Company Dynamic

BASF has advanced a feasibility study for a potential MDI production complex in Dahej, India, and secured an industrial land parcel for the project, while a final investment decision remains pending.

• BASF MDI
• Polyurethane Market
• India Chemicals
• Dahej Investment
• Isocyanates

Wanhua Chemical has formed a new battery materials entity in Shandong. Wanhua (Weifang) New Energy Materials Technology Co., Ltd. was established on September 18 with Zou Jie as legal representative and registered capital of RMB 1.488 billion. Its scope covers wind and solar power technology services, battery leasing, photovoltaic equipment leasing, and electronic specialty materials R&D. The company is wholly owned by Wanhua Chemical (Yantai) Battery Industry Co., Ltd. Specific projects, capaci

• WanhuaChemical
• NewEnergyMaterials

A final U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation released September 16 found that the accidental simultaneous opening of two isolation valves allowed cracked gas to backflow into an ethane furnace and ignite at Shell Polymers Monaca, causing approximately USD 95 million in property damage.

• Shell Polymers
• Chemical Safety
• Ethane Cracker
• Plant Explosion
• Process Safety

Saudi Aramco is exploring a sale of Arlanxeo, its wholly owned high-performance elastomers subsidiary, as part of a divestment program worth up to $35 billion. Advisers are seeking buyers, with chemical firms and private equity funds seen as likely bidders. Arlanxeo, based in the Netherlands, leads globally in EPDM and HNBR, holding roughly 35% and 40% market share respectively. Its 2025 revenue reached €4.28 billion, and the sale could be valued at €6.5–8.5 billion. Proceeds would fund Saudi ec

• SaudiAramco
• Arlanxeo

Celanese has agreed to sell an additional 19% stake in the Nutrinova food ingredients joint venture to Mitsui & Co. for about $152 million in cash. The deal raises Mitsui's holding from 70% to 89%, making Nutrinova a consolidated subsidiary, while Celanese keeps 11%. The stake generated roughly $4 million in equity-method earnings in 2025, implying a valuation near 38x earnings. Celanese calls it an attractive value realization opportunity, using proceeds to repay maturing debt under its delever

• Celanese
• Mitsui&Co.
• Nutrinova

Evonik will close two small German plants next year, affecting roughly 90 employees. The Bitterfeld site, employing about 40 people and producing chlorosilanes including high-purity silicon tetrachloride, shuts at the end of April 2027. Evonik blames worsening market conditions, new Asian supply, and chronically low utilization; alternatives such as downsizing, mothballing, or selling failed to secure viable returns. Supply will shift to Rheinfelden. The Hamburg plant, with about 50 staff making

• Evonik
• SiliconTetrachloride

Solar Industries’ proposed all-cash acquisition of Omnia would combine Indian explosives manufacturing with an established African network in mining chemicals, ammonium nitrate and agricultural inputs.

• Solar Industries
• Omnia Holdings
• Mining Chemicals
• Industrial Explosives
• Fertilizer Industry

AEQUITA’s acquisition of SABIC’s European petrochemical business has entered the EU merger-review process, advancing the creation of an eight-site olefins and polyolefins platform across Europe.

• SABIC Europe
• AEQUITA Acquisition
• European Petrochemicals
• Olefins Polyolefins
• Chemical Industry Consolidation

Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical has selected Lummus technology for the world’s largest licensed single-train PDH unit, further expanding China’s position in the global propylene value chain.

• Zhejiang Petroleum Chemical
• Propane Dehydrogenation
• Propylene Capacity
• CATOFIN Technology
• China Petrochemicals

CordenPharma is expanding its Italian sterile manufacturing site to support up to 500 million injectable units per year across peptides, GLP-1 products, LNPs and biologics.

