A report by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has shown that, despite growing global demand for chemicals and the better environmental and energy efficiency performance of the EU chemical industry, competitive pressures on the sector continue to rise.
The sector produces 17% of the world’s chemicals, employs 1.2 million EU workers and contributes 551 billion Euros to the EU economy but Cefic says that China continues to dominate and is planning an ambitious strategy to take its chemical industry to the next stage of development. On the other side of the Atlantic, says Cefic, the EU chemical industry is challenged by the US chemical industry revival, which is riding the shale gas boom.
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is embarking on an ambitious strategy aiming to expand downstream production of chemicals. By comparison, in Europe the chemical industry faces high energy and feedstock costs and a complex regulatory environment, resulting in declining export competitiveness, says Cefic. In particular, the report highlights that making ethylene – a major chemicals building block -in Europe is twice as expensive as in the US.
Cefic says that this is boosting profits abroad and attracting billions of dollars in investment, on which Europe is missing out. Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General, said: “It is crucial for Europe to enable this sector to innovate and transform from the existing asset base, to allow it to act as enabler of key materials and supplier for other sectors in Europe in the next decades.
“Keeping Europe an attractive place for chemical investment requires urgent action on the cost of energy and feedstock and on better regulation.
“Ninety per cent of global GDP growth will happen outside the EU in the coming decades, of which we need to take our share. Growth and jobs are highly dependent on a strong domestic business climate.”
Library launched for researchers
US company Waters Corporation has introduced a new metabolic profiling reference library for use during ion mobility mass spectrometry-based research. The Metabolic Profiling CCS Library includes more than 900 measurements of collision cross-section values, which measure the gas phase three-dimensional shape of a molecule for an additional identification coordinate used to confirm analytical results.
Recycling breakthrough
The Dow Chemical Company has introduced a new technological breakthrough which will allow the recycling of polyethylene-based packaging used in stores. Developed with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), Dow’s RecycleReady Technology enables the recycling of packaging for products like granola and nuts, which was not possible before. The pouch made with RETAIN polymer modifiers is the first package of its kind with barrier film that can be recycled in a polyethylene recycling stream.
New production line opens
US firm Honeywell has opened a new $150 production line at its catalyst manufacturing facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, to produce a new range of catalysts for the oil refining industry at the facility, which employs 290 people. The new production line will manufacture catalysts for hydroprocessing, which removes impurities from fractionated crude oil and also makes transportation fuels
