Base oils

LONDON (ICIS)–Freepoint Eco-Systems Belgium NV is planning to build an 80,000 tonne/year pyrolysis-based chemical recycling plant in Ghent, Belgium, the company announced in a press release. The plant will use mixed plastic waste diverted from incineration as an input, although there were no further details of the grade of mixed plastic waste that will be used. It will be situated at North Sea Port’s Kluizendok site, following the signing of a long-term concession agreement between the two companies for the development. Construction on the site will not begin until the permitting process is completed, which is expected in 2025. Freepoint Eco-Systems is currently engaged in feedstock sourcing and financial planning for the site. The plot at North Sea Port is large enough to potentially expand the capacity to 160,000 tonnes/year. Freepoint Eco-Systems has several ongoing pyrolysis-based chemical recycling projects at various stages of development in the US, where it has also recently signed an offtake agreement with Dow.  This is its first project announced in Europe, but according to the press release, the company is currently developing several European projects. In Europe, pyrolysis oil prices have remained largely stable across much of 2024 due to ongoing legislative and macroeconomic uncertainty, following a period of high volatility in Q4 2023. Across the past seven months, prices for naphtha substitute pyrolysis oil have traded as low as €1,700/tonne ex-works Europe and as high as €2,200/tonne ex-works Europe on the spot market. Non-upgraded pyrolysis oil, meanwhile has traded as low as €1,200/tonne ex-works Europe and as high as €1,700/tonne ex-works Europe. Throughout, pyrolysis oil prices have remained disconnected from movements in virgin naphtha. Similar to trends in pyrolysis oil prices themselves, the spread between virgin naphtha and naphtha substitute and non-upgraded pyrolysis oil prices (the amount by which these grades of pyrolysis oil are trading above virgin naphtha) has broadly increased since October, while the spread between virgin naphtha and tyre-derived pyrolysis oil has broadly decreased. The same trend is also seen in the spread between feedstock mixed polyolefin bale prices and high plastic content RDF bale prices. Nevertheless, the spread between standard mixed polyolefin bales (which have not been pre-treated) and pyrolysis oil prices has been broadly falling in 2024, following a recovery in demand from the mechanical recycling sector (albeit from a low base), which pushed mixed polyolefin bale prices higher during a period of stability in pyrolysis oil values. While the spread between mixed polyolefin bales and pyrolysis oil remains wide, these mixed polyolefin bales typically require additional sorting and processing. The challenges involved in sorting and pre-treating material have seen pyrolysis oil producers increasingly target pre-treated forms of mixed polyolefins, such as agglomerates, which trade at higher prices. Uncertainty over the legal status of pyrolysis oil, and in particular, uncertainty over mass-balance accounting rules, continues to push buyers to the sidelines of the market and limit activity. Spot prices across all grades remained stable this week as a result. The EU’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) had been due to take a decision on mass-balance accounting rules under the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) at the end of March. It was understood from players familiar with the matter that the TAC decision has been delayed due to ongoing discussions with regulators, but this is yet to be officially confirmed. A final vote on mass balance accounting under the SUPD continues to be expected before the end of the year, but a firm timetable has not been announced. Tight supply of plastic-derived pyrolysis oil, though, continues to mean there is currently little downward pressure on prices, but this tight supply was largely priced-in during Q4 2023, when testing cycles were at their peak. ICIS covers 3 grades of pyrolysis oil in its Mixed Plastic Waste and Pyrolysis Oil Europe pricing service. ICIS also offers mechanical recycling, waste bale, biodiesel, hydrogen, and virgin price coverage, giving you the complete picture across the sustainability value chain. For more information, please contact Mark Victory at mark.victory@icis.com.

