Heavy olefins
Overview
Global butadiene production and demand are dominated by northeast Asia. Although the region continues to add both supply and derivative projects, there have been market inefficiencies that have resulted in deep sea imports into the region. Accurate and timely analysis will help producers, consumers and traders navigate these turbulent times.
The C5 and hydrocarbon resins industry has experienced a fundamental shift in the past few years, going from several acute shortages to a glut of products in the markets. Producers, industrial chemicals companies, chemical distributors, traders and technology providers all need to understand how this will play out, especially in light of new entries into the global market. Argus’ C5 and Hydrocarbon Resins Service is the only global service of its kind.
Our experts will help you determine what trends to track and how to stay competitive in today’s ever-changing global markets.
Latest heavy olefins news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global heavy olefins industry.
Dow to close German cracker, other assets by 4Q 2027
Dow to close German cracker, other assets by 4Q 2027
London, 7 July (Argus) — US chemicals firm Dow said today it will permanently close its ethylene cracker in Bohlen, Germany, and chlor-alkali and vinyl assets in nearby Schkopau, in the fourth quarter of 2027. It will close its siloxanes plant in Barry, UK, in mid-2026. "The shutdown of upstream assets in Europe will right-size regional capacity, reduce merchant sale exposure, and remove higher-cost, energy-intensive portions of Dow's portfolio in the region," the company said. The assets were included in Dow's strategic review in April. It said at the time the sites were being considered for idling or closure. The Bohlen cracker has a nameplate capacity of 540,000 t/yr of ethylene and a propylene capacity of 285,000 t/yr. It also has a butadiene extraction unit with a nameplate capacity of 105,000 t/yr. At Schkopau, Dow has a membrane cell chlor-alkali capacity of 250,000 t/yr and 740,000 t/yr of ethylene dichloride capacity. The site previously had around 330,000 t/yr of capacity for chloride monomer (VCM) production, with two lines operating at the site, but Dow closed the larger of the two lines to reduce capacity to roughly 110,000 t/yr earlier in 2024. Dow's polyethylene assets in Schkopau — a 210,000 t/yr LLD-HDPE unit and 108,000 t/yr LDPE unit — were not part of the review and will continue to operate. Dow said closure of the upstream assets would "improve our ability to supply profitable derivative demand and optimise margins". The PE units can utilise an ethylene pipeline that runs between them and Dow's storage and import infrastructure in Stade, Germany. The extended lead-time of the closures will allow Dow to wind down existing contracts and give customers time to attempt to source alternative material. Customers include the former Dow polypropylene plant at Schkopau, which it sold to Brazil-based petrochemical company Braskem in 2011 and that receives feedstock propylene from the Boehlen cracker. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select European assets
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select European assets
London, 17 June (Argus) — Petrochemicals firm LyondellBasell is in exclusive negotiations with Munich-based industrial investment firm Aequita regarding the sale of four olefin and polyolefin assets in Europe. The deal includes its integrated cracker and polyolefin assets in Berre, France, and Muenchsmuenster, Germany, as well as stand-alone polypropylene sites in Carrington, UK, and Tarragona, Spain. The deal is contingent on local council approval and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, LyondellBasell says. The sites were part of six put under strategic review in May 2024. The assets "represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a long-standing customer base", the firms say. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select assets: Correction
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select assets: Correction
Changes financial figures in third paragraph to € from $ London, 5 June (Argus) — LyondellBasell said it is in exclusive negotiations with Munich-based industrial investment firm Aequita, regarding the sale of four olefin and polyolefin assets in Europe. The deal includes its integrated cracker and polyolefin assets in Berre, France and Muenchmuenster, Germany, and stand-alone polypropylene (PP) sites in Carrington, UK and Tarragona, Spain. The deal is contingent on consultations with local works councils and is expected to close in the first half of 2026. The sites were part of six put under strategic review in May 2024. LyondellBasell's Brindisi PP asset is not part of the deal and its future remains under review. Lyondell Basell confirmed the closure of its Maasvlakte propylene oxide-styrene monomer plant — the final site included in its initial review — in March. The companies said that the package of assets "represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a longstanding customer base and with access and connectivity to key infrastructure". LyondellBasell will contribute €265mn ($303mn) of €275mn total cash funding to support the separated business, but said that the sale would reduce its annual capex by around €110mn, reduce fixed costs by €400mn, and reduce the scope for decarbonisation investments. Decarbonisation of the Berre and Muenchmuenster sites by 42pc of 2020 levels by 2030, as previously committed to by LyondellBasell, would cost hundreds of millions of euros, or more on a faster timescale. Sale of the assets was preferential to closing them, which would incur environmental