Projects that moved
- YPF Industrial Complex Prime-D Diesel Hydrotreater (Argentina) Announced / Concept · 2 September 2026
- GTK Mintec New Pilot Concentrator Plant, Outokumpu (Finland) FEED / Pre-FID · September 2026
- Avantium FDCA Flagship Plant at Delfzijl (The Netherlands) Commissioning & Start-up · September 2026
- BASF Ludwigshafen Acid Chlorides and Chloroformates Expansion (Germany) Operational / Completed · September 2026
- Perpetual Next Abu Dhabi Biomethanol (United Arab Emirates) FEED / Pre-FID · 31 August 2026
And 10 more projects. Follow every project in chemXplore →
Industry trends
Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity
SCG Chemicals, Earthology and Jim Thompson unveiled the world’s first prototype ReNylon x ReSilk hybrid fabric blending discarded fishing nets and silk waste. Upstream in plastics, Agilyx completed a strategic transformation and its arcLABS unit became the preferred lab for Advanced Polymer Recycling, strengthening quality and compliance across complex streams. Feedstock diversification for SAF advanced as CH Algae Corp. secured ISCC EU certification for its microalgae‑derived algae oil, adding an audited route alongside used‑cooking‑oil recovery.
Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies
The EU cleared the Ambrian Energy–Messer joint venture CarbonBridge to build Germany’s first CO₂ export terminal. Hydrogen supply and use tightened as RFNBO‑certified hydrogen from Rotterdam gained an offtaker in Air Products and Nobian, and Romania’s Petrobrazi refinery lifted installed green‑hydrogen capacity to 55 MW for use in processes and SAF/HVO. Process decarbonization in materials also advanced with AGC and Saint‑Gobain’s hybrid furnace project for flat glass backed by the EU Innovation Fund.
Energy Transition Investments
Capital is flowing to e‑fuels and synthetic molecules: KBR will deliver FEED for the Live Oak e‑NG project in Nebraska, and Uniper advanced the NorthStarH2 e‑methanol project into FEED. On the power side, Borkum Riffgrund 3 entered operation with long‑term corporate PPAs to energy‑intensive industries, while SPIE Belgium will deliver BoP for HybriX’s 300 MWh battery parks. Policy support and offtake visibility are helping these projects define bankable pathways and timelines.
Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness
Portfolio realignment continued: TotalEnergies transferred its 10% interest in Arctic LNG 2 as Chevron secured agreements with Venezuela to expand Orinoco output. Gas positioning broadened as SOCAR agreed to acquire stakes in Comstock’s Haynesville assets, and Eni deepened South American upstream with entry into Uruguay’s OFF‑5 and a planned OFF‑6 stake. These moves may recalibrate regional cost curves and access to molecules for downstream chemicals.
Regulatory Reforms & Compliance Challenges
Compliance frameworks and certifications shaped activity: BASF finished a full modernization of its Ludwigshafen plant for acid chlorides and chloroformates and highlighted TÜV‑certified product‑carbon‑footprint methods aligned with Together for Sustainability. RFNBO hydrogen offtake between Nobian and Air Products supports RED III obligations in the Netherlands, reflecting increasing demand for traceable molecules. At the same time, Toray’s new nanofiltration elements targeting PFAS and other trace hazardous substances and Portugal’s revision of the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone Urbanisation Plan (PUZILS) point to rising compliance expectations in water and land‑use.
