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Eneos, India’s NTPC to collaborate on green methanol

  • Spanish Market: Biofuels, E-fuels, Hydrogen, Petrochemicals
  • 15/10/25

Japanese refiner Eneos will partner with Indian state-owned utility NTPC's renewable energy subsidiary for potential supply of green methanol, Eneos said on 14 October.

Eneos and NTPC's wholly owned subsidiary NTPC Green Energy (NGEL) signed an initial agreement on 10 October for future supply of renewable energy-derived methanol and hydrogen derivatives, which include synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) and other synthetic fuels.

NGEL will produce the products in Andhra Pradesh, south India. Meanwhile, Eneos will receive the green methanol and supply it as marine fuel, the Japanese company told Argus. The Japanese refiner is also considering using the methanol as feedstock to produce synthetic gasoline, e-SAF or low-carbon olefins in the future, it added.

NGEL has been collaborating with Japanese engineering firm Toyo Engineering to build a supply chain for green methanol.

Toyo and NTPC recently completed a feasibility study for the project, of which Eneos also participated in. The agreement between Eneos and NGEL comes as the development moves into its front end engineering design (Feed) phase.


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18/11/25

Rio Tinto backs low-CO2 iron plant: Correction

Rio Tinto backs low-CO2 iron plant: Correction

Corrects figure for the amount of hydrogen needed by Fortescue to produce iron in paragraph 4 Sydney, 18 November (Argus) — UK-Australian iron ore producer Rio Tinto will invest A$35mn ($23mn) into Australian technology developer Calix to help it build a 30,000 t/yr hydrogen-based direct reduction iron and hot briquetted iron demonstration plant in Kwinana. Rio Tinto's investment package includes A$8mn in cash, 10,000t of Pilbara iron ore, and other in-kind support, Calix said on 17 November. Rio Tinto will be able to market and use Calix's developing technology, on a non-exclusive basis, under the deal, the iron ore producer said. Rio Tinto's Pilbara ore will support early work at the demonstration plant. But Calix will use a range of ore grades and types at the site, including lower-grade fines. Lower-emissions iron projects generally use higher-grade magnetite ore. Calix's Zero Emissions Steel Technology (Zesty) process uses 54kg of hydrogen to produce 1t of iron, the company said on 23 July. Australian producer Fortescue expects to use 51kg of hydrogen to make 1t of iron. Calix plans to open its Zesty demonstration plant in 2028. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency awarded Calix a A$45mn grant to support the project in July. Calix will build the plant on the proposed site of Rio Tinto's BioIron pilot plant. Rio Tinto has planned to produce 1 t/hr of iron using biomass and iron ore at the site. But the company is still working on BioIron's final design, it said today. Rio Tinto has not announced a timeline for its BioIron project. Rio Tinto is also working on other low-emission iron projects. It is part of the NeoSmelt consortium — made up of five major metals and energy producers — that is developing a 30,000-40,000 t/yr direct reduction iron plant. NeoSmelt may further process iron produced by Calix, Rio Tinto said. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Unipar sees lower 3Q profit on sluggish petchem cycle


14/11/25
14/11/25

Unipar sees lower 3Q profit on sluggish petchem cycle

Sao Paulo, 14 November (Argus) — Brazilian company Unipar Carbocloro, South America's largest producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), reported a net profit of R107mn ($20.2mn) in the third quarter of 2025, 9pc below the same period last year. The results were primarily driven by a downturn in the petrochemical cycle and a persistent imbalance between global supply and demand. Unipar's average plant utilization rate remained at 80pc in Brazil and reached 67pc in Argentina, both impacted by temporary reductions in operations due to weak demand at certain times during the quarter. Chief executive Rodrigo Cannaval noted mounting pressure on Brazil's domestic PVC market from imports, particularly from Colombia and Egypt, alongside weak demand in Argentina amid President Javier Milei's macroeconomic reforms. International caustic soda and PVC prices decreased 11pc and 5pc, respectively, compared to the second quarter, curtailing Unipar's adjusted recurring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of R266mn, which also suffered negative effects from currency appreciation in Brazil, even though the company's cash flow is mostly tied to the US dollar. Annually, adjusted recurring EBITDA increased 14pc, from R233mn, mostly due to higher volumes of caustic soda and chlorinated products, offsetting 15pc lower sales of PVC. PVC accounted for 40pc of the company's revenue in the quarter, followed by caustic soda (39pc) and chlorinated products (21pc). Additionally, Unipar's Capex should be significantly smaller next year, Cannaval said during the company's third-quarter earnings conference call, given that the modernization of the Cubatao plant is nearing completion. It is the company's most relevant ongoing project, he said, and affected both gross and net debt in the quarter. The Cubatao plant has production capacity of 355,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr of chlorine and 400,000 t/yr of caustic soda. Unipar introduced new PVC pricing after Brazil increased antidumping duties on US imports to 43.7pc from 8.2pc. But Cannaval said PVC demand in Brazil continues to lag amid elevated interest rates. The petrochemical firm posted net revenue of R1.2bn, 8pc below the same quarter the previous year. Unipar's net debt hit R1.5bn, 275pc above R459mn reported a year ago. By Isabela Mendes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: 10 countries pledge to align transport with 1.5ºC


