How to capture growth from sustainability amid rapid changes to end use markets and the energy mix topped the agenda at this year’s virtual European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) meeting.
- Industry must change rapidly to meet need for low carbon, sustainable Europe
- With oil refineries closing, less naphtha availability may drive recycling
- Coronavirus has accelerated existing paradigm shifts
- BASF’s troubles reflect industry situation in Europe
- Polyethylene (PE) demand could fall rapidly if furlough schemes cut
Listen to this podcast with Caroline Ciuciu CEO, EPCA; John Richardson, ICIS senior consultant, Asia;
Paul Hodges, chairman New Normal Consulting and ICIS Insight editor, Nigel Davis.

European oxo-alcohols editor Jane Massingham discusses the mixed demand outlook for the market and its downstream derivatives glycol ethers, butyl acetate (butac) and acrylate esters with Eashani Chavda, Nick Cleeve and Mathew Jolin-Beech.

The European Commission is about to launch a major revision to the Reach chemicals regulation which, amongst 70 new measures, could see entire classes of substances being banned.
- Root and branch reform of Reach launches 14 October
- Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to include 70 regulatory or legal measures
- More hazard-based or generic assessment of risk
- Will ban groups of substances rather than individual substances
- Will impact trade flows for EU imports
- 2-3 years from then will come into effect, rest of decade to implement
- Risks putting Europe at a disadvantage to other regions
- Revision to Reach comes on top of pressures from Covid-19, Brexit
- Recovery for Europe chemicals could take 1-2 years
- Law for climate neutrality by 2050 is an added pressure
- Europe Green Deal & recovery plan offer opportunities for chemicals
Listen to this podcast interview with Marco Mensink, director general at Europe chemicals trade group Cefic.

Turkey and Africa polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) reports editor Ben Lake discusses market conditions and global trade flows with European PE and PP editor Linda Naylor.

The pandemic is pushing Europe’s petrochemical sector in new directions, but with a more flexible approach the industry can emerge stronger for long-term success.
- Very limited visibility means maximum flexibility required
- End use markets behaving in new and unusual ways
- Pandemic has accelerated pre-existing trends
- Europe faces new trends such as energy abundance, re-shoring of supply chains
- EU Green Deal is a big opportunity for Europe petrochemicals
- Europe will compete with China for dominance in green energy
- Europe could “scrap and build” to transform chemical industry
- Less naphtha supply will drive more recycling
Listen to this podcast interview with European Petrochemical Association president Marc Schuller; Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting, and author of the pH Report; John Richardson, ICIS senior consultant, Asia and ICIS Insight editor, Nigel Davis.

Cameron ROberts chats with Charles Fryer and Angel Fernandez of Tecnon Orbichem, to find out more about market movements in chlor-alkali.

Mixed xylenes (MX) and toluene reports editor Zubair Adam discusses demand conditions on the European spot market with Nick Cleeve - editor of the downstream paraxylene (PX) and orthoxylene (OX) reports.