Chemicals
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China's Goldwind produces RED III-compliant biomethanol
China's Goldwind produces RED III-compliant biomethanol
Shanghai, 10 September (Argus) — Chinese green methanol producer Goldwind Green Energy achieved a successful trial run at its 250,000 t/yr biomethanol unit in Xing'an League, Inner Mongolia, this week, producing biomethanol that meets the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) sustainability requirements. The company held a ceremony at the project site on 10 September to mark the first shipment of 500t of biomethanol trial product from the facility. Goldwind will transport the cargo to Yingkou port in northeast China's Liaoning province before shipping it to South Korea. The batch carries a carbon intensity (CI) value of around 24.5g CO₂/MJ on an ex-factory basis, Goldwind told Argus . The 250,000 t/yr entrained-flow bed unit is Goldwind's first production line to enter operation and is the world's largest green methanol production facility to date, using wind-powered green hydrogen and corn straw from the surrounding agricultural region. The company aims to commence commercial operations in two weeks, following the trial run. The facility is part of Goldwind's broader green methanol project in Xing'an League. The company launched the project in 2024, and it will produce 500,000 t/yr of green methanol upon full completion. Goldwind and the Xing'an League Administrative Office signed further investment agreements in October 2025 for the second and third phases of the green methanol project, which will have a total capacity of 1.45mn t/yr of green methanol upon full completion. Goldwind has secured two long-term offtake agreements with major container shipowners, including a 500,000 t/yr supply agreement with Maersk and a 250,000 t/yr agreement with Hapag-Lloyd . Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US rail volumes log strong growth in August: AAR
US rail volumes log strong growth in August: AAR
Houston, 9 September (Argus) — US rail carload volumes rose in August to the highest level in nearly eight years while weekly rail traffic rose by nearly 14pc from a year earlier, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. AAR attributed the increases to resilient US consumer demand, higher US manufacturing activity, and rising diesel costs, which have made rail shipments more cost-effective compared with competing transport options such as trucks. Class I railroads shipped 533,545 carloads and intermodal units over the week ended 5 September, up by 14pc compared with the same week last year, AAR said Wednesday. Weekly non-intermodal traffic averaged more than 235,000 railcars in August, the most since October 2019 and the eighth straight year-over-year gain. Railcar growth was broad-based and stretched across 15 of the 20 carload categories that the AAR tracks. On a monthly basis, Class I railroads shipped nearly 300,000 intermodal containers and trailers per week in August, up by more than 4pc from a year earlier and besting the previous record set in June. Combined US carload and intermodal volume in August was the most in nearly eight years, AAR said without providing specifics. Metallic ore shipments posted the biggest percentage gains in August, rising by 19pc from a year earlier, followed by a 16pc increase for coke, a nearly 16pc gain for lumber and wood products and a 9.1pc increase for petroleum products. Chemicals shipments logged the seventh increase in eight months and are on a record annual pace, the AAR said, driven in part to lower US natural gas prices that have incentivized output at petrochemical and other industrial plants. Shipments of grain and coal, the two biggest categories that Class I railroads haul by volume, diverged. Grain shipments grew by 7.8pc in August from a year earlier and were up for the tenth straight month, driven by strong grain exports. Coal volumes in August fell by 2pc from year-earlier levels and were down for the sixth straight month, AAR said. Coal has become a drag on overall rail volumes after driving growth earlier in 2026. Several Class I railroads have attributed falling coal volumes to lower natural gas prices and weaker utility demand. Railed coal traffic has fallen by more than 50pc over the past 20 years but remains the single highest-volume category for most US railroads, AAR said. AAR also pointed to falling inventories of railcars in storage as another sign of strong shipping demand. Stored railcars as a share of total cars in service fell to 18.1pc in August from 21.7pc in January, and more than 59,000 railcars have been taken out of storage over that period, AAR said. By Chris Baltimore Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil's August soybean oil exports rise 31pc
Brazil's August soybean oil exports rise 31pc
Sao Paulo, 4 September (Argus) — Brazil's August soybean oil exports increased by 31pc from a year earlier to nearly 206,648 metric tonnes (t), driven by stronger Indian demand. January-August exports increased by 42pc from a year earlier to around 1.57mn t. India was the leading destination, accounting for nearly 176,683t, or 85pc of total Brazilian soybean oil exports in August. Increased international demand for Brazilian soybean oil comes as buyers switch to soybean oil cargos after palm oil prices surged following higher biodiesel blending mandates in Indonesia and Malaysia. This brought Latin American soybean oil into focus among Asian vegetable oil importers. At this rate, Brazil's soybean oil shipments could reach 2mn t in 2026, according to grain processing companies' estimates, higher than the 1.7mn t projected from Brazil's association of vegetable oil industries Abiove. Beef tallow exports Brazil's August tallow exports fell by approximately 37pc year-on-year to 40,600t. January-August exports dropped by 35pc from the same period in 2025 to around 231,800t. The decline was largely driven lower volumes to the US, the main overseas destination for Brazil's beef tallow. Higher tariffs and uncertainty over trade policy have reduced buying interest and disrupted established trade flows. Market participants expect exports of beef tallow to decline further in the coming months, as most of the volumes shipped recently were negotiated before the new tariffs imposed by the administration of US president Donald Trump took effect. The limited quantities still expected to be exported to the US are likely to move under duty drawback provisions, which allow tariffs paid on imported inputs to be refunded under certain conditions. Biodiesel exports Brazil exported approximately 7,400t of biodiesel in August, down by 45pc from the same month a year earlier. Cumulative exports for January-August totaled about 73,130t, up by 6pc from the corresponding period in 2025. Monthly export volumes are driven not only by overseas demand and arbitrage opportunities, but also by the availability of biodiesel produced from low-carbon feedstocks. This is particularly important for Europe, the primary destination for Brazilian biodiesel exports, where fuel must meet sustainability criteria to qualify for greenhouse gas reduction credits and other renewable fuel incentives. By Beatriz Pacheco and Natalia Dalle Cort Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US ethane exports hit new peak in Aug: Kpler
US ethane exports hit new peak in Aug: Kpler
Houston, 4 September (Argus) — US ethane exports reached a new record high of 814,000 b/d in August, data from vessel-tracking service Kpler show. The gains, which follow earlier expansions at Enterprise's and Energy Transfer's export terminals, are up from 620,000 b/d in July. The bulk of exports, or 618,000 b/d, shipped to China, as increases in ethane-derived ethylene capacity and higher naphtha prices in the region bolstered demand. Shipments to India, meanwhile fell versus July to 53,000 b/d, but were steady year-on-year. Ethane loadings bound for Europe fell from 82,000 b/d to 77,000 b/d between July and August, the lowest shipments to that region since December 2022, owing to lower ethylene prices there. Ethane shipments from Enterprise's Morgan's Point terminal near La Porte, Texas, hit a record 332,000 b/d, well over the nameplate capacity at the facility. Ethane loadings out of Enterprise's Neches River terminal rose to 188,000 b/d in August. Energy Transfer's Nederland, Texas, terminal, shipped 217,000 b/d. Energy Transfer's Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, terminal shipped 77,000 b/d of ethane in August. Ethane prices at Mont Belvieu, Texas, in dollar-per-tonne terms, averaged a $190.71/t discount to propane in August, the narrowest spread since February. By Joseph Barbour Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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