31-May-2024

SEOUL (ICIS)–The European chemical industry is bracing for continued weakness in 2024, with demand remaining soft globally due to sluggish growth in the US and a slowdown in China, an industry official said on Friday. "The European industrial sectors are out of recession but still a long way from any dynamic growth," European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) director general Marco Mensink told delegates at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, South Korea. Despite the challenges in the region, there are glimmers of optimism as destocking nears completion and business expectations show signs of improvement, Mensink said. However, the surge in Chinese chemical exports to Europe remains a major concern, as it intensifies competition and puts pressure on European producers, he said. GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS AND EUROPEAN ELECTIONSThe ongoing war in Ukraine exacerbated the challenges facing the industry, Mensink noted. It has triggered a renewed focus on strategic independence, with European policymakers seeking to reduce the region's reliance on external suppliers for critical raw materials and chemicals, he said. This could lead to increased investment in domestic production and recycling capacity, but it also raises concerns about potential trade barriers and protectionist measures, Mensink said. The upcoming European elections are expected to further solidify this trend, with defense and security likely to dominate the political agenda, he said. "Post the elections, the European Commission will have one priority only and it’s called defense,” Mensink said. “So, the rebuild of the European army knowing the situation in Ukraine … going as it is, will make defense and security the number one, number two and number three topics in the next policy cycle," the Cefic director general said. This could have a significant impact on the chemical industry, as policymakers grapple with the complex trade-offs between economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and national security, he added. INNOVATION AND CIRCULARITY Amid the challenges, the industry is also showing signs of resilience and adaptability with companies investing in innovative technologies, such as chemical recycling and digital product passports, to meet stringent environmental regulations and consumer demands, Mensink said. "Waste-based and bio-based feedstocks are increasingly important for us," he said, highlighting the growing importance of circular solutions in the chemical sector. The push for greater circularity is not only driven by environmental concerns but also by geopolitical considerations, as it can help reduce Europe's dependence on imported raw materials, Mensink said. Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman

31-May-2024

SEOUL (ICIS)–A technological transition to low carbon-based and high value-added products is “absolutely necessary” for the Asian petrochemical industry, to address challenges posed by the shift towards carbon neutrality, the chairman of the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association (KPIA) said on Friday. Speaking at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, Hak-Cheol Shin highlighted the universal task of addressing global climate change as a significant challenge for the petrochemical industry in the region. “We need to further develop and strengthen a shared system of cooperative response to a multitude of crises,” the KPIC chairman told delegates at the two-day conference which ends on 31 May. “Global oversupply, the goal of carbon neutrality, proliferation of non-tariff barriers to trade and other cross-border challenges are some of the major risk factors facing the already very challenging Asian petrochemical industry,” he said. Asia faces limitations in cost-effective renewable energy sources and low-carbon emitting technologies, which require a collaborative approach among the seven APIC members to develop shared solutions and demonstrate leadership on complex issues, Shin said. The seven APIC members are South Korea, Japan, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The KPIC chairman emphasized the importance of adapting to rapidly evolving business environment, characterized by changes in upstream and downstream industries, as well as rising consumer expectations. “We have generally… focused on a petrochemical business portfolio that fundamentally revolves around general purpose commodity products with the expectation that growth would continue through a cycle of periodic fluctuations,” Shin said. “But such business model has made it difficult to respond to sudden changes in the external environment, presenting an even greater threat to all of us today.” Shin urged the seven APIC members to jointly embark on a “long-term competitiveness model that increases the industry's profitability and technical differentiation”. He stressed the urgency of the situation, stating that actions taken by APIC members in the coming years will determine whether the Asian petrochemical industry thrives or stagnates. "Whether the Asian petrochemical industry will overcome this complex crisis and leap forward or find itself in a swamp of chronic low growth will be determined by the response of our seven APIC members in the next few years,” Shin said. Thumbnail image: An aerial view of a container pier in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, 1 November 2023. (YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

