21 January 2026
This week's edition dives into accelerating circularity across polymers and tires, landmark industrial heat storage deployments, strategic LNG and biomethane deals, tightening EU supply resilience efforts, AI-driven efficiency gains in manufacturing and analytics, and evolving geopolitical portfolio shifts in energy and chemicals.
Industry Trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
Lummus Technology expanded into tire circularity by backing InnoVent’s end-of-life tire pyrolysis, targeting scale-up of pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black. In packaging, Colruyt debuted recycled polystyrene meat trays enabled by Indaver’s Plastics2Chemicals food-contact styrene, while Borealis’ Borstar Nextension polypropylene advances mono-material flexible designs aligned with recyclability. In specialties, Avantium and Packamama secured PEF volumes for lighter, lower-footprint wine bottles with enhanced barrier performance. Expect faster adoption of design-for-recycling and bio-attributed polymers as supply chains prioritize certified, drop-in circular feedstocks.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
The Rondo Heat Battery at Covestro's Brunsbüttel site will store renewable power as high-temperature heat and steam, cutting up to 13,000 tCO2/year and de-risking industrial heat decarbonization. The Port of Rotterdam’s Carbonbid auction funded eight low-cost abatement projects at roughly €6/tCO2e, signaling rigorous cost discipline in near-term reductions. At scale, the EU backed six projects via the 2024 Innovation Fund Auction for renewable hydrogen, adding 381 MW of electrolysis aimed at hard-to-abate sectors. Upstream of demand, Kemira and Hazer Group will assess methane pyrolysis integration, pairing low-carbon hydrogen with solid carbon co-products; watch for offtake and licensing to test economics.
Energy Transition Investments
Liquefied gas remains pivotal: RWE inked a 20-year sales and purchase agreement with Texas LNG including emissions monitoring, while Eni advanced the 3.6 MTPA Coral North FLNG to double Mozambique’s LNG output by 2028. In Europe’s molecules transition, EemsGas secured €30M for a demolition-wood-to-green-gas plant using TNO gasification. Italy expanded biomethane capacity as EnviTec’s biogas and gas upgrading plant in Soncino began injecting biomethane. Blended portfolios of LNG and green gases suggest parallel tracks for security of supply and carbon intensity reduction this decade.
Regulatory Reforms & Compliance Challenges
The EU’s new EU Critical Chemicals Alliance convened industry and policymakers to prioritize essential molecules and shore up production resilience amid closures and trade frictions. Packaging policy is shaping design choices, with Borstar Nextension PP grades enabling mono-material setups to meet PPWR recyclability targets. Chain-of-custody and management systems are becoming table stakes as Arkema broadened ISCC PLUS certification across coatings, and Avantium’s Delfzijl plant achieved triple ISO. In fuels, Essar’s call for the inclusion of refining in the UK's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism underscores the role of trade policy in leveling carbon costs; further alignment could influence investment siting.
Digital Transformation & AI Integration
Siemens' Nanjing factory joined the WEF Global Lighthouse Network for deploying digital twins, modular automation, and >50 AI apps that cut lead times by 78% and carbon by 28%. In-field analytics are scaling as Eurofins and trinamiX launched a mobile feed analysis solution using a handheld NIR spectrometer to optimize equine rations in real time. Market-facing capabilities matter too: ADNOC’s brand gains were linked partly to innovations in artificial intelligence, reinforcing AI’s role from operations to customer engagement. Expect wider use of AI-enabled tools to squeeze costs and cycle times amid persistent demand softness.
Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness
Climate litigation progressed with legal action against RWE and Heidelberg Materials in Germany over flood damages, highlighting legal uncertainty around corporate liability despite firms’ decarbonization pledges. Regional consolidation advanced as MOL Group has signed a binding Heads of Agreement to acquire Serbia’s NIS, pending OFAC and domestic approvals, while TotalEnergies’ Sale and Purchase Agreement with Vaaris trims onshore Nigerian exposure but preserves gas supply leverage to NLNG. Bulgaria bolstered security via BEH’s entry into the Han Asparuh offshore exploration joint venture with OMV Petrom and NewMed. These moves reflect sharper portfolio choices under sanctions, energy security demands, and evolving social license; expect further asset rebalancing across regions.
