² Certification for Sustainable Materials at European Sites
- Uniper and Vermilion Extend Gas Supply Deal in Germany
- BASF and OQEMA Partner for Distribution in Central and Eastern Europe
- Topsoe Wins S&P Platts Global Energy Award in Chemicals
- Repsol Wins Platts Award for 100% Renewable Fuels in Iberia
- BASF, Essity, and TU Wien Transform Diaper Waste into Raw Materials
- Michelin, IFPEN, Axens Advance BioButterfly™: Biobased Butadiene from Bioethanol
Financial Performance and Strategy
- Holcim Acquires Majority Stake in Cementos Pacasmayo
- Iberdrola Sells Gas Plants for Slurry Treatment
- Neste Adjusts Climate Targets
Executive Appointments and Governance Changes
- Grupa Azoty Appoints Mirosław Ptasiński as Vice President
- PPG Announces Leadership Changes
- Statkraft CFO Anna Nord Bjercke Resigns
- Todd M. Schneider Joins PPG Board
- Avantium Appoints Interim COO for FDCA Plant Launch
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- Equinor Challenges Økokrim Penalty
- Merck's WINREVAIR™ Gains EU CHMP Support for Broader PAH Use
- Roche Secures CE Mark for Broadest Automated Mass Spectrometry IVD Menu
- Holcim Earns CDP "A" Rankings for Climate and Water Leadership
- OMV Petrom Advances Romania's Energy Security
- EU Proposes Measures to Boost Health Sector Innovation and Resilience
Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
chemXplore
chemxplore.com
1e Pauwenlandstraat 12
7413ZA Deventer
The Netherlands
Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 82353735