31-May-2024

SEOUL (ICIS)–The effect of the global energy transition will extend beyond energy sources and become more pronounced after 2030 – impacting the availability of petrochemical feedstocks, a senior industry consultant said on Thursday. "The energy transition is a very wide terminology, which actually goes well beyond energy and materials that will be used in the future," Stefano Zehnder, vice president of consulting at ICIS, told delegates at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, South Korea. This shift, he explained, will significantly affect the types of materials used in the future and this has important implications for the refining industry. "Oil demand alone does not describe the role of global refining," Zehnder said. Large-scale refining capacity rationalization is expected as refining operations become more exposed to fluctuations in fuel demand, he said. "As refining operation will become more and more exposed to the fuel side, they will be increasingly targeting the petrochemical feedstock area," Zehnder projects. Zehnder also presented a longer-term scenario projecting a substantial reduction in oil demand post-2030, driven by the increasing penetration of sustainable fuels. Despite the evolving energy landscape, "the refining industry remains the dominant provider of feedstock for the petrochemical industry", he said. "We don't think is going to change much into the future." "Post 2030, longer-term scenarios will envisage an important reduction of oil demand, accelerating the trends visible in the medium term," Zehnder added. Although the reduction size in demand will be function of specific assumptions on the key drivers of fuel demand, the impact on “conventional” refiners is likely to be even more pronounced. "This scenario implies a loss of 11 million barrels/day of crude processing. The main factor is [the] assumption related to sustainable fuels, with annual contributions from non-gas liquids (NGLs) gradually flattening." The shift away from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives will also affect the production of petrochemical feedstocks that are traditionally derived from oil refining. Zehnder highlighted that this transition could lead to a shift in the availability of key feedstocks such as naphtha and propylene. Through to 2049, reducing refinery runs and gasoline yields will affect propylene availability from global refineries, Zehnder explained. "As FCC capacity will decline, higher propylene yields will be required." During the same period, Zehnder noted, "SAF technologies can contribute to renewable naphtha availability, with bio/renewable also potentially contributing to renewable naphtha availability, including bio/renewable diesel to bunkers." Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman

30-May-2024

SINGAPORE/SEOUL (ICIS)–Cracker operations in Japan will remain “challenging” this year amid soft demand while capacity expansion in China continues, according to the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association (JPCA). C2 output falls to record low in 2023 Production of five major plastics shrink by around 5% Capacity optimization among industry main tasks “With new cracker capacities being planned in China almost every year at a pace far exceeding demand, the operation rates of domestic crackers are expected to remain challenging,” said a JPCA report prepared for the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) being held in Seoul. The two-day conference ends on 31 May. In 2023, Japan’s ethylene (C2) production shrank 2.3% to a record low of 5.32 million tonnes, as domestic crackers ran below full capacity, JPCA data showed. “The operation rates of domestic crackers have remained below 90% (this rate is said to be the criterion for judging the economic situation) since August 2022 and the monthly operation rate dropped below 80% four times in 2023,” JPCA said. Japan, which was dislodged by Germany as the world’s third-biggest economy in 2023, is projected to post a 2024 GDP growth of around 1.3%, down from last year’s 1.9% pace. In Q1 2024, the economy shrank at an annualised rate of 2.0% as both consumption and capital spending weakened. For the whole of 2023, the country’s total production of five major plastics – namely, linear density polyethylene (PE), high density PE (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – declined by an average of 4.7% to 6.02 million tonnes. Japan production of major petrochemicals (in thousand tonnes) Product 2023 2022 % change Ethylene 5,324 5,449 -2.3 LDPE 1,223 1,347 -9.2 HDPE 661 714 -7.4 PP 2,075 2,120 -2.1 PS 564 654 -13.8 PVC 1,496 1,483 0.9 Styrene monomer (SM) 1,428 1,542 -7.4 Ethylene glycol (EG) 264 351 -24.8 Acrylonitrile (ACN) 341 422 -19.2 Sources: JPCA, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan Styrene Industry Association (PS, SM) and Vinyl Environmental Council (PVC) Domestic demand as ethylene equivalent for the year declined by 11.9% to 3.87 million tonnes, according to JPCA data. “In 2024, there is a risk of a decline in demand due to the deterioration of the global economy, such as price hikes of raw commodities due to supply disruptions caused by several problems,” JPCA said, citing Russia’s prolonged invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, and attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. “But a certain amount of demand growth is expected due to the resilience of the US and some developing countries’ economy, and the global economy would have a possibility to make a ‘soft landing’,” JPCA stated. Economists are growing more confident that the US – the world’s biggest economy – will be able to post a 2024 growth rate of 2.4%, easing from the actual GDP growth of 2.5% in 2023. China, although beset by a slumping property sector, should be able to post a 5.0% GDP growth, according to the revised forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the report, JPCA also emphasized the petrochemical industry’s tasks to engage in “green” or environmental-friendly transformation toward carbon neutrality by 2050; to enhance and optimize excess production capacity amid a declining population; to push for digital transformation; and contribute to a recycling-oriented society. “In Japan, demonstration experiments using new process technologies and raw materials that contribute to green activities have begun, such as biomass-based fuel, bio-material-based olefins, ammonia synthesis, and hydrocarbon synthesis,” it said. Focus article by Pearl Bantillo

