Chemicals
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Ethanol gaining favour as European bunker fuel
Ethanol gaining favour as European bunker fuel
London, 27 October (Argus) — Ethanol is gaining traction as a bunker fuel for methanol-fuelled vessels seeking to meet EU regulatory requirements, because ethanol-methanol blends can offer a lower-cost alternative to pure biomethanol. Ethanol can be used in methanol-fuelled engines with little or no modification. This has attracted interest from shipowners, because ethanol is cheaper than biomethanol and can be used in blends to reduce overall fuel cost. Companies including WinGD, Everllence and Wartsila have conducted successful tests using biomethanol and ethanol blends, as well as 100pc ethanol. In May, Rotterdam port completed its first ethanol-methanol blend bunkering operation. Barcelona port had its first 100pc-ethanol bunkering in July, carried out by Danish shipowner Maersk, which has undertaken its first 100pc ethanol voyage in the first quarter of the year. There are 161 methanol-fuelled ships operating, according to Norwegian classification agency DNV, which began including ethanol-fuelled vessels in its tracking in the first half of this year. The number of methanol-fuelled vessels is set to reach 448 by 2030, DNV said.Ethanol is cheaper and has a higher volumetric energy content than biomethanol. In September, average 75pc greenhouse gas (GHG) crop-based saving ethanol fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) range was at an average €995/t, or €37/GJ. This is compared with more than €896/t or €56/GJ for biomethanol in the same period. The average value of conventional methanol was just over €434/t or €27/GJ in September. Ethanol's volumetric energy content is 26.6 GJ/t (21 GJ/m³), compared with methanol and biomethanol at 16 GJ/t (12.6 GJ/m³). The economics are further improved by the duty treatment of marine fuel. Ethanol imported to the EU for use as bunker fuel pays no duties, while material supplied for the European road-fuel market faces standard duties of €192/m³ for undenatured ethanol and €92/m³ for denatured ethanol, unless preferential trade arrangements apply. Blending ethanol with biomethanol can lower overall cost and increase energy density. Biomethanol provides the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction required for FuelEU compliance, which first generation ethanol — produced from sugar, wheat or corn — cannot. FuelEU requires a 2pc reduction, rising to 6pc in 2030. Ethanol can also act as a substitute for marine gasoil (MGO) in emission control areas (ECAs) because of its low sulphur content. Blending trials involving biomethanol and very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) or marine gasoil (MGO) had faced technical challenges, specifically related to the flash point of the final product, participants said. Demand for marine ethanol could rise further in the coming years. In the Netherlands, a key bunkering market, waste-based ethanol and biomethanol made from feedstocks categorised under Annex IX Part A of the EU renewable energy directive would be eligible to generate Dutch marine ZRE tickets. This could incentivise marine fuel suppliers to keep marine waste-based ethanol and biomethanol prices competitive with non-ZRE eligible fuels, in order to generate enough ZREs to meet their annual obligations, and avoid securing expensive ZREs from over-compliant peers. It could also offer an alternative route to ZRE generation beyond advanced Fame biodiesel, the most common ZRE-eligible fuel currently bunkered in the Netherlands. Argus assessed ZREs at 21.75c/kgCO2e on Monday, 26 October. For one tonne of waste-based ethanol with 90pc GHG savings, this would roughly generate ZRE tickets worth $556/t. By Natália Coelho, Toby Shay, Madeleine Jenkins and Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sabic expects petchem project delays in the Middle East
Sabic expects petchem project delays in the Middle East
Mumbai, 27 October (Argus) — Saudi petrochemical producer Sabic expects delays in the startup of new projects in the Middle East because of ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by the US-Iran conflict, it said on 26 October. "We expect delays in the new projects, especially in the Middle East, but no cancellation," Sabic chief financial officer Salah Al-Hareky said. Rapid petrochemical capacity expansions in China have intensified price competition this decade, and several producers have begun to rationalise their capacities or modify feedstock slates to grapple with oversupply and geopolitical uncertainty. The current upside in petrochemical prices would likely recede, according to Al-Hareky. "Is it six months, one year? We do not know, but it is temporary," he said. Sabic's Fujian complex in China remains on track for startup in the fourth quarter, it said. The firm also reported a 24pc increase in third-quarter petrochemicals sales volumes from the second quarter to 6.71mn t. Several key projects are scheduled to start operations in the Middle East in the coming years. The new capacity includes Borouge 4 in the UAE, which would add 1.4mn t/yr of production to the UAE-based producer's existing portfolio. Borouge would ramp up operations throughout the year after initial startup of production, it said in April. Satorp, a joint venture between Saudi state-controlled Aramco and TotalEnergies, would add another 1.7 mn t/yr of ethylene capacity in Saudi Arabia. Commercial operations at the project were expected to begin in 2027. Chevron Phillips Chemical and state-owned QatarEnergy are also investing in an ethylene cracker with a capacity of 2.08 mn t/yr. The project was initially expected to be completed by 2026. The companies did not immediately respond to Argus ' requests for comment on the startup dates. By Sourasis Bose Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU lawmakers push for swift packaging deal
