Emissions focus depoliticized Dow ethylene project, says Alberta premier

Dow’s plan to build a new ethylene and derivatives complex at its site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, received unusually swift and broad political backing because of its focus on carbon-neutral production, said Chemweek.

“Especially in a polarized political environment, it is remarkable that this project was able to go through all the processes,” Smith said March 20 in Houston at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) by S&P Global. “I think the fact that Dow is leading with the emissions question [is] what has depoliticized it. […] It doesn’t matter what political party you're from – if we can have not only great jobs, but also do it in a way that reduces emissions, that is just a value proposition that makes it, I think, politics-proof. And that's something, I think, that we have to consider in this world of uncertainty.”

Jim Fitterling, Dow’s CEO, praised the Canadian authorities for their efforts. “The different parts of the government, whether at the provincial or at the federal level, really worked closely together to help us get things done,” he said. “So we had our permits in place before we ever made a final investment decision. Those are things that we're trying to get right here in the United States, and get that process sped up, but that's not a small task, and I think Canada being very intimately engaged at a lot of different levels with our team actually helped make that a very smooth process.”

Dow announced the “net-zero” carbon dioxide emissions project in October 2021, and made a final investment decision in November 2023. Construction begins this year, with the first phase expected to start in 2027, adding approximately 1.285 million metric tons per year (MMt/y) of ethylene and PE capacity. The second phase will start in 2029, adding a further 600,000 metric tons per year of capacity.

“In our board discussions, it was becoming evident that the world was demanding a reduction in CO2 emissions,” Fitterling said. “We had a discussion at the board meeting without the rest of the management team in the room, and the consensus among us was, we're not going to be able to build another cracker and derivatives complex without it being zero carbon emissions. During COVID, we went away and did a lot of work, and said, how do we take our whole footprint to zero carbon emissions, and we built a master plan.”

Several factors contributed to Dow’s decision to locate the project at its site in Fort Saskatchewan, said Fitterling. The company had for years been considering how to expand the facility, in part because ethane and natural gas prices there are the lowest in North America. Alberta also a petrochemical incentive program offering tax rebates of up to 12% on the capital cost. Since 2020, the region has also had a 240-kilometer pipeline, the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, capable of gathering, compressing and delivering up to 14.6 million metric tons per year of CO2 for sequestration in depleted oil reservoirs. The opportunity to tie the project in with carbon capture and sequestration was crucial.

”We’re very happy to have a first-mover advantage, and to be doing it in Fort Saskatchewan,” said Fitterling. “I think it will be kind of a case for what we can do and replicate here in the US Gulf Coast once we’ve got it proven and up and running.”

We remind, circular plastics now account for 13.5% of the content in new plastic products manufactured in Europe, according to industry association Plastics Europe (Brussels). The association today published its biennial “The Circular Economy for Plastics: A European Analysis” report, which noted that the figure means the European plastics sector is more than halfway toward the interim ambition of Plastics Europe’s Plastics Transition roadmap to use 25% of plastics from circular sources in new products by 2030.

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HIF Global, the world?s leading eFuels company, Idemitsu Kosan, the Japanese petroleum company and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., the international shipping company, announce an agreement to develop an eFuels supply chain between HIF facilities and Japan, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The agreement also outlines how the companies will explore the potential for supplying carbon dioxide ("CO2") from Japan for use as a feedstock for the eFuels production process in HIF facilities under development in the USA, Australia and Chile.

HIF Global will assess demand for CO2 in its eFuels production facilities around the world. Idemitsu will study the capture of CO2 in Japan. MOL will examine the transportation and shipping of CO2 from Japan and eFuels to Japan.

Cesar Norton, President & CEO of HIF Global, said: "At HIF Global, we are developing a portfolio of eFuels facilities that would recycle approximately 25 million tonnes per year of CO2, equivalent to the emissions from over 5 million cars. Carbon neutral eFuels are an immediate replacement for fossil fuels across the global transport sector. Initiatives like this collaboration will bring us a step closer to fueling our world with renewable energy as we strive towards net zero emissions now."

