OUTLOOK ’14: Europe ethylene, propylene could be a 2013 re-run
Nel Weddle
24-Dec-2013
By Nel Weddle
LONDON (ICIS)–European ethylene and propylene
market players are not expecting much of 2014 with most
taking a fairly neutral stance in terms of any structural
changes, despite improving signs on the economy front.
Many sources anticipate a re-run of 2013 as Europe’s ethylene
and propylene buyers and sellers continue to build on
behaviours adopted over the past 4-5 years.
The lack of predictability and/or visibility is expected to
remain but European ethylene and propylene players have come
a long way to address this in the face of ever increasing
competition from abroad.
The key word remains agility. Improving the response to upstream and downstream developments while managing inventory levels both up and down the chain very closely.
However, this sometimes leads to heightened price volatility as tight inventory control leaves little buffer and limited flexibility in the European system if unexpected issues arise.
One emerging concern for 2014 is that the planned cracker maintenance slate is much less compared with 2013.
In 2013, a heavy spring and autumn maintenance schedule gave
European cracker operators some insurance against weak demand
while enabling others to run at higher than the average run
rate, but fears over supply length versus feedstock strength
soon returned once maintenance shutdowns were complete.
“We will still be at the bottom of the cycle. Hopefully we
won’t set any new ‘low’ records and maybe in late 2014
we will see some uptick,” was the view from a propylene
consumer.
A trader said: “We are predicting next year to be difficult,
we will take very little risk – it won’t be great on
ethylene.”
Another source opted not to comment, saying it was best not
to expect or say anything, and just be ready to move with
each development.
Not suprisingly for a region deemed the worst cost olefins
producer, 2013 saw several announcements regarding supply
rationalisation – cracker and derivative closures, capacity
reductions, as well as some changes to feedstock
flexibility.
These included the closure of
Total’s NC1 cracker at its site in Antwerp, Belgium,
and the expected closure of its
cracker in Carling, France, by 2015.
INEOS announced the closure of its G4 naphtha cracker in Grangemouth, the UK, by the second quarter of 2015. Repsol said it would downsize ethylene and propylene capacity at its Puertollano Spain site by 2015.
In the third quarter, Versalis reduced the capacity of its cracker in Priolo, Italy, by closing one of two lines – its new ethylene capacity is 470,000 tonnes/year.
2013 saw several downstream polyethylene (PE) closures/announcements, all concentrated in Belgium, Italy and Germany.
Not all derivative announcements were polymer related – INEOS and Celanese said they would close their VAM (vinyl acetate monomer) units in the UK and Spain respectively – effectively half of Europe’s VAM capacity.
On the other hand, the more positive aspects came in with news of some cracker feedstock flexibility – notably INEOS locking down shale gas supply contracts for Rafnes, Norway (also announcing a 50,000 tonne ethylene expansion) and its Grangemouth site.
2014 is expected to yield similar moves as European producers and consumer step up efforts to counteract cheaper and more competitive production elsewhere.
Table of 2014 cracker maintenance*
Company |
Location |
Timing |
SABIC |
Wilton, UK |
May-June |
BASF |
No 1, Ludwigshafen, Germany |
September |
Shell |
2A, Wesseling, Germany |
Oct-Nov |
OMV |
Burghausen, Germany |
Aug-Sep |
INEOS |
KG, Grangemouth, UK |
Aug-Sep |
ExxonMobil |
ND Gravenchon, France |
Sep-Oct |
Versalis |
Brindisi, Italy |
Sep-Oct |
*none confirmed
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