14/11/25
14/11/25

Cop: 10 countries pledge to align transport with 1.5ºC

Belem, 14 November (Argus) — A group of 10 countries led by Chile called for a global effort to cut energy demand from the transport sector by 25pc by 2035, aligning it with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The coalition was formed at the UN Cop 30 climate summit, which is underway in Belem, northern Brazil. Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are the other signatory countries so far. "We are committed to making transport a key pillar of climate action, agreeing a shared framework for resilient and low emissions transport systems", Chile's transport minister Juan Carlos Munoz told journalists at Cop 30. Cutting energy demand from transport — the second-largest emitting sector — allows for "a clear measurable direction towards a net zero scenario in the transport sector in 2050", he added. Chile is a natural leader for the coalition as it is a global leader in efforts to electrify its public transport fleet. The country's capital Santiago is the city with most electric buses outside of China, Munoz said. It had around 3,000 electric buses in 2024, according to a report by Agora Verkehrswende, a non-governmental organisation focused on climate neutrality in transport. But it will have 4,400 by March, Munoz added. The coalition will now work to create a roadmap to reach the pledge's goal and measure progress for future Cops, according to Slocat, a global partnership that promotes sustainable, low-carbon transport. Sustainable fuels, renewable sources Although the pledge will heavily rely on electrification, it also calls on countries to shift one-third of energy powering transport to sustainable biofuels and renewable sources. Brazil is the second-biggest biofuel producer globally, trailing only behind the US. But it will consider any route that both decarbonizes its fleet and drives national industry, Brazilian minister of cities Jader Barbalho Filho told Argus , mentioning specifically liquid nitrogen and biomethane. Including existing and expected projects, Brazil could have 2.4mn m³/d of biomethane capacity by 2027, data from hydrocarbons regulator ANP show. The shift to sustainable biofuels and renewables sources plays well into Brazil's Belem 4x pledge , which calls for a global effort to quadruple global output and use of sustainable fuels by 2035, Filho added. "The Chilean government looked for us [to present the transport pledge] exactly because we already have [Belem 4x]", he said. The Belem 4x pledge now has 23 country signatories, Cop 30 chief executive Ana Toni said today. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Italian recyclers stop collecting bales from sorters


14/11/25
14/11/25

Italian recyclers stop collecting bales from sorters

London, 14 November (Argus) — A number of Italian recyclers in the Assorimap industry association have stopped collecting plastic waste from sorting centres, pending "urgent measures" to save the country's recycling sector, which it said has suffered an 87pc reduction in operating profits since 2021. Assorimap said this week that the Italian recycling industry is suffering from high energy costs compared with other parts of Europe, and "unsustainable competition from non-EU imports of virgin and recycled plastic at rock-bottom prices". It said that its members would shut down recycling plants in response to the crisis. The association is seeking measures including bringing forward mandatory recycled content in plastic packaging to 2027 — from 2030, as laid out under the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — as well as recognition of carbon credits for secondary raw material suppliers and increased control on the traceability of imports. An Italian recycler told Argus today that it had stopped collecting bales from sorting centres, and that it expected that others had begun to do the same, although some pickups may continue, particularly where transport had already been arranged. A source from a sorting centre confirmed that several large customers that had bought PET and HDPE bales from their company through the Italian auction system for November were declining to collect them. They said that, unless the situation is resolved, they would soon fill up their capacity for bale stocks and be compelled to stop taking in mixed plastic waste at the facility. Plastic waste from the Italian separate collection system is sorted into individual fractions, which are then sold to recyclers via a monthly auction. The Italian government recently announced that it would delay the implementation of a €450/t ($523/t) tax on single-use plastics — which would include exemptions for recycled plastics — to 1 January 2027, from 1 July 2026. Implementation of the tax has now been delayed eight times since an initial decree in 2020. By Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU conditionally clears Adnoc-Covestro deal under FSR


14/11/25
14/11/25

EU conditionally clears Adnoc-Covestro deal under FSR

London, 14 November (Argus) — The European Commission has given conditional approval to plans by Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc to acquire German chemicals group Covestro under the EU's foreign subsidies regulation (FSR). Adnoc, to address the commission's competition concerns relating to state subsidies, offered to adapt its articles of association to make sure they align with UAE insolvency law, thereby removing unlimited guarantee from the state. It will also share Covestro's sustainability patents with certain market participants. "Clear, predefined access to these patents will enable others to innovate and advance research in an area that is critical for Europe's future," commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera said. The commission said these commitments "will balance out the negative effects" of the €12bn ($13.9bn) Adnoc-Covestro deal in the EU market. During an in-depth investigation, the commission found that "Adnoc and Covestro received foreign subsidies from the UAE that are liable to distort the EU internal market." These subsidies include an unlimited state guarantee to Adnoc, as well as a committed capital increase from Adnoc into Covestro. "As a result, the merged entity could have engaged in more aggressive investment strategies than absent the subsidies, to the detriment of other market participants and competitive conditions in the internal market," the commission said. The commission gave the green light to the acquisition in May, but decided to launch an in-depth probe in July under the FSR because of competition concerns relating to state subsidies. The FSR began in July 2023 and allows the commission to address distortion caused by foreign subsidies as a way of ensuring a laying playing field for all companies in the EU market. By Monicca Egoy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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