30-May-2024

SEOUL (ICIS)–Announcements of chemical plant closures are expected to gain momentum throughout 2024 as the industry now realizes that demand will not improve measurably anytime soon to offset languishing margins, a senior industry analyst said on Thursday. Speaking at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Seoul, South Korea, ICIS vice president of chemical analytics Alex Lidback said that "margins for most products are suffering”. Lidback that demand is still growing for base chemicals overall but noted that the growth is slowing. "It’s very difficult to grow your way out of this [excess capacity]," he said. Global base chemical demand growth Lidback attributed the current market woes to excess capacity additions in recent years, particularly in China, resulting in persistent excess capacity in base chemicals such as ethylene, propylene, ethylene glycol, paraxylene (PX), and styrene. "The over-capacity is unprecedented – unless there are extensive shutdowns, the market will not rebalance most products anytime soon," Lidback said. "Major capacity shutdowns will take place when companies decide not to maintain existing assets and delay FIDs [final investment decisions]." This glut of supply has severely eroded profit margins, pushing many producers into the red. “If you go back to previous down cycles, China helped grow out of this excess capacity,” Lidback noted. The situation is different this time around, as China is no longer able to absorb the excess capacity, adding that the imports of base chemicals have declined by 12 million tonnes from 2020 to 2023, he said. China's imports "Growing out of this excess capacity state will take too long, China will not be the savior," Lidback said. The industry will need to make some difficult decisions to rebalance the market, including permanent plant closures, project delays, and even cancellations. “So, what we think is gonna happen over the next few years is starting this year is we're gonna start to see the announcements of permanent closures." While low-cost assets in the Middle East and North America are secure, higher-cost producers in other regions are vulnerable, the ICIS analyst said. Several factors have delayed necessary decisions, including the financial stability of many companies entering the downturn, the integration of some chemical firms with refining operations that benefited from favorable crack spreads, and the lingering hope of a strong demand rebound. "A lot of companies entered this down cycle in a pretty good financial state, which allowed them to ride the wave a little bit further through these tough margins," Lidback said. However, the anticipated demand recovery has not materialized. Lidback recalled the optimism that followed a strong first half of 2022, but noted that the second half was "terrible," and that the hoped-for improvement in 2023 had not occurred. "The hope was that the first half of 2023 would be slow, but the second half of 2023 would be a very strong demand year. Obviously, that didn't just transpire, and we haven't seen really any major improvement in 2024." Lidback also pointed to the high cost of capital as a factor that is making it more difficult for companies to invest in new projects. “It’s a lot harder with these types of interest rates in reverse sitting around 7%. And I’ll tell you that for FIDs, you go to a [management] board right now and ask for a project – that’s going to be really difficult." Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman

30-May-2024

SEOUL (ICIS)–In this podcast, ICIS markets editor Josh Quah shares an update on the ethylene (C2) market in Asia based on discussions during the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2024. S Korea Jun cracker run rates may see some downward adjustment, though unlikely to be significant July arrival demand uncertain amid turnarounds, some recovering margins C2 export allocations to hinge on polymer profitability Visit us at Booth 13 at the Grand Ballroom Foyer, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas! Book a meeting with ICIS here.

