Argus Methanol & Ammonia Conference

Methanol Stream

Ammonia Stream

The Argus methanol market update: Supply, demand, and volatility

• What is the current state of global methanol supply, which plants are online or offline, and how quickly can lost capacity, particularly in the Middle East, realistically return?
• How have conflicts and geopolitical shifts reshaped methanol trade flows, pricing dynamics, and the competitive role of the US as a key producing region?
• How have methanol prices evolved amid disruption, and what is the outlook for volatility going forward?
• How are global market pressures contributing to US methanol prices

Speaker:

Dave McCaskill, Vice President, Methanol and Derivatives Service, Argus

The Americas fertilizer update: Can supply keep up in a volatile world?

• Will US fertilizer and ammonia supply be able to meet domestic demand in the wake of geopolitical disruption, and where do the key supply risks lie?
• How have geopolitical changes reshaped the global fertilizer landscape and altered trade flows across the Americas?
• What do these shifts mean for pricing, regional competitiveness, and the outlook for fertilizer markets in North and Latin America?

Methanol derivatives outlook: Downstream demand, regional shifts, and what’s next for the market

• What is the outlook for key methanol derivatives, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, MTBE, and olefins, and where is demand proving resilient or weakening?
• How are regional demand trends and downstream sector performance shaping global methanol consumption and future growth across end-use markets?
• How are shifts in downstream demand and the broader chemical industry outlook influencing upstream methanol production strategies and market direction?

Managing volatility in the global ammonia market

• How has the current Middle East conflict impacted the global ammonia market and pricing
• How is new US ammonia production capacity reshaping market dynamics
• Examining shifting trade flows and future outlooks: how long will it take for Middle Eastern capacity to return?

Speaker:

Lizzy Lancaster, Deputy Editor, Ammonia, Argus

Methanol Stream

Ammonia Stream

China and Asian methanol insights: Shifting production, trade flows and competitive dynamics

• How has methanol-to-olefins (MTO) demand shifted and how has this influenced the methanol market?
• What is the outlook for demand across China’s downstream sectors, especially MTO, and how are margin pressure, operating rates, and derivative markets influencing overall methanol consumption?
• How are geopolitical supply disruptions and shifting export dynamics reshaping import dependencies, trade flows, and long-term competitiveness across Asian methanol markets?

Speaker:

Becky Zhang, Asia Methanol Lead Consultant, Argus

Can market-based mechanisms unlock demand for low-carbon ammonia in fertilizers?

• How corporate buyers such as the food and beverage industry are creating new demand signals for low-carbon ammonia through environmental attribute agreements and book-and-claim systems
• The role of environmental attribute certificates and tokenisation in scaling investment, de-risking new capacity, and enabling near-term fertilizer decarbonisation
• Distributed production models and localised ammonia supply assessing implications for cost, resilience, and adoption across the agricultural value chain

European methanol demand outlook: End-use sectors and market direction

• What is the outlook for methanol demand across Europe’s key end-use sectors and how will economic headwinds shape growth?
• How is Europe’s increasing reliance on imports, shifting trade flows and regional competitiveness?
• What do current market dynamics mean for future methanol demand and the risk of demand destruction in Europe?

From plant to farm: Securing ammonia supply in a volatile US market

• Where are the key vulnerabilities across the US ammonia supply chain, from Gulf Coast production to Midwest storage and inland logistics, and how can they be mitigated?
• How are US producers, distributors, and cooperatives adapting sourcing strategies, logistics networks, and inventory management to ensure reliable supply during peak demand?
• What do shifting trade flows, export demand, and domestic constraints mean for ammonia availability, pricing, and purchasing strategies?  

The global methanol plant landscape

• Mapping global methanol production - existing plants and those under development
• Analysing the global methanol project pipeline and key regional trends
• Understanding the barriers to new capacity: why are more plants not reaching final investment decision or coming online?

Speaker:

Dr. Matthias Stein, Director Chemicals Market, Air Liquide Engineering – Lurgi Technologies

Ammonia transport and logistics

• Where are the key US logistical bottlenecks for ammonia?
• How are rising production volumes and shifting trade flows impacting infrastructure requirements, and can logistics keep pace with growing domestic and export demand?
  
  

Opening Remarks

Opening Remarks

Methanol Stream

Ammonia Stream

Innovation showcase: Advancing low-carbon methanol production technologies

This session will delve into the latest innovative products and technologies shaping the future of low-carbon methanol.

