Chemical Week

S&P Global Commodity Insight’s  Daniel Pelosi, EMEA chemicals editor; Aleksandra Zhagrina, EMEA petrochemicals associate editor; and Chemical Week’s executive editor Ian Young join Chemical Week’s Rob Westervelt for a discussion of the recent European Petrochemical Association annual meeting and the state of Europe’s chemical industry. Topics include the challenges facing the European petrochemicals, the need for industry restructuring and innovation, and the potential impacts of regulatory changes and competition from expanding capacities in China.  The Chemical Week podcast is the industry’s premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Corey Tyree, CEO of Trillium Renewable Chemicals, joins Chemical Week’s Vincent Valk for a discussion of on Trillium’s partnership with INEOS, the production methods behind Trillium’s new bioacrylonitrile, and how start-ups can scale successfully towards commercialization. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry’s premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Dorothee Arns, director general of European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC), joins S&P Global Commodity Insights’ senior commodities pricing specialist Abdulaziz Ehtaiba ahead of FECC’s annual congress for a discussion of the stat of European distribution. Topics include how disruptive geopolitical events exacerbated the industry’s weak demand and poor production margins, how distributors are focusing on improving their supply chain excellence to navigate these challenges, and how distributors can adapt to Europe’s increasing regulatory demands and consumer expectations for sustainable products. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry’s premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Vincent Valk, a senior editor at Chemical Week, shares insights on the 2023 Billion-Dollar Club rankings. He discusses the significant drop in revenues and operating incomes faced by the industry. Valk highlights China's growing dominance, particularly with firms like Sinopec reshaping the market landscape. The conversation also touches on the impact of mergers and acquisitions, the decline of former leaders like DuPont, and the complex interplay between capital expenditures and sustainability efforts in the chemical sector.

Rob Westervelt, a contributor from Chemical Week, joins experts Neirin Gray Desai and Mujidah Yahaya from S&P Global Commodity Insights to decode the chemical industry's climate. They discuss the troubling decline in demand, especially in Europe, and its effects on construction and chemical sectors. With rising costs and strategic plant shutdowns, the duo highlights the cautious investment climate. They also tackle the sluggish lithium market and the investment shifts towards hydrogen technology amid uncertain economic conditions.

Louis Besland, partner and head of chemicals practice at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, joins Chemical Week’s Rob Westervelt for a discussion of CEO succession and talent management in the industry. Topics include building a diverse talent pipeline, the evolution of skill sets needed for effective leaders, and the need for future-oriented thinking around CEO succession.

S&P Global Commodity Insights reporters Mark Astley and James Burgess join Chemical Week's Mark Thomas and Jameson Croteau for a discussion of the clean ammonia market. Key themes include difficulties in getting projects off the ground, the role of regulatory uncertainty and financing incentives in developing the market, and the ambiguities around whether blue ammonia is truly 'clean.'

Sophie Casenave, policy affairs manager at environmental trader and consultancy Strive by STX, joins the podcast to discuss the the latest alphabet-soup of climate regulations. These include the EU's new reporting directive, some new reporting rules in the US, and carbon border mechanisms in the EU. We discus what the different rules mean for industry, how reporting and regulatory requirements are changing, and the impact of new rules on chemical companies' decarbonization strategies. 

Exploring the role of PFAS in renewable energy, the podcast delves into regulatory challenges, Chemours' clean tech investments, and the potential impact of a chemical ban on the energy transition. Insights on fluoropolymers, fluorinated gases, and collaborations highlight the need for science-based regulations and responsible production practices.

Christian Krueger, head of global sustainability and advocacy for chemical recycling at BASF, joins S&P Global Commodity Insights editors Abdulaziz Ehtaiba and Iris Poon for a conversation about chemical recycling. Topics include the key differences between chemical and mechanical recycling, the investment environment for chemical recycling in the US and Europe, and the role of legislation and governments to incentive a maturing industry.