HOUSTON (ICIS)–The United Auto Workers (UAW) union will expand its strike to two Ford and GM assembly plants at 16:00 GMT (noon EST) as negotiations with the Big Three automakers continue. About 7,000 workers at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant and GM’s Lansing Delta Township will begin to strike today, UAW President Shawn Fain said during […]
Ammonia market tightness lifts ammonia-to-hydrogen production costs above €5/kg
LONDON (ICIS)–Ammonia markets saw continued uptick over week 38 as European market participants refrained from ramping up production, leaving the market tight on account of high gas prices. As such, the ICIS ammonia-to-hydrogen assessment for northwest Europe pushed above the €5/kg mark, a level last recorded in March 2023. Ammonia producers have been waiting for […]
Tech advances in eFuels to slash cost of making SAF – Honeywell, HIF Global
NEW YORK (ICIS)–Economics pose a major challenge to the scale-up and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) but advancements in early-stage technology, particularly in eFuels, will dramatically lower costs in the coming years, according to executives at Honeywell and HIF Global. The challenge is huge. To meet climate goals, the industry will need to produce […]
US auto workers union to expand strike at 38 GM, Stellantis parts distribution facilities
HOUSTON (ICIS)–United Auto Workers (UAW) membership will begin a “Stand Up Strike” at 38 Stellantis and GM parts distribution centres at 16:00 GMT (noon EST) after negotiations with two of the Big Three have made no progress since the strike began eight days ago. UAW President Shawn Fain said during a live stream that no […]
Australian Agrimin enters share sale agreement to acquire Kalium Lakes and revise SOP project
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Australian producer Agrimin Limited has announced it has entered into a Share Sale Agreement (SSA) with the receivers of former potash producer Kalium Lakes which held the Beyondie project which was focused on manufacturing sulphate of potash (SOP). The deal includes Kalium Lakes subsidiaries, Kalium Lakes Potash and Kalium Lakes Infrastructure. These entities comprise […]
War in Ukraine, gas crisis
The war in Ukraine has caused oil and especially gas price volatility, as restricted flows from Russia to Ukraine caused values to spike to record-breaking levels before collapsing to pre-war levels. Since December 2022, unseasonably mild winter weather hit demand, reversing gas prices. However millions of tonnes of chemical and fertilizer production remain offline across […]
Major PE exporters to China see their sales fall by a further $1 billion
A further billion dollars of polyethylene (PE) sales in China were lost year-on-year by the major exporters in January-July 2023 versus January-June 2023, according to my latest estimates. These assessments make use of CFR (cost & freight) China ICIS Pricing assessments and the China Customs’ department’s records – via our Supply & Demand Database – […]
GB needs 60-100TWh of hydrogen storage by 2050, salt caverns recommended
LONDON (ICIS)–A report from the UK’s Royal Society published 8 September said that Great Britain needs as much as 100TWh of storage capacity by 2050 to manage periods of low renewable generation, with hydrogen storage in salt caverns the preferred option for storage. The report states that GB could have as much as 200GW of […]
Railroads, chem trade groups reviewing new STB proposal on reciprocal switching
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Trade groups representing US railroads and chemical producers and distributors are pouring over a proposed new rule on reciprocal switching issued today by the US agency that oversees railroads. The Surface Transportation Board (STB), which oversees railroads in the US, said the new rule focuses on providing customers access to reciprocal switching as a […]
Moldova urges neighbouring gas grid operators to increase Trans-Balkan capacity
LONDON (ICIS)–Moldova has urged for increased capacity in reverse flow along the Trans-Balkan pipeline to facilitate larger regional gas imports amid energy curtailment risks. Speaking to ICIS, Constantin Borosan, secretary of state in the country’s ministry of energy said Moldova is ready to find a solution to increase compression along the route for security of […]