EU lawmakers push for swift packaging deal
Brussels, 26 October (Argus) — The European parliament and EU member states must quickly agree on easing extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations for small and online businesses under the bloc's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), German centre-right lawmakers said. The EU parliament and governments must now agree a final legal text before any changes to EPR obligations can enter into force. The parliament adopted a proposed amendment to the PPWR on 20 October that would suspend EPR obligations for "microenterprises or small enterprises" until 1 January 2035, or until the application of an EU law establishing a horizontal EPR framework. The European Commission has also proposed suspending EPR obligations for batteries and waste batteries. "Small firms can no longer sell their products in other EU member states because of disproportionate rules and high costs," said Peter Liese, environment policy spokesperson for the European People's Party (EPP), the parliament's largest political group. Liese said the parliament and EU member states have now both laid the groundwork for a solution. The PPWR requires companies making cross-border sales in other EU member states to appoint an authorised representative for EPR compliance. Liese said the requirement has made selling into other EU countries economically "hardly possible" for some businesses. EU member states agreed on 21 October to suspend the EPR requirement until 1 January 2032 for producers placing less than 1t of packaging on the market annually in a given member state. As in the commission's proposal, the suspension would apply to all EU producers, regardless of size, as well as battery producers. Oliver Schenk, an EPP member of the parliament's environment committee, said the council's 1t threshold may not go far enough, noting that Germany had proposed a threshold of 10t. "The differing positions of the council and parliament must not now lead to a new blockage," Schenk said. An EU official expects negotiations on the final legal text to begin later in November. Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sabic’s 3Q petrochemicals sales up by 24pc from 2Q
Sabic’s 3Q petrochemicals sales up by 24pc from 2Q
Amsterdam, 26 October (Argus) — Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) reported a 24pc increase in third-quarter petrochemicals sales volumes from the second quarter to 6.71mn t in the third quarter. Despite a challenging operating environment, the firm boosted overall sales volumes to around 80pc of levels before the start of the Middle East crisis in late February, it said today. Sabic's petrochemicals segment includes two categories — chemicals, including olefins, methanol, aromatics, glycols, carbon dioxide and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and polymers, comprising polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), speciality products and other polymers. Sabic leveraged alternative shipping routes after logistical disruptions in the strait of Hormuz constrained trade flows, increasing polymer volumes shipped from Al Jubail to Saudi Arabia's west coast ports by more than 230pc compared with pre-crisis levels for onward shipment to destination markets. The firm also took advantage of safe passage through the strait of Hormuz whenever available and reported a 38pc quarter-on-quarter increase in vessel liftings. Petrochemicals sales prices fell by 10pc in the third quarter, primarily driven by lower polymer values that eased from elevated levels in the second quarter. Prices remained above 2024 and 2025 levels, but the firm expects petrochemicals markets to return to the lower part of the cycle once the Middle East crisis ends and regional production returns to normal rates. Global petrochemical capacity continues to outpace demand, sustaining pressure on industry operating rates and margins and leading to rationalisation of disadvantaged assets across the industry. Sabic remains focused on addressing structural industry challenges through portfolio optimisation and selective growth. The firm completed the divestment of its engineering thermoplastics business in the Americas and Europe in the third quarter and remains on track to close the sale of its European petrochemicals business in the fourth quarter. Sabic is focusing on key growth regions and value chains, with its Fujian Petrochemical complex in southern China on track for full start-up during the fourth quarter after three core units — which mainly produce PE and PP — successfully completed trial runs on the first attempt in the third quarter. The firm also announced a final investment decision to build an integrated 1.2mn t/yr ammonia and 2.6mn t/yr urea complex in Jubail , which will increase its urea capacity by 54pc by the end of 2030. Sabic's subsidiary secured feedstock allocation to develop an additional 1.8mn t/yr of methanol production capacity in Jubail. Sabic's revenue increased by 14pc in the third quarter from the second quarter to 28.17bn riyals ($7.51bn), with a 30pc increase in sales volumes offsetting a 13pc decline in sales prices across products. By Liana Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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