Hiroshi Tanaka, General Manager (Carbon Neutral Transformation Department) of Idemitsu Kosan said: "As part of our commitment to sustainability, Idemitsu is actively working towards establishing a robust supply chain for eMethanol and eFuels. We recognize the importance of these low environmental impact alternatives in our business and their versatility. Through strategic collaborations such as this, we are confident in our ability to take a leading role in reducing carbon emissions in both the energy and transportation sectors. Additionally, we see tremendous potential in the development of various business opportunities within the supply chain. We look forward to exploring and capitalizing on these opportunities together."

Hirofumi Kuwata, Senior Managing Executive Officer of MOL, said: "Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is pleased to be working with HIF Global and Idemitsu Kosan to develop a value chain for CO2, synthetic fuel, and synthetic methanol, contributing to decarbonization throughout the lifecycle. We will establish efficient maritime transport of CO2, synthetic methanol, and synthetic fuel within the supply chain connecting Japanese and overseas projects."

The parties will also discuss the sale and purchase of eFuels and analyze the resulting greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

eFuels are made using electrolyzers powered by renewable energy to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water. The green hydrogen is combined with recycled carbon dioxide to produce carbon neutral eFuels, which are chemically equivalent to fuels used today and can therefore be dropped-in to existing engines without requiring any modifications.

We remind, Idemitsu Kosan has agreed with Mitsubishi Corporation and Proman to participate in the development of the proposed clean ammonia production project in Lake Charles, Louisiana, (U.S.). The Project targets to produce approximately 1.2 MMt of ultra-low carbon clean ammonia per year by FY2030 and will adopt the SynCOR of Topsoe A/S and the Advanced KM CDR Process developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. in collaboration with Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc, which is state-of-the-art low-carbon technology of Japanese company.


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BASF SE announced it has broken ground on a new fermentation plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany, for biological and biotechnology-based crop protection products, said the company.

The plant is expected to start operations in the second half of 2025 and will manufacture biological fungicides and biological seed treatment products, it said. BASF also plans to produce the main building block of an insecticide derived from a fungal strain at the facility, it added.

The plant will employ 30 people in production, logistics, engineering and maintenance, it said.

Plans for the plant were first announced in October last year, with investment put by BASF in the “high double-digit million euro range.”

We remind, BASF has strengthened its partnership with OQEMA, one of Europe’s leading chemical distributors, with regard to BASF’s standard amines portfolio excluding ethanolamines in the UK and Ireland, effective January 1, 2024. The companies, which have enjoyed a productive partnership in Germany and Eastern Europe for over two decades, will now join forces in the UK, combining OQEMA’s extensive distribution and sales network and in-depth local market knowledge with BASF’s ability to deliver high-quality, competitively priced products at scale.

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The head of Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) has said the country’s petrochemical exports are expected to reach 29 million tons by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 19), said Tehrantimes.

According to Morteza Shahmirzaei, the expected figure shows a 1.5-million-ton increase compared to the total exports in the previous year, Shana reported.

The country produced 69.5 million tons of petrochemicals in the previous year (March 2022-March 2023), said the official, predicting the figure will top 75 million tons this year.

Shifting to the petrochemical plans, he said 12 projects, including Gachsaran Petrochemical Complex and Persian Gulf Hoveyzeh Gas Refinery, were inaugurated as pledged in the current Iranian year, adding other projects such as Arian Methanol, Petronad, Nakhl Asmari, and Hengam are ready for the official inauguration.

Shahmirzaei also touched upon the collection of flare gases and said most of the associated gases are gathered in the Persian Gulf Bidboland Gas Refinery, NGL 3200, and Persian Gulf Hoveyzeh Gas Refinery.

The NGL 3100 project in Dehloran, the western province of Ilam, will become operational in the coming Iranian year, said the deputy oil minister, vowing NPC will capture all associated gases to prevent the burning of the national wealth.

He pointed to the development of energy diplomacy in the 13th government and said the activity program in offshore petrochemical industries is being followed seriously and good successes have been achieved in this regard. With the expansion of relations with neighboring and aligned countries, other countries have demanded the supply of catalysts, equipment, and machinery from Iran.

Stating that Iran's petrochemical industry exported more than 16 billion dollars of petrochemical products to the world markets last year, he added that the products supplied to the world markets are in excess of the domestic demand because the priority of the petrochemical industry is to meet the domestic needs in order to complete the value chain.

