April 2008 - ICIS Blogs

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Is the UN's food policy diametrically opposed to current biofuels

Is the UN's food policy diametrically opposed to the current generation of biofuels? I only ask because Ban Ki-moon, that the UN food task force will chair has decided in Berne “The first and immediate priority issue that we all agreed was that we...

Published 30 Apr 2008 15:50 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: ethanol, UN, Food, ban, taskforce, cellulosic, Ki-moon
How much is ethanol costing the US

How much does ethanol cost the US, that's the question on a post from Say Anything. just to remind us the author spells it out like this... The other think that’s remarkable in this article is just how much the ethanol subisdy is costing us. When...

Published 30 Apr 2008 15:38 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, ethanol, price, Corn, Food
Fertilizer and biofuels

The New York Times has discovered that you need fertiliser to grow corn . The august organ has also discovered that not all the nitrogen fertiliser gets absorbed by the plants and that it can run off into rivers and cause dead zones where these discharge...

Published 30 Apr 2008 15:13 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, Agriculture, Corn, Food, fertilizer, NY, Times
OPEC suggests $200/bbl oil

OPEC used to believe that its fortunes were tied to the health of the global economy. But as I noted last month , its current policy is more reminiscent of ‘the difficult times of 1973/4 and 1989.80’. The evidence for this statement is mounting. Saudi...

Published 30 Apr 2008 11:25 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Economic growth, Oil markets, Currencies, Financial Events, oil prices, Leverage, OPEC, global downturn, King Abdullah, President Bush, Naimi
Floggers Luncheon hits London

It's Floggers today, the annual lunch for everyone who flogs chemicals in the UK. All the main distributors take tables at the Grosvenor House hotel in London's Park Lane and invite their suppliers, customers and friends for a day long celebration...

Published 30 Apr 2008 9:48 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: parties, CBA, Floggers
Tyson chief calls for end to US ethanol tariff

Check this report from CNN about Dick Bond president and cheif executive of Tyson Foods , one of the US' bigger processed food outfits, he want an end to tariff protection for ethanol in the US. You see the corn price is rising and its hurting his...

Published 28 Apr 2008 22:38 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: USA, US, ethanol, tariff, Corn, Companies, Dick, Bond, Tyson
Maximum exposure on TV and radio for ICIS and Heren

There was great excitement in the ICIS pricing editorial office in London this afternoon as Fiona Bond was whisked away to the Al Jazeera studio to give her views on the biofuels market. In fact, Monday was an epic day for ICIS in the media. Not only...

Published 28 Apr 2008 21:00 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: biofuels, Al Jazeera, Grangemouth, media life, BBC Radio 4
Germany in green spotlight

Green activities seem to be expanding and flourishing in Germany. One particular session from the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing conference being held in Chicago this week focused on recent industrial biotech developments...

Published 28 Apr 2008 13:06 by Green Chemicals

Filed under: Biotechnology, green, Investments, R&D, Government, investment, renewable, Germany
Interesting analysis of credit crunch causes

I thought the following Executive Summary of the causes of the credit crisis was hard to beat: 'Investment banks leapt into commercial banking without the deposit base, while commercial banks went into investment banking without knowing risk management...

Published 28 Apr 2008 10:25 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Economic growth, Oil markets, Financial Events, M & A, Leverage, Wall Street, global downturn, Pension funds
INEOS’ Grangemouth plants on strike

Ineos’ 200,000bpd Grangemouth refinery in Scotland is on strike today and tomorrow , over a pension dispute. This will presumably cost the workers 2 days pay. The costs for INEOS and the UK are enormous in comparison. BP, for example, has had to shut...

Published 27 Apr 2008 22:15 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Economic growth, Oil markets, Financial Events, M & A, Leverage, Goldman Sachs, Ineos, Jim Ratcliffe, Scotland, Sunday Times Rich List
US housing slows again

Financial markets have been buoyant in recent weeks, as I noted recently . But this is at odds with actual newsflow. The chart above, from Kevin Swift’s excellent weekly report for the American Chemistry Council, highlights once again the dire state of...

Published 27 Apr 2008 19:57 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Economic growth, subprime mortgage crisis, ACC, US housing
Oklahoma to plant 1000 acres with switchgrass

Oklahoma to plant 1000 acres with switchgrass to demonstrate whether it is suitable as a cellulosic biofuel . According to PR newswire, the site will be 35 miles from Abengoa's biorefinery in Hugoton, Kansas . Seeral thoughts strike me. Why not just...

Published 25 Apr 2008 14:54 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, biofuels, Abengoa, Oklahoma, switchgrass, Kansas
Learn your 1, 2, 3s

The Society of Plastics Industry (SPI) released a video statement on Monday clarifying the intended purpose of the marked recycled numbers found on the bottom of most plastic bottles and rigid containers. According to SPI President and CEO William Carteaux...

Published 25 Apr 2008 5:25 by Green Chemicals

Filed under: General, bioplastic, plastic, resin code, Award, SPI
Chemical names forever in our memories

I was clearing out old business cards today. I must have thrown out about a hundred. There were old cards with company names which no longer exist in petrochemicals: Amoco, Kosa, Hoechst, ICI … But there were classic moments in petrochemical history recorded...

Published 24 Apr 2008 19:41 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: trivia, Arcelik, Arsol Aromatics, Ramhol, Amoco, Arcelor
Chemical tulips gladden the heart

I arrived home on this sunny evening to find these rich purple tulips suddenly in full bloom. A few years ago, chemical giant SABIC sent out a box of Dutch tulip and amaryllis bulbs to all of its customers and friends to celebrate the purchase of the...

Published 24 Apr 2008 19:30 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: trivia, Sabic, DSM, tulips, bulbs, flowers

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April 2008 - ICIS Blogs

Syndication

Recent Posts

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Archives

Is the UN's food policy diametrically opposed to current biofuels

How much is ethanol costing the US

Fertilizer and biofuels

OPEC suggests $200/bbl oil

Floggers Luncheon hits London

Tyson chief calls for end to US ethanol tariff

Maximum exposure on TV and radio for ICIS and Heren

Germany in green spotlight

Interesting analysis of credit crunch causes

INEOS’ Grangemouth plants on strike

US housing slows again

Oklahoma to plant 1000 acres with switchgrass

Learn your 1, 2, 3s

Chemical names forever in our memories

Chemical tulips gladden the heart