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China borrowing from the future?

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement over the rebound in the Chinese economy and miss underlying weaknesses which point to some major problems ahead. To some extent, in a desperate effort to compensate for collapsing export trade, China might...

Published 3 Jun 2009 13:16 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, China, Europe, Polyolefins, Business, Deutsche Bank, Company Strategy, China Economic Quarterly, commodity chemicals, iron ore, copper, China economic stimulus, non-performing loans crisis
Pacific Ethanol

Video from WSJ Marketline about Pacific Ethanol's Plant in Stockton, California . Production at the Stockton was suspended in February. It is now mothballed. Too much capacity, margins too thin, seem to be the story. This isn't the first time...

Published 15 May 2009 12:49 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, ethanol, Movie, video, California, Companies, Pacific Ethanol, Stockton
It's about scaling down rather than up

One of the new skills being learnt in this current crisis is how to run plants efficiently at low operating rates. "It's funny that for years now, we've worried about how to scale up profitably. Now industry is faced with just the opposite...

Published 14 May 2009 8:06 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, Environment, technology, Europe, ICB, Projects, Business, Company Strategy, unemployed graduates, chemical engineering, process optimisation
How long can bear-market rallies last?

The current run-up in equities might go on and on - perhaps even for several years, according to economist Russell Napier. But he warns, in this excellent video interview with FT journalist John Authers, that an extended boom in equities doesn't necessarily...

Published 11 May 2009 14:26 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, S&P, Business, Markets, Financial Times, financial crisis, bear-market rally, US Treasuries, Russell Napier
25x25 warns on restricting cellulosic biomass

25x25 a pressure group in the US is warning that some proposed legislation in the US could severely restrict the amount of cellulose available for biofuels in what is effectively a call for managed woodlands. I can see why the Waxman-Markley proposal...

Published 11 May 2009 11:55 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, ethanol, Policy, biofuels, Environment, politics, cellulosic, cellulose, Trees, Bioethanol, 25x25, federal, Waxman-Markley
Aussie on a losing wicket

The timing of when to strike the ball is everything in the wonderful sport of cricket - and also, apparently, in the American pastime of baseball. An Australian banker is fond of reminding the English how much better his country is at playing cricket...

Published 9 May 2009 17:25 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, aromatics, Polyolefins, Business, Markets, Australia, inventory management, cricket, house prices, The Ashes, housing markets, Q1 bank results, fiscal stimulus, credit-card debt
Micro-management gone too far?

"Nobody can see until the end of the month - never mind into the third quarter," commented an olefins trader recently. "The reason is that very senior managers are too busy micro-managing everything, from getting involved in trying to track...

Published 8 May 2009 7:26 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, Indonesia, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East, Business, Markets, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, APIC, Managing people, Knowledge management, Company Strategy, South Korea, financial meltdown, CEOs, Taiwan, micro-management, commodity chemicals, credit control, human resources
Should solar manufacturers invest in the US?

If the US is expected to become one of the largest solar market, then shouldn't we be investing in solar manufacturing instead of having the solar materials imported? That is one of the ongoing debate being discussed at consulting and tax firm Deloitte...

Published 6 May 2009 15:30 by Green Chemicals

Filed under: US, Investments, studies and reports, solar, incentives
Reasons to be cheerful?

Any excuse to make a reference to the late, great and wonderful Ian Dury. I sent the following email to my friend in response to the stock market rallies and the green shoots of optimism seemingly turning into beautiful May flowers: "I take it nothing...

Published 6 May 2009 10:48 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, Europe, India, Business, house prices, stock-market rally, Reasons to be Cheerful, stock-market bubble, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, bank nationalisation
US-Asia Propylene arbitrage closes

As flagged up on this blog last week, ICIS news has confirmed that the US-Asia propylene arbitrage has shut following a rise in US domestic refinery-grade C3 prices. This could be good news if West-East arbitrage in general becomes more difficult. During...

Published 4 May 2009 10:07 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Olefins, Polyolefins, ICIS news, financial meltdown, piracy, US-Asia exports, arbitrage, Somalia
California looks at emissions from crop to tail pipe and legislates

California's newly adopted low-carbon fuel standard may mark the beginning of the end of ethanol, according to a report on Planet Ark. The new legislation examines the carbon impact from seed to tailpipe, which seems sensible. Read More...

Published 1 May 2009 13:16 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, ethanol, Policy, biofuel, biofuels, Environment, carbon, California
The relationship between corn, ethanol and autofuel replacement US-style

There is a direct relationship between the volume of corn converted to ethanol with the % of gasoline replaced in the US. Its shown more clearly if you click the line which contains the mysterious word Thi at the bottom of this poor thumbnail. I've...

Published 30 Apr 2009 17:20 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, ethanol, Corn, technology, fuel, Motor, percentage, replacement
Interactive US map of advanced fuels

I saw this map from the Natural Resources Defense Council on Robert Rapier's i-r-squared blog and couldn't resist it. I guess it is incomplete, but it looks pretty good. Read More...

Published 30 Apr 2009 13:31 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, natural, Maps, map, Resources, Council, Defense
NW Biodiesel Network Forum in May

I've just come across the NW Biodiesel Network. It will be holding a forum in Seattle on May 2 0. The East Side Chapter has meetings at the North Bend Railroad Depot every second Wednesday. (Which looks a lot better than it sounds) Read More...

Published 30 Apr 2009 11:30 by The Big Biofuels Blog

Filed under: America, USA, US, Biodiesel, Conference, seattle, Trade Association, event, state, Washington, NW, Network
It really is a Mad World

As the potential swine flu pandemi threatens more lives - and even more damage to the global economy - it's time to watch American Idol re-runs. It would be great if we could all collectively retire to some paradise island where Manchester Utd and...

Published 30 Apr 2009 2:47 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, Managing people, Company Strategy, Chelsea, Manchester Utd, swine flu, American Idol, iTunes, Affluenza, Adam Lambert, Oliver James

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