The NPC head had previously put the country’s petrochemical production capacity at over 92 million tons, and said: “Today we are almost self-sufficient in the main petrochemical sectors including products and equipment.”

Iran's petrochemical industry accounts for 28 percent of the region's petrochemical capacity and 2.7 percent of the world's petrochemical capacity, he announced.

The petrochemical industry plays a crucial role in Iran’s non-oil economy, as petrochemical export is the second-largest source of revenue for the country after crude oil. Petrochemical exports already constitute nearly 33 percent of the country’s non-oil exports.

According to Shahmirzaei, the company plans to increase its annual petrochemical production capacity to 200 million tons over the next 10 years.

In this regard, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji said that more than 100 petrochemical projects with a total investment of about USD70 billion have been defined and will be implemented across the country.

Oji noted that the country will also be completely self-sufficient in producing the catalysts used in the petrochemical industry by the end of the current government administration's incumbency (August 2025).

We remind, microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical environmental concern, with its detrimental impact reaching far and wide across ecosystems and human health. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) acknowledges the urgency of addressing the issue and supports the European Commission’s proposal to regulate microplastic pellet operations and emissions.

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Microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical environmental concern, with its detrimental impact reaching far and wide across ecosystems and human health. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) acknowledges the urgency of addressing the issue and supports the European Commission’s proposal to regulate microplastic pellet operations and emissions.

At the EESC, the February plenary adopted a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastics pollution.

Microplastics, defined as solid plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, pose a significant threat to the environment and public health. They can enter the air, water and soil, persisting for long periods and accumulating in living organisms. Plastic pellets are one of the largest sources of unintentional microplastic pollution, used for producing plastics goods. Tackling plastic pellet losses requires a multifaceted approach that addresses different sources and stages of microplastic pollution.

Rapporteur, Andras Edelenyi, said: “Let’s create substantial information based on microplastic emissions, impact and prevention and intervention areas in order to direct and focus our resources to mitigate them in the most efficient way.”

The EESC emphasises the need for standardised methodologies to track and estimate microplastic pellet losses along the supply chain. By developing robust monitoring systems, policymakers can gauge progress towards environmental targets and identify areas requiring intervention. Additionally, addressing secondary microplastics from various sources is a crucial step in comprehensive pollution mitigation.

One of the challenges in regulating microplastic pollution lies in balancing environmental protection with socio-economic feasibility. The EESC recognises the importance of tailored regulations that consider the capacity of smaller enterprises, while ensuring significant reductions in pellet emissions. By offering lighter requirements for micro and small enterprises and promoting awareness and training across the workforce, policymakers can foster compliance without unduly burdening businesses.

Maria Nikolopoulou, co-rapporteur of the opinion, said: "The regulation on pellets is a good first step and we hope to see soon a proposal for the rest of the microplastic pollutants such us tires, paint, textiles, geotextiles and washing capsules!"

Furthermore, international cooperation is essential for addressing microplastic pollution, particularly when it comes to non-EU market imports and maritime transport. Harmonising regulations and sharing best practices with international partners can create a level playing field for all stakeholders and minimise pollution hotspots along global supply chains.

Investment in research is paramount for addressing microplastic pollution. The EESC emphasises evidence-based policymaking and calls for increased efforts to understand the impacts of microplastics on human and ecological health. By filling knowledge gaps and developing comprehensive risk assessments, policymakers can formulate targeted interventions to reduce microplastics pollution’s harmful effects and conduct mid-term reviews to ensure the right measures are taken.

In conclusion, the EESC’s support for regulating microplastic pellet operations reflects a concerted effort to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. By adopting a comprehensive approach that combines regulatory measures, scientific research and international cooperation, policymakers can pave the way for a cleaner, healthier future for all.

We remind, circular plastics now account for 13.5% of the content in new plastic products manufactured in Europe, according to industry association Plastics Europe (Brussels). The association today published its biennial “The Circular Economy for Plastics: A European Analysis” report, which noted that the figure means the European plastics sector is more than halfway toward the interim ambition of Plastics Europe’s Plastics Transition roadmap to use 25% of plastics from circular sources in new products by 2030.

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