In brief
Project Updates and Milestones
- Braskem names naphtha carrier Blissful Future, expands low‑emission fleet
- ProLogium begins mass production of Gen 3.5 all‑solid‑state LCB — 381 Wh/kg, 903 Wh/L
- Sinopec Group advances CCER pilot gas‑flaring recovery projects
- GSK advances mRNA seasonal flu vaccine to phase III
- Uniper advances NorthStarH2 into FEED with AFRY, Carbon Clean, Siemens Energy and Topsoe
- MAIRE (Tecnimont) wins ICC Phase 1 award finding EuroChem’s K2 termination wrongful
- Ørsted and Nuveen: Borkum Riffgrund 3 enters commercial operation
New Projects and Expansions
- Chevron expands Orinoco position in Venezuela
- Hycamite: Polaris confirms quality of natural gas-based battery graphite
- Axens to deliver modular 5,000 m3/day Prime-D diesel hydrotreater to YPF
- BASF upgrades Ludwigshafen acid chloride and chloroformate plant
- Sines to revise PUZILS to align with industrial‑logistics growth
- Metso and Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) to deliver concentrator plant for GTK Mintec pilot in Outokumpu
- Perpetual Next appoints Kreston ME Consulting for UAE biomethanol feasibility study
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
- SOCAR to acquire stakes in Comstock’s Haynesville assets
- SOCAR and CNOOC sign MoU on upstream projects and technical cooperation
- Symrise to sell AmeriTerpenes terpene business to Mutares
- Veolia signs three MOUs with Saudi partners on desalination, mining water reuse and LPG decarbonisation
- UPM / future WISA Group — Capital Markets Day 23 Sep 2026
- Robus Capital acquires 80% of RHEINZINK
- AkzoNobel and Axalta appoint three non-executive directors to combined Board
Innovation and Product Development
- Mitsubishi Chemical’s DURABIO adopted by ALBION for Excia compact cases
- PPG ONE RANGE — PPG launches one-component marine coatings for onboard maintenance
- Eli Lilly: Taltz plus Zepbound sustain improved psoriatic and metabolic outcomes at 52 weeks
- Amgen: Repatha reduces all‑cause mortality in high‑risk primary prevention (VESALIUS‑CV)
- Toray launches two nanofiltration membrane elements
- SCG Chemicals, Earthology & Jim Thompson unveil ReNylon x ReSilk hybrid fabric
- Takeda: FDA approves MIMRYLO (rusfertide) for erythrocytosis in polycythemia vera
Operational Changes and Investments
- Perstorp Polyols discontinues production at Toledo, Ohio facility
- PETRONAS 1H 2026: resilient results and energy-security focus
- Natref operational response after mid‑August downstream shutdown
- thyssenkrupp Steel starts partial refurbishment of Schwelgern 2 blast furnace
- John Cockerill to equip A1 Iron & Steel with integrated cold‑rolling complex in Tanzania
- Acelen Agripark marks first year with biofactory scarifying 1.7M macauba seeds/month
- Wanhua Chemical shifts into new energy and battery materials
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
- AGC Glass Europe and Saint‑Gobain launch hybrid furnace project
- BWT Alpine to run European logistics on Enilive HVOlution
- Topsoe to deliver FEED for Uniper's NorthStarH2 e‑methanol project
- KBR Secures FEED for Live Oak e‑NG Project in Nebraska
- Ambrian Energy & Messer win EU clearance for CarbonBridge CO₂ export terminal
- Ammobia and Lummus to commercialize modular low‑capex ammonia (Haber‑Bosch 2.0)
- Formosa Smart Energy: CH Algae secures ISCC EU for algae oil, broadens SAF feedstocks
Financial Performance and Strategy
- Sasol posts stronger FY2026 results and lowers net debt to US$3.3bn
- Topsoe H1 2026: restructuring creates large special items despite solid underlying performance
- Agilyx ASA completes strategic reset and consolidates GreenDot
- Boliden to acquire controlling stake in Nexa Resources from Votorantim
- Lilly to acquire Merida Biosciences for antibody‑degrading immunology platform
Regulatory and Compliance Updates
- Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro approved by FDA to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults with type 2 diabetes
- Veloxis doses first patient in Phase 2 RENGEVITY-201 of pegrizeprument (VEL-101)
Crisis and Risk Management
Upcoming events
- SEMICON Taiwan: 2026 2–4 September 2026 · Taipei
- Gastech: 2026 14–17 September 2026 · Bangkok
- UTECH Middle East: 2026 28–30 September 2026 · Dubai
- BEST Annual Conference: 2026 30 September 2026 · Graz
- CPHI Milan: 2026 6–8 October 2026 · Milan