23 September 2026

INEOS shuts Hull acetyls | OMV Petrom's €560m SAF unit | Technip licenses SABIC LDPE worldwide

New capacity kept arriving this week, even as Europe's cost gap pushed older plants offline. On the build side — beyond Onuba, this week's featured project — Eli Lilly broke ground on a $6.5bn API site in Houston, and OMV Petrom committed €560m to a SAF/HVO unit at Petrobrazi. Pulling the other way, INEOS idled all three world-scale acetyls plants at Hull with gas costs running at 12× US levels, and Heidelberg Materials will close its Ranville cement plant. On the deal side, Technip Energies agreed to license SABIC's CTR LDPE technology worldwide, and Symrise completed its Floral Concept acquisition. More below.

Project of the week

Moeve Onuba 300 MW Green Hydrogen Project

Palos de la Frontera, Spain · Under Construction

Moeve has started construction on the Onuba 300 MW green hydrogen project. The milestone at the La Rábida Energy Park in Palos de la Frontera, marking the first phase of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, was...

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Projects that moved

  • Arkema Jarrie SMR Hydrogen Unit (France) Operational / Completed · 22 September 2026
  • Symrise Lautier 1795 Natural Fragrance Ingredients Facility Grasse (France) Operational / Completed · 22 September 2026
  • MOL Danube Refinery AV3 Unit Reconstruction, Százhalombatta (Hungary) Commissioning & Start-up · 22 September 2026
  • Eli Lilly Houston $6.5B API and Advanced Therapeutics Site (United States) Under Construction · 21 September 2026
  • BASF MDI Production Complex, Dahej (India) FEED / Pre-FID · 21 September 2026

And 12 more projects. Follow every project in chemXplore →

Industry trends

Energy Transition Investments

Moeve brought Hy24 and COFIDES into Onuba, the first phase of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, to fund 300 MW of electrolysis. In Finland, Ren‑Gas signed tailored Hydrogen Power Purchase Agreements for its Tampere e‑methane plant, aligning renewable supply, balancing and RFNBO compliance. OMV Petrom advanced a 250 kt/y sustainable fuels production unit at the Petrobrazi refinery with green‑hydrogen integration. On the demand side, EU SAF supply in 2025 surpassed the ReFuelEU target, signaling stronger offtake foundations for upcoming projects.

Decarbonization & Low-Carbon Technologies

INEOS opened the EU’s first full‑scale permanent CO₂ storage facility at Greensand, with initial 0.4 Mt/y capacity and expansion potential. Japan’s program achieved 85% ammonia co‑firing in a naphtha cracking furnace while keeping NOx comparable to current practice. In Indonesia, Worley completed FEED for subsea systems on the INPEX Abadi LNG Project with CCS, embedding transport for captured CO₂.

Sustainable Feedstocks & Circularity

Econic introduced a CO₂‑based ultra‑mild surfactant for personal care reporting a lower footprint and stable performance. Petrobras began using technical corn oil as a sustainable raw material for asphalt binders, adding renewable content at scale. Covestro commissioned a pilot for chemical recycling of Vulkollan to recover purified building blocks at high yield. In packaging, Dow and Amcor launched a collaboration to scale low‑carbon polyethylene, pairing material supply with assured carbon accounting, which could influence brand specifications and procurement.

Digital Transformation & AI Integration

ORLEN launched a request for proposals to develop and deploy AI across Energy, Downstream, Upstream and corporate functions. POSCO will deploy AI technologies at its next‑generation galvanizing line to cut variation and automate high‑risk tasks. Metso signed an outcome‑based 'analyzer as a service' arrangement, bundling sensors, digital support and lifecycle services with performance targets. Eli Lilly’s new Houston site will use machine learning, AI and digitally integrated systems for API and advanced therapeutics manufacturing.

Geopolitics & Regional Competitiveness

INEOS idled all three world‑scale acetyls plants in Hull as gas costs reached 12× US levels, underscoring Europe’s energy‑cost gap. The EU adopted provisional safeguard measures for grain‑oriented electrical steel to stabilize transformer supply chains. Brussels also raised objections to MMG’s proposed acquisition of Anglo American’s nickel business over low‑carbon ferronickel access. Regionally, ORLEN and Naftogaz will expand LNG and petroleum‑product cooperation to bolster Ukraine’s supply routes.

In brief

Project Updates and Milestones

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New Projects and Expansions

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Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships

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Innovation and Product Development

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Operational Changes and Investments

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Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives

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Executive Appointments and Governance Changes

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Regulatory and Compliance Updates

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Crisis and Risk Management

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Upcoming events

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