30-May-2024

SINGAPORE/SEOUL (ICIS)–South Korea’s petrochemical production is projected to grow at 2.2% this year, with exports rising by an average of 2.8%, faster than domestic demand’s 1.3% increase, industry data showed. “However, this is mainly due to the base effect of a significant decrease in production from the previous year,” the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association (KPIA) said in a report prepared for the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) being held in Seoul on 30-31 May. “The supply and demand situation is expected to improve this year as global supply declines, but it will take a long time to resolve due to the large accumulated capacity expansion,” it said. Full-year petrochemical production is expected to grow to 22.1 million tonnes, “largely due to the base effect of large-scale regular maintenance in the previous year”, KPIA said. In 2023, production declined by 2.1% to 21.7 million tonnes. “Production is also expected to increase y-o-y due to the restart of facilities that were shut down due to the deteriorating market conditions and an increase in the utilization rate of companies in anticipation of an improvement in the market,” it added. The country’s petrochemical export volumes are projected to reach 12.8m tonnes in 2024, with growth slowing from the 3.1% pace posted last year. South Korea is heavily dependent on exports, with their share to total production at around 58% in 2023, based on three major sectors, namely synthetic resin, synthetic fiber and synthetic rubber. S Korea 2024 Petrochemical Industry Forecasts (in '000 tonnes) Products Production Exports Exports share to total output (%) 2023 actual export growth (%) 2024 projected export growth (%) Synthetic resins 15,641 9,787 62.6 -0.4 3.0 Synthetic fibre raw materials 5,846 2,604 44.5 21.0 1.5 Synthetic rubber  655  429 65.5 -6.8 7.0 Source: KPIA “Korea’s domestic market is stagnant, so most of the increased production will be exported,” the KPIA said. Domestic petrochemical consumption this year is projected to post a minimal increase to 10.4m tonnes, following a 6.3% contraction in 2023. A sizeable chunk of South Korea's petrochemical exports goes to China, whose own demand has been slowing down amid an economic slowdown. Focus article by Pearl Bantillo Additional reporting by Nurluqman Suratman

30-May-2024

LONDON (ICIS)–Consumer confidence in Germany improved in May but the country’s economic recovery remains bumpy, with no significant GDP growth expected in Q2, according to the latest reports by research groups on Wednesday. Consumer confidence improves Industrial economy continues to struggle May core inflation flat at 3.0% year-on-year pace CONSUMER CONFIDENCE Although consumers remain pessimistic overall, confidence continued to pick up in May, Nuremberg-based market research firm GfK said. Income expectations rose in May, the inclination to save declined, and consumers' economic expectations improved compared with April, GfK said. Lower inflation rates combined with a noticeable increase in wages and salaries, were boosting consumers' purchasing power, the group said. Nevertheless, uncertainty among consumers remains “pronounced”, prompting them to delay larger purchases, the group said. The GfK consumer climate index for Germany rose from -27.3 points in April to -24.0 points in May, and GfK is currently forecasting that the index will improve further to -20.9 in June. A minus value indicates consumer pessimism. The GfK index is based on monthly interviews with about 2,000 consumers. The May interviews were conducted from 2-13 May. INFLATION Meanwhile, core inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), is expected at a 3.0% year-on-year pace in May, unchanged from April, according to an initial estimate by the country’s federal statistics agency on Wednesday. Core inflation excludes volatile energy and food prices. The headline CPI is estimated to gain 0.1% month on month in May and run at a 2.4% year-on-year pace (April: 2.2%). Analysts at German regional state bank NordLB said that inflation pressures remained "stubborn" in services. However, the latest inflation data out of Germany were no obstacle to an expected interest rate cut by the European Central Bank (ECB) next month, the analysts said. ECONOMY Economic research group DIW Berlin said on Wednesday that Germany’s economic recovery remained “bumpy”, with no significant acceleration of GDP growth expected in the second quarter. In the first quarter, GDP grew 0.2% from the 2023 fourth quarter. The main positive for Germany is that the global economy is “surprisingly robust”, despite high interest rates, continued high inflation, and geopolitical uncertainties, DIW said. A stronger global economy supports German exports. Domestically, higher wages and salaries, moderating inflation and expected interest rate cuts should translate into a slow increase of demand this year, DIW said. However, Germany’s industrial producers have yet to find a way out of the slump, although there were “signs” that a recovery in the industrial economy could get under way in the second half of the year, DIW said. The DIW economic barometer for Germany fell from 92.9 points in April to 86.1 in May – well below the neutral 100-point mark which indicates average economic growth. MANUFACTURING CLIMATE IMPROVES Meanwhile, another indicator, the ifo business climate index, remained unchanged at 89.3 points in May, Munich-based ifo reported. In manufacturing, the business climate improved for a third consecutive month as companies were considerably more satisfied with their current business and their outlook for the coming months was less pessimistic than in April, ifo said. The manufacturing order backlog, however, continued to decline, the group said. The ifo index is based on about 9,000 monthly survey responses from businesses in manufacturing, services, trade and construction. Germany chemical producers' trade group VCI expects the country's chemical production (excluding pharmaceuticals) to rise 5.0% in 2024, which would come after a 10.4% decline in 2023. Focus article by Stefan Baumgarten Please also visit Macroeconomics: Impact on Chemicals. Thumbnail photo of Germany's economic affairs minister and vice-chancellor Robert Habeck: source: German government