• CordenPharma
• Sterile Injectables
• Pharmaceutical CDMO
• Aseptic Fill Finish
• GLP1 Manufacturing

Dow Chemical is weighing an exit from Sadara Chemical Co., its roughly $20 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco, according to people familiar with the matter. Dow holds 35% of the venture; Aramco owns 65%. The review is part of Dow's push to streamline its asset portfolio amid a prolonged industry downturn. Aramco could acquire Dow's stake, deepening its control, while other strategic or financial bidders may emerge. Talks remain early and no decision is final.Formed in 2011, Sadara runs 26 p

• DowChemical
• SaudiAramco

Amid tightening Middle East methanol supply, SABIC's joint venture AR-RAZI has secured Saudi government approval for feedstock to build a new 1.8 million mt/year methanol plant in Jubail. This expansion would lift AR-RAZI's total capacity by 44% to roughly 5.85 million mt/year. The approval arrives as regional output collapses—about 62% of Middle East capacity is offline—triggering sharp price rallies and inventory drawdowns in Asia. China's methanol futures surged, while spot quotes climbed to

• SABIC
• Methanol

Luyin Investment Group announced that its subsidiary, Luyin (Heze) Salt, has introduced Wanhua Chemical’s battery unit as a strategic investor. Wanhua invested RMB 333 million for a 40% stake in Heze Salt, a company with minimal revenue and net assets below RMB 70 million.Wanhua’s interest lies not in salt production but in the underground caverns created by salt mining. Heze Salt holds exploration rights for a rock salt mine in Shandong and is involved in planned gas storage and energy storage

• WanhuaChemical
• saltcavern

Two key personnel changes hit Sinopec's system within 24 hours. On September 3, Sinopec Oilfield Service Chairman Wu Bozhi resigned from all posts, ending his term nine months early due to a "job adjustment." The next day, Li Ying, a senior executive at Sinopec Marketing's Shanghai Petroleum Branch, was reported under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary violations. Wu, who joined Shengli Petroleum in 1993 and became chairman in June 2024, oversaw first-half revenue of 37.664 billion

• SinopecOilfield
• SinopecMarketing
• Sinopec

BASF has sued Apple in Texas, alleging that face authentication technology used in dozens of iPhones and iPads infringes its patents, while detailed claims and damages remain undisclosed.

• BASF Apple Lawsuit
• Face Authentication
• Patent Infringement
• Intellectual Property
• Technology Patents

BASF has completed a low three-digit million-euro modernization at Ludwigshafen, raising acid chloride and chloroformate capacity by around 30% while reducing the portfolio's average product carbon footprint by 19%.

• BASF Ludwigshafen
• Acid Chlorides
• Chloroformates
• Chemical Intermediates
• Specialty Chemicals

Ineos Inovyn has agreed to acquire the remaining 50% stake in Runcorn MCP Limited from Vynova Runcorn, which entered bankruptcy trusteeship in 2025. This move secures full ownership of the UK's sole dichloroethane (EDC) production facility, a key feedstock for PVC manufacturing.The Runcorn site represents roughly 89% of UK chlorine capacity and supplies about 98% of the chlorine used for drinking water treatment. Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe has been vocal about Europe's uncompetitive energy cost

• Ineos
• IneosInovyn
• Dichloroethane

Huafon Chemical plans to acquire two affiliated polyurethane businesses for RMB 6.85 billion, adding PU resin and TPU operations to its existing materials portfolio.

• Huafon Chemical
• Polyurethane Industry
• TPU Market
• PU Resins
• Chemical Mergers Acquisitions

Aster’s new Port & Terminals business puts a sizeable Singapore storage-and-marine platform into the commercial market, adding fresh optionality for energy and chemical traders moving through Asia.

• Chemical Logistics
• Singapore
• Tank Storage
• Energy Trading
• Supply Chain

Chinese dye manufacturers are implementing significant price increases across multiple product lines. Zhejiang Longsheng raised reactive dye prices on August 26, with reactive black products jumping by as much as RMB 10,000 per ton. Yabang followed on August 31, increasing anthraquinone disperse dye prices, including a RMB 60,000 per ton hike for Disperse Blue 60 press cake. These adjustments stem from surging upstream costs, particularly H-acid, which has climbed from RMB 40,000 to approximatel

• ZhejiangLongsheng
• Yabang
• Dye