Mujidah Yahaya, senior price reporter at S&P Global Commodity Insights, and Mark Thomas, senior editor at Chemical Week, join the podcast to discuss key themes from this year K-show, the plastics trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. Key themes include ongoing capacity rationalization in Europe, the need for well-designed regulation in the region, and industry's commitment to sustainability and circular economy goals amid macroeconomic pressures.
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27:03
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27:03
Can the UK's chemical industry regain competitiveness?
Steve Elliott, chief executive of the UK's Chemical Industries Association, and Luca Raffellini, executive director/chemical consulting at S&P Global Commodity Insights, join Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young for a discussion of Project 2035, the association's initiative aimed at improving the UK industry's competitiveness. Key discussion points include the need for regulatory reform, relief on high energy costs, and prospective future scenarios for the UK chemicals sector. For more information about Project 2035, click or tap here.
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29:20
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29:20
What is the impact of sanctions on the Asian methanol market?
S&P Global Commodity Insights price reporters Esther Ng and Kamna Kapoor join the podcast to discuss the impact of sanctions on the Asian methanol market. They explore the resulting shifts in trade flows, pricing dynamics, and the challenges faced by importers as they navigate the transition from Iranian to non-Iranian methanol sources amid fluctuating demand and inventory levels. They also focus on major adjustments due to the sanctions in the Indian market, as well as the impact in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
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22:17
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22:17
What can the industry's past tell us about its future?
Longtime Chemical Week editor Rob Westervelt joins podcast host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the chemical industry's competitive landscape after this week's publication of Chemical Week's annual Billion-Dollar Club ranking. Key topics include the implications of the rise of China, why the industry's leaderboard has been static in recent years, and whether equity markets have an appetite for diversified chemical manufacturers.
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19:49
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19:49
What are the big challenges for recycling in specialty plastics?
Torsten Heinemann, head of group innovation and sustainability at Covestro and member of the Global Impact Coalition's executive committee, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges inherent in using recycled material as a feedstock for specialty plastics. Key topics include why it's so difficult drop new raw materials into a process, bottlenecks to expanding recycling, Covestro's efforts to develop and scale technologies in this area, and the importance of cross-industry collaboration.
Ireland