China wants to accelerate the concentration of its petrochemical industry into five industrial clusters. The ‘big five’ are listed in the People's Republic's just published new five-year plan. The China Market Insider Report presents them in detail.

The Corona crisis, particularly the lockdowns adopted by many governments, has hit the chemical industry hard in China. However, sales in many of the top companies in China already declined in 2019, even before Corona. But there are exceptions, as the figures from 2019 in our latest top 10 show here.

In a new series, PROCESS looks at the individual sectors of the chemical industry in China. In the second part of the series, after the fertiliser industry, the focus is on the petrochemical industry. In the wake of the new five-year plan, the industry is expected to grow and secure China's self-sufficiency.

Ethylene from ethane, obtained through steam cracking, is the latest boom sector in China's petrochemical industry. Construction of no less than three new large-scale plants was completed just before the start of the New Year, PROCESS (China) reports. While the vast majority of ethylene in China is still produced in petroleum refineries from naphtha, a number of investors are now turning to cheap ethane, mainly from shale gas deposits in the US.

Amidst growing demand, Neste has plans to expand its renewable products refinery in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. With this move, the company will expand its overall renewable product capacity by 1.3 million tons annually, thus, leading to the firm’s total renewable product capacity in Rotterdam to 2.7 million tons per annum.

Repsol has plans to develop the first plant in the Iberian Peninsula which has the capability to produce ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene also known as a super polymer. The new plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.

China's energy sector and the country's petrochemical industry are preparing for a future with less fossil fuel. The ‘development of non-fossil energy’ should be a priority from now on, according to a recently published white paper by the Chinese Government, the main points of which PROCESS (China) summarizes in an analysis.

Ineos Oligomers has started up the world’s largest single train Low Viscosity Polyalphaolefin (LV PAO) plant in Texas, USA. With a production capacity of 120,000 tons every year, the new plant is expected to position the firm as the largest merchant supplier of LV PAO across the globe.

Digital Twin Solutions is Now the New Normal – Covid-19 has transformed industries like never before and the oil and gas sector is no exception to this. The demand for digital twin technologies is at an all-time high amidst the pandemic and major industry players are already making use of this technology for numerous significant projects.

Solvay’s Kalix 10000 series is the latest addition to the firm’s sustainable polymer portfolio. A partially bio-based material produced from renewable feedstock and developed with 100% renewable electricity, the new material offers increased heat resistance, stain resistance, and the lowest moisture absorption which makes them suitable for smart devices.