PLASTICS AND FINANCE

Brand Finance rates corporate brand performance / BASF wins again / Resin makers dominate top 25 / Consultants increasingly reward sustainability

POLYMER PRICES

North America May 2023: Low prices in all segments except PS / Surplus with most types / Recovery in construction and automotive without an effect on prices / Weak start to the summer season

BOREALIS

Resin maker hires ship for gas deliveries / Move follows previous deal for similar transport

INEOS OLEFINS

Next step begins for building Antwerp cracker / "Project One" advances

OLIN

Dutch cumene production to be halted / Changes on European market through Ineos start-up

POLYMER PRICES

North America February 2023: Feedstocks drive prices up for polypropylene and polystyrene / PVC rises due to exports / Tendency for surplus in all segments / March expected to be weak

EDITORIAL

Of red lines and crossing them

INEOS

Billion-dollar deal for onshore Texas oil, gas / Foot in the door for future fracking?

LANXESS / ADVENT

Future engineering plastics JV clears regulatory hurdles / Closing expected by early April

INEOS OLEFINS

EUR 3.5 bn in financing secured for low-carbon cracker / Belgian facility start-up set for 2026

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

LYB, Braskem respond to report on top producers of resins for single use / Indorama stays mum despite “positive outlier” rating / Most major firms decline comment

LOTTE INEOS

Another large-scale VAM plant in South Korea / Ineos focuses on imports for the European market

POLYMER PRICES

North America January 2023: Prices largely unchanged or lower / Engineering materials slump / Tornado has little impact on prices / Rebound unlikely in February

INEOS

Preliminary figures show weak European markets / High energy costs, inflation curb demand

UPDATE - USA

Texas in the grip of tornadoes / Power outages paralyse petrochemical industry / Europe's supply possibly not affected

POLYMER PRICES

North America December 2022: Widespread reductions / Good availability coincides with disinclination to buy / The many short-term production outages due to winter storms have little effect on prices / Weak start to the year

INEOS

Deal for renewable power supply in US / Solar farm in Texas due online by late 2025

INEOS

Fourth Chinese JV with Sinopec / 1.2 mn t/y cracker due onstream in late 2023 / Deal includes ABS, HDPE plants

STYRENE

Infringement of cartel ban: EU competition regulators impose million-euro fines

INEOS

Letter of intent for German pyrolysis plant for plastics waste / Tests with partner Plastic Energy complete

INEOS OLEFINS

Technip to outfit Belgian ethane cracker / Project One now due for 2026 start / “First of its kind in Europe”

INEOS

Polyolefin giant spends millions converting Antwerp facility

PETROCHEMICALS

Trade and market disruptions worsen / Increase in PE, PP capacities / Ongoing investment in chemical recycling and decarbonisation projects

LANXESS

Maclean named CEO of JV with Advent

ENERGY

New UK Prime Minister offers support for energy costs / Move to help households, businesses