Sessions given by:

Johnson Matthey

Topsoe

TOYO Engineering

Global regulatory outlook: Stimulating clean ammonia demand

• How is the global policy and regulatory landscape for clean ammonia evolving across key demand centres such as Japan, Korea, and Europe?
• What are the future regulatory timelines and policy mechanisms, including mandates and CBAM, and how will they translate into tangible demand for clean ammonia?
• How do demand-side regulations align with production incentives, and what does this mean for global competitiveness and the role of US ammonia in a decarbonising market?

Speaker:

Amit Goyal, Senior Director – Low Carbon Services, North America, DNV

Policy and regulation update: The future of low-carbon methanol

• How has policy support for low-carbon methanol evolved over the past year, and what impact has this had on market development and investment?
• What are the upcoming regulatory timelines and directions of travel, and how are mandates and subsidies shaping the future of the clean methanol market?
• Can regulation enable commercially viable and affordable low-carbon methanol, and what does this mean for demand growth and market scale?
• Where is policy heading, particularly in the US, and how will this define the long-term trajectory of the low-carbon methanol market?
• How are biofuel mandates shaping demand for low-carbon methanol across regions?

Speaker:

Larry Navin, VP External Affairs, Methanol Institute

Innovation showcase: Advancing low-carbon ammonia production technologies

This session will delve into the latest innovative products and technologies shaping the future of low-carbon methanol

Methanol Stream

Ammonia Stream

China and e-methanol bunkering: Scaling supply, pricing reality, and global market leadership

• Will China drive global scale in low-carbon methanol, and can project delivery keep pace with ambitious capacity growth and offtake commitments?
• How are pricing dynamics evolving, and can e-methanol become commercially viable as buyers push back against current cost premiums?
• Where is real demand emerging and how are infrastructure, bunkering constraints, and regional dynamics shaping adoption?

Speaker:

Becky Zhang, Asia Methanol Lead Consultant, Argus

Driving low-carbon ammonia project bankability: How cancapitalflow amid regulatory uncertainty

• How can projects be structured to maximise bankability, attract investment, and successfully reach FID in uncertain policy and market conditions?
• What are the key barriers preventing clean ammonia projects from achieving financial close, and what assurances do financiers need toproceed?
• How are stakeholder expectations evolving, and how can developers, lenders, and off-takers be aligned to unlock investment?

Can low-carbon methanol find demand beyond maritime?

• How large is the opportunity for low-carbon methanol beyond shipping, and which sectors are emerging as demand drivers?
• What are the key barriers to demand growth and how must the market evolve to unlock cross-sector adoption of low-carbon methanol?
• How is methanol positioning itself within the broader biofuels landscape, including SAF, road fuels, and renewable fuel mandates?
  
  

Advancingcertification schemes for clean ammonia

• Recent developments in U.S. and international certification systems influencing the growth of clean ammonia markets
• Identifying overlaps and harmonisation opportunities across certification standards
• Defining how policymakers, industry bodies, and certification organisations can collaborate to support wider adoption

Speaker:

Jakob Krummenacher, VP of Clean Energy, LSB Industries

What will it take to scale low-carbon methanol?

• Has geopolitical disruption accelerated momentum for low-carbon methanol, and how are energy security concerns and price dynamics reshaping global investment?
• What is the real state of project development and which pathways are gaining traction, and where are projects actually progressing
• What are the key barriers to scale, from technology and cost to offtake and financing, and what is required to make projects truly bankable?
• To what extent will emerging fuel applications such as SAF provide the offtake certainty needed to unlock project investment?

Speakers:

Tim Ceserak, Operating Partner, Ara Partners

Brian Davis, Chief Executive Officer, C2X

Scaling infrastructure for a competitive clean ammonia economy

• Which regions are leading the development of ammonia production capacity and supporting infrastructure?
• How will expanding ammonia infrastructure influence global trade flows and competitiveness in the clean ammonia market?
• How is Europe’s midstream sector evolving to support the emerging ammonia economy?
• What critical infrastructure investments are still needed to accelerate the growth of the clean ammonia industry?
  
  

Low-carbon methanol pathways: Blue, e-methanol & bio-methanol - which will take off?

• How do blue, e-methanol, and bio-methanol pathways compare in terms of cost, carbon intensity, and scalability?
• What is the current state of technology readiness, and what are the key challenges to scaling each production route?
• Which pathways are gaining real commercial traction globally, and what role will policy, economics, and innovation play in determining the winners?

Driving clean ammonia project development