ICIS - chemical podcasts

Join Richard Carter, a seasoned expert from Carter Consultancy with over 20 years at BASF, and Paul Hodges, Chairman of New Normal Consulting, as they dive into the evolving landscape of the chemical industry. They explore how AI can enhance efficiency even amidst structural challenges. The conversation covers the urgent need for mergers and acquisitions as local firms adapt to shifting demands. They also discuss unexpected opportunities in the defense sector and the crucial shift toward sustainable, low-carbon products to navigate high operational costs.

In this podcast, join the ICIS global base oils team as they discuss the key drivers impacting the market in H2. Weaker crude complex to weigh on costs Group II supply poised for length Demand weakness persists

Rising overcapacity, AI and protectionism may drive a swift transition in chemical production and markets in the next 5-10 years.-          Commodity chemicals may be produced mainly by large state-owned enterprises-          Smaller, privately-owned companies may switch to high value composites, specialties, low-carbon chemicals-          High-cost regions such as Europe could protect their essential commodity chemicals production-          Protective measures need to be taken in next 3-6 months to rescue EU commodity chemicals-          A lot more commodity capacity closures required to keep operating rates healthy-          AI will have a massive impact on chemical companies and markets-          AI will enable us to navigate and analyse increasingly chaotic markets-          AI could drive job losses, disrupt economies-          Climate change will alter seasonal and geographic demand patterns-          Electronics, property, auto markets are depressed-          Q2 chemicals results are very poor in all regionsIn this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews John Richardson from the ICIS market development team, ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

Join John Richardson, ICIS senior executive, business solutions group, in Episode 4 of Sustainably Speaking along with Mark Victory and Matt Tudball, senior editors for recycling Europe, and Helen McGeough, global analyst team lead for plastic recycling as they discuss the European Commission's proposals to allow mass balance for chemical recycling using a fuel-exempt accounting approach under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), and what this means for the wider recycling world. Plus, how amendments in the draft Implementing Decision allow for recyclate from outside the EU to count towards the 25% recycled content for polyethylene terephthlate (PET) beverage bottles, as well as whats going on in the wider world of recycling. Some questions answered during this episode:  Why is this draft Implementing Decision on mass balance so important, and what does ‘fuel-exempt’ mean?  Will this increase investment in chemical recycling in Europe and what happens if other regions go for a ‘free allocation’ approach? What’s the impact on global operators working in different markets? Can recyclate made from post-consumer plastic waste placed on third country markets count towards recycled content targets? What does a ‘level playing field’ for Europe look like? Will there be a sudden acceleration of chemical recycling projects as Europe’s crackers close? Is chemical recycling the solution for mass-scale food contact for polyolefins in Europe by 2030?

From four-year lows for European polypropylene (PP) prices, Dow announcing the closure of its Bohlen cracker, ping-ponging crude oil prices, a key US and EU tariff deal, and some fresh anti-dumping duties in India – June and July have been action packed for PP and polyethylene (PE).ICIS senior editor manager Vicky Ellis and senior editor Ben Lake compare notes with ICIS market specialist Aswin Kondapally on how Europe and Indian markets match up in July, and what to expect in August.

HOUSTON (ICIS)—US ethylene glycol (EG) markets reporter Melissa Wheeler discusses global market dynamics and factors on the EG markets with Judith Wang, Asia EG Senior Editor, and Nicole Simpson, Europe EG Markets Editor.Market factors discussed include: News regarding China’s economic policies boosted market sentiment short-term Global lack of downstream PET demand pulling MEG demand lower US EG supply disruptions due to tariffs Upcoming outages at Shell’s North America sites and BASF’s Belgium site

James McLeary, Managing Director of Biffa Polymers, shares insights on the challenges facing the UK recycling sector amid plant closures, emphasizing the need for more support for local initiatives. Tom Brown, ICIS Insight Editor, discusses the EU-US trade deal's impact, revealing how it alleviates some tariff pressures but leaves many questions unanswered. The conversation dives into the potential of the Wilton chemical site for a circular economy and the struggle for workers amid rising competition and regulatory changes.

The podcast dives into the sluggish state of Europe's oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets, highlighting the impending summer slowdown. With economic uncertainty at play, demand for key chemicals like butyl acetate is expected to dwindle. The discussion also covers the acrylic esters market, marked by excess supply and weak demand trends. Additionally, challenges in the glycoethers market are explored, including a production fire in Saudi Arabia and geopolitical factors affecting exports. It's a comprehensive look at a struggling sector.

Slowing demand growth and a battle for market share between Saudi Arabia and the US could see crude oil prices drop significantly by the end of the year. -          High oil prices stimulate more production, low prices less-          Saudi Arabia and the US battle for market share-          Global demand for oil is around 100 million barrels/day-          Electric vehicles (EVs) have destroyed 2 million barrel/day of oil demand -          Globally around 20% of vehicle sales are EVs-          Oil prices could fall to $40-$45/barrel by the end of the year-          Oil demand growth weakest in 16 years-          Low oil price is double-edged sword for chemical markets In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

As the existing global trading system crumbles, and overcapacity keeps growing, Europe’s chemical industry must move back to a more national or regional business model.  -          Trade war shows global trading system is breaking down-          Chemical industry could move back to a national or regional business model-          Would be a return to pre-1990s industry structure-          Europe has smaller chemical plants, ideal for regional markets-          EU must now act fast to protect chemical and industrial value chains-          China chemicals has been based on 6-8% GDP growth per year-          Now real GDP growth is only 1-4%, according to unofficial estimatesIn this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews John Richardson from the ICIS market development team, ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.