In Brief
New Projects and Expansions
- Perpetual Next USA to Build Three Biomethanol Plants in Southeast US
- TECNIMONT Partners with Argent LNG for Louisiana Export Facility
- Lhyfe Powers France's First Motorway Hydrogen Station for HGVs
- BEH Joins Han Asparuh Exploration Venture
- EnviTec Biogas Launches New Plant in Cremona
- Ørsted Named Global Sustainability Leader by Corporate Knights
- Synthos and Ekovoltis Innovate in Polish Energy Market
Project Updates and Milestones
- Moderna and Merck Report 5-Year Data on Intismeran Autogene with KEYTRUDA
- Axens Continues Consultation on Cathode Material Plant Project
- ORLEN Discovers Gas in North Sea
- Lilly's Sofetabart Mipitecan Gains FDA Breakthrough Status for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
- Ørsted Completes Wind Turbine Installation at Taiwan's Greater Changhua Offshore Farms
- Rompetrol Energy's Petromidia Cogeneration Plant Now Operational
- MOL Acquires Majority Stake in Serbian NIS
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk Advance Partnership for Diabetes Medicines
- Eurofins and trinamiX Unveil Mobile Equine Feed Analysis Tool
- Lummus Invests in InnoVent for Tire Recycling Technology
- MOL Group to Acquire Majority Stake in Serbian NIS
- RWE and Glenfarne Sign 20-Year LNG Supply Deal
- AGC and TRE Demonstrate Window Glass Recycling in Suwa City
- Avantium and Packamama Partner for Sustainable Wine Packaging
Innovation and Product Development
- Borealis Invests EUR 49M in Burghausen for Circular Polypropylene Expansion
- 2024 Innovation Fund Awards €270.6M for EU Renewable Hydrogen Projects
- Nobian Begins Direct Calcium Chloride Delivery from Frankfurt
- Covestro Launches Heat Battery Project at Brunsbüttel Site
- thyssenkrupp Recognized by CDP for Climate Transparency
- Johnson & Johnson's CAPLYTA® Shows Promise for Remission in Major Depressive Disorder
- Genmab Reports Phase 3 Trial Results for Epcoritamab in Relapsed/Refractory DLBCL
Operational Changes and Investments
- Genentech Expands Holly Springs Facility Investment to $2 Billion
- EemsGas Secures €30M for Dutch Green Gas Project
- Toray Opens Ultrasuede Showroom in Portugal to Enhance European Supply Chain
- Siemens' Nanjing Factory Joins WEF Global Lighthouse Network
- Essar Energy Transition Achieves Record Sales in 2025
- ORLEN's Steady Year in Small-Scale LNG Supply
- Arkema Achieves ISCC PLUS Certification for 70% of Coating Facilities
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- Nobian Earns Fourth EcoVadis Platinum Rating
- Pakistani Farmers Sue RWE Over Climate Impact
- Boliden Seeks EU Strategic Project Status for Nautanen
- Eni Launches Coral North FLNG Hull
- EnviTec Biogas Enters Lithuanian Market in 2026
- Nobian Joins EU Critical Chemicals Alliance, Attends First Assembly
- Colruyt's Recycled Polystyrene Meat Trays
Financial Performance and Strategy
- Genmab Reports 2025 DARZALEX Sales
- ADNOC Enters Global Top 100 Brands
- Sinopec Capital Invests in Faurecia Hydrogen Energy
- TotalEnergies to Divest 10% Stake in Nigerian JV
Executive Appointments and Governance Changes
- Shell Announces Executive Committee Changes
- Clariant Proposes Regula Wallimann and Albert Manifold for Board Election
- Coolbrook Adds Robin von Plettenberg to Board
- Topsoe Names Yassir Ghiyati as CCO
- dsm-firmenich Names Nikeisha van Sleeuwen as CHRO
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- Avantium Achieves Triple ISO Certification
- AGC Biologics Gains U.S. and EU Approval for Waskyra™ Gene Therapy
- Johnson & Johnson's TECVAYLI® Shows Improved Survival in Multiple Myeloma Patients
Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Arkema Earns Top Employer 2026 in 10 Countries
- Iberdrola Achieves Top Employer Enterprise Seal Again
- Covestro Named Top Employer in China for Eight Years
- SPIE Belgium Named Top Employer for 19th Year
- UBE and Tohoku University Launch Co-creation Research Institute
Crisis and Risk Management
chemXplore
chemxplore.com
1e Pauwenlandstraat 12
7413ZA Deventer
The Netherlands
Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 82353735