Sombre mood at the recent European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) conference, but excitement building for longer-term opportunities from the net zero carbon agenda.  -          Short-term survival in hostile environment of low demand, overcapacity-          Drive to net zero, high energy costs key concerns for EPCA delegates-          By 2036 Europe petrochemicals may be exposed to full cost of carbon -          Threat from low-cost producers in other regions-          Gaza/Israel conflict heaps further pressure on Europe as upstream costs rise-          Little prospect of upturn in 2023/4  -          Global supply chains may revert to more local distribution channels-          Closer relationships with customers will be key for low-carbon future-          Industry transformation offers huge opportunities for innovative companies

Episode 1072: Think Tank: Europe petrochemicals face tough 2023/4, must think long-term

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Join European Senior Editor/Manager Vicky Ellis, as she talks to European and African PE/PP Senior Editor Ben Lake and Turkey PE/PP Senior Editor/Manager Samantha Wright. The group discuss the coming month, as players see sentiment cool from a hectic first quarter. Senior Analyst, Lorenzo Meazza also drops in to react to Lyondell Basel's announcement that it plans to "review" all European polymer and olefin assets. Following on from announcements of closures of Exxon and Sabic crackers. 

Episode 1177: Europe, Africa, Turkey PE/PP May outlook, reaction to Lyondell announcement

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Sustainable finance is a key interest for companies that are seeking to enter the market or expand their current capacities. Despite the various available financial instruments, the absence of a clear entry point often results in confusion. In this podcast, ICIS Analysts Chua Xin Nee and Joshua Tan explore the different types of sustainability related loans available and their successful use cases.

Episode 1176: PODCAST: APIC '24: Sustainable finance a focus for new entrants to market

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Asia's propylene (C3) market will continue to see weak demand, although potentially curbed run rates in China amid weak margins could lend support. Downstream, China’s propylene oxide (PO) import demand may continue to be adversely impacted by domestic Chinese start-up capacities, while demand in the main downstream polyols sector is unlikely to recover in Q2.  South Korea June-loading C3 volumes likely to increase month on monthDomestic Chinese start-up capacities keep domestic supply lengthy, hamper import demandGlobal PO supply excluding China remains tight, downstream polyols likely muted in Q2In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Julia Tan and Shannen Ng discuss trends in the Asian C3 and PO markets.

Episode 1175: PODCAST: Weak demand expected for both Asia C3 and downstream PO

LONDON (ICIS)—Synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels, are derived from renewable electricity, air and water. The power-to-liquid process entails chemical conversion of energy. In this latest podcast, markets editor Nazif Nazmul interviews Paddy Lowe, CEO and founder of the synthetic fuels producing company Zero Petroleum. Synthetic fuels can play a vital role in slashing emissions across the transport sector in the coming years, although the road to scaling up is fraught with obstacles and opportunities. Energy density of synthetic fuels and compatibility with international combustion engine (ICE) vehicles could provide a long-term decarbonisation alternative to electric vehicles (EVs) and biofuelsRail, marine, aviation, agricultural sectors can utilise synthetic fuels alongside road transport Synthetic fuels gaining traction in the aviation industry in the form of e-SAFAchieving cost parity with fossil-based gasoline will still take approximately 10 more yearsLegislative support likely to expedite time needed to achieve economies of scale  Production process reliant on sourcing vast amount of renewable energy 

Episode 1174: PODCAST: Synthetic fuels poised to lead decarbonisation of transport sector - Zero Petroleum CEO Paddy Lowe

Europe’s chemical industry stands to benefit in the long-term from the expansion of wind, solar and other low carbon methods of producing energy.- Growth in renewables means spot electricity prices can turn negative if demand dips- Europe electricity prices higher than pre-war as tied to price of natural gas, now mainly LNG-  Europe has seen significant growth in solar, while wind faces delays due to supply chain issues- Decarbonizing includes reducing emissions from gas plants via carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other technologies- Challenges include grid infrastructure to transport electricity across regions with varying renewable generation- Despite regulatory hurdles, there is political will for grid investment as part of the energy transition

Episode 1072: Think Tank: Europe petrochemicals face tough 2023/4, must think long-term

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