liabilities, now assumed by Aequita, LyondellBasell said. Aequita is a private equity group focussed on companies in special situations and group carve outs. It has no other chemicals businesses, but other investments include industrial and automotive parts suppliers. Managing partner Christoph Himmel said "Each site brings a strong operational foundation and a highly experienced, committed employee base. We are confident in our ability to accelerate their development". LyondellBasell indicated that it remains committed to Europe, and said the sale will concentrate its European footprint on "economically sustainable sites". Its remaining European assets are centred around two crackers and downstream units in Wesseling, Germany, PP assets in Italy and propylene oxide capacity in France and the Netherlands. Tarragona and Carrington have capacities of 390,000 t/yr and 210,000 t/yr of PP, respectively. Muenchmuenster has capacity of 400,000 t/yr of ethylene, 265,000 t/yr of propylene, 67,000 t/yr of crude C4s and downstream production of 320,000 t/yr of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Berre has capacity to produce 465,000 t/yr of ethylene, 270,000 t/yr of propylene and 155,000 t/yr of crude C4s. The site at Berre also has downstream capacity for 320,000 t/yr of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), 350,000 t/yr of PP and 80,000 t/yr of butadiene extraction. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan petchem producers urged to turn to ethane
Japan petchem producers urged to turn to ethane
Declining exports and demand signal that Japan's petchem sector is lagging behind its competitors, writes Nanami Oki Tokyo, 5 March (Argus) — Japan's petrochemical producers should convert their ethylene steam crackers to low-cost ethane rather than naphtha and LPG and should do so now before the challenges become impossible, refinery integration research association Ring says. Japan has a total cracking capacity of around 6.8mn t/yr, most of which is naphtha-fed with about 6.2mn t/yr of this coming with the flexibility to crack some degree of LPG, Argus data show (see table). Operators should turn to cheaper ethane imported from the US, Ring says, adding that it is concerned Japan's petrochemical sector is falling behind international competitors such as China , South Korea and Vietnam in a burgeoning feedstock transition to ethane. The country's petrochemical sector is already struggling from declining exports and domestic demand, pressured by regional oversupply driven by China. This has prompted Japanese firms to cut production of ethylene and other petrochemicals while focusing more on high-performance goods. But overseas competitors will catch up with Japanese technologies to generate these value-added products, so it is crucial to secure cheaper feedstock in the long term, Ring says. Switching to ethane-fed crackers could help domestic firms retain their competitiveness, with potential cost reductions of up to $400/t of ethylene output, Ring estimates. But the industry faces headwinds if it is to transition, the association says. One issue is that the companies do not have requisite funds for large-scale investments in switching to ethane that the associated infrastructure requires as a result of stagnant growth. Japanese producers with crackers — Mitsui Chemicals, Sumitomo Chemical, Mitsubishi Chemical, Tosoh and Resonac — have all posted lower profits from their basic petrochemicals divisions on shrinking margins in the past five years. The transition also requires infrastructure including storage facilities and ethane barges and ships to enable imports from the US, adding significant costs. Japanese firms are unlikely to have adequate infrastructure, let alone funding, to invest in such capacity and some, along with the country's authorities, have begun exploring converting existing facilities to alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia to capitalise on anticipated growth in renewable fuels. Ring and Japan's economy, trade and industry ministry (Meti) have also expressed concern that a switch to ethane for cracking could create shortages in supplies of other basic petrochemicals other than ethylene because ethane feedstock yields mainly ethylene. Japanese companies have attempted to develop butadiene production from alternative feedstocks such as bioethanol and recycled oils for decarbonisation. But such technologies are at the early stages of development and their profitability remains hamstrung by high costs. Ring the changes Developing new propane dehydrogenation plants could help Japan prevent propylene shortfalls, but this is unlikely to be feasible given the levels of investment and acreage required at existing petrochemical complexes. The country's petrochemical producers could convert a proportion of their individual crackers to be fed with ethane in a flexible set-up instead of replacing the unit. Japanese crackers have many different components varying in age that will be difficult to replace under an ethane-only system, Ring says. It would also be preferable to diversify feedstocks for supply security, it says. Japan's ethylene production fell by 2.4pc on the year to 4.99mn t in 2024, the JPCA says, the lowest since its records began in 1999. Average cracker operating rates stood at 79.9pc last year, down by 0.9 percentage points from 2023, falling below 80pc for the first time since 2014 — when the first JPCA data on utilisation were available. Japan's petrochemical sector use of LPG fell by 13pc on the year to 1.39mn t in 2024, data from the Japan LPG Association show. NE Asia cracker cash margins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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