29-May-2024

NEW YORK (ICIS)–The global chemical sector should see increasing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity through the rest of 2024 following a depressed 2023, driven in part by portfolio restructuring among Japanese companies as well as increasing interest by Indian buyers, according to an investment bank. “In 2024, we are seeing increased levels of M&A activity as companies reevaluate their portfolios and seek strategic opportunities to drive growth, while navigating a constantly evolving landscape that is currently marked by technological advancements, shifting geopolitical alliances and an increasing emphasis on sustainability,” said investment bank DC Advisory in a report by managing director Federico Mennella and others. It expects the portfolio re-evaluation of Japanese chemical companies to accelerate and spur future M&A activity. China’s aggressive capacity expansion in commodity chemicals has greatly pressured Japanese companies exporting petrochemicals to China. Just under a third of Japan’s petrochemical output is exported, and China accounted for around half of exports in 2022, the investment bank pointed out. “Japanese production of ethylene has dropped to its lowest in 25 years due to China’s fast-growing capacity,” said DC Advisory. “As a result, Japanese diversified chemical companies such as Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsui Chemicals and Resonac Holdings have recently announced strategies to restructure their petrochemical businesses, such as divesting, collaborating with other companies and to consider IPOs,” it added. Japanese chemical companies have also become more active on the buy side as they transition towards specialty, low-carbon and more sustainable business models. In April 2024, Japan-based Shin-Etsu Chemical announced its planned acquisition of Japan-based semiconductor materials company Mimasu Semiconductor Industry through a tender offer for shares. Shin-Etsu already had a 43.87% stake in Mimasu. In October 2023, Sumitomo Bakelite agreed to buy Asahi Kasei’s Pax packaging and films business serving the pharmaceutical, industrial and food sectors. DC Advisory advised Shin-Etsu and Sumitomo Bakelite on their respective transactions. Other recent deals involving Japan-based buyers include Sumitomo Corp/Saconix, DIC/PCAS Canada and Fujifilm/Entegris’ electronic chemicals business. INDIA AS A BUY-SIDE FORCEMeanwhile, India’s chemical industry has grown sales by over 6%/year on average since 2012 and is now further benefiting from global supply chain diversification, the investment bank pointed out. “We… believe the China Plus One Strategy, set up to minimize supply chain dependencies on China by diversifying the countries they source from, will drive growth in the Indian chemicals industry and prompt further M&A in the sector,” said DC Advisory. “With the Indian public markets recently valuing the specialty chemicals sector at a lifetime peak, we expect Indian companies in the sector will be eager to utilize available cash and if required raise further equity to do global acquisitions,” it added. The investment bank sees Indian buyers as consolidators for global assets in agrochemicals, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and specialty chemicals CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) segments. In November 2023, India-based carbon black producer PCBL Ltd announced the acquisition of India-based water treatment and oil and gas chemicals company Aquapharm Chemicals for $456 million. In June 2023, Bain Capital announced the acquisition of India-based Porus Labs, a producer of ag and specialty chemicals. “Large global funds such as CVC through its investment in Sajjan (2021) and Bain with its investment in Porus Labs, both leading Indian chemicals manufacturers, have created specialty chemicals platforms with an Indian company as the anchor asset from which they can acquire global businesses,” said DC Advisory. OTHER POSITIVE DRIVERSThe overall backdrop is also becoming more positive for chemical deal-making with increased earnings visibility in the sector for 2024; streamlining of portfolios toward growth subsectors; continued consolidation in sectors such as adhesives, coatings, pigments, ag chemicals and flavors and fragrances; and continued interest by private equity buyers, particularly in the sustainability aspect of chemicals, DC Advisory pointed out. The energy transition and the circular economy are also driving chemical sector growth and M&A activity. “We believe chemicals and materials companies that do not incorporate sustainability into their business models will not find buyers and may even struggle to survive, while those driving the change to a cleaner future will be in high demand from both private equity and strategic buyers,” said DC Advisory. Focus article by Joseph Chang

29-May-2024