Honeywell drives industrial transition from automation to autonomy with new AI-enabled digital suite

Honeywell announced new digital technologies that leverage artificial intelligence and are designed to accelerate the industrial shift from automation to autonomy, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

At the 49th annual Honeywell Users Group, the company introduced a suite of AI-enabled cybersecurity solutions designed to bolster the defenses of operational technology (OT) environments against the evolving landscape of cyber threats. Together, Honeywell Cyber Proactive Defense and Honeywell OT Security Operations Center will help companies reduce the risk of cyberattacks in industrial environments, increase resiliency and support continuous operations.

The company also announced the expansion of the Honeywell Digital Prime platform to encompass an enterprise-wide set of solutions that effectively test and modify engineering projects before implementation, helping reduce plant downtime and increase throughput when deployed into production.

In a recent survey of 300 U.S. decision-makers and influencers in energy and energy-adjacent industries, Honeywell found that 91% believe AI has near-term potential to enhance energy security, and 85% are already either actively using or piloting AI in their companies today.

“Industries are seeking AI-enabled, enterprise-wide solutions that adapt and make decisions in dynamic conditions, and our new digital technologies help them create safer, more reliable and more efficient operations,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, president of Honeywell Process Solutions. “As we guide our customers on the path from automation to autonomy, Honeywell’s domain expertise is poised to help them rethink how they use technology to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge.”

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California fuel imports hit 4-yr high amid refinery outages

California's fuel imports rose to the highest in 4 yr in May as refiners turned to historical trading partners in Asia and tapped some unusual routes to make up for shortages in the No. 2 U.S. oil consumer state, according to shipping data and traders, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The rise in shipments to California offers an early look at the future of the biggest gasoline and jet fuel markets in the U.S., which are expected to become more reliant on imports after Phillips and Valero close two major refineries in the state by next year, amid growing regulatory and cost pressures, and declining demand for gasoline.

"California's refining capacity is shrinking faster than its fuel demand is declining, forcing the state into a long-term import-dependent position," Kpler analyst Sumit Ritolia said.

California's total petroleum product imports rose to 279,000 bpd in May, the highest since June 2021, when a similar volume was imported, according to data from vessel tracker Kpler.

About 187,000 bpd, or nearly 70% of the imports came from South Korea and other Asian exporters, who have historically been the top trading partners for California and other West Coast states, which are geographically isolated from major U.S. refining centers along the Gulf Coast.

Recent outages in California at refineries owned by Chevron, PBF Energy and Valero caused a supply crunch in markets along the U.S. West Coast that necessitated more imports, traders and analysts said.

"We have seen tighter supplies due to several refinery outages," StoneX oil analyst Alex Hodes said. That boosted prices in the U.S. Pacific Northwest substantially and led to increased imports, he said.

There were several days where San Francisco gasoline was more than $40 a barrel above Gulf Coast pricing, nearly double the year-to-date average of $21, WoodMac analyst Austin Lin said.

Unusual routes. California's imports from the Bahamas, a trade route rarely used by West Coast refiners, hit a record high of 38,000 bpd in May, Kpler data showed. The previous record was 29,000 bpd in March.

Flows on the route from the Caribbean were sporadic before this year's refining outages, averaging just 6,000 bpd throughout last year, the data showed.

The Bahamas does not refine oil but exports fuel and blending components shipped there from the U.S. Gulf Coast refining hub as part of a workaround to a century-old U.S. shipping law to supply fuel to the East Coast when pipeline shipments are insufficient.

The Jones Act bars movement of goods between U.S. ports unless carried by ships built domestically and staffed by local crew. However, there were only 55 such petroleum tankers as of the start of 2024, according to a government report, making them expensive and hard to procure.

Sailing a tanker from Texas to California via the Bahamas is typically too expensive, but the recent refinery outages opened up the arbitrage to the West Coast from everywhere, a second U.S. gasoline trading source said.

Ample availability in the Atlantic Basin of alkylate - a blending component highly sought for California's unique blend of CARBOB gasoline - could have also contributed to the uptick in imports from the Bahamas, Sparta Commodities analyst Philip Jones-Lux said.

Meanwhile, California imported 39,000 bpd of gasoline and alkylate from India last month, the highest since January 2024, Kpler data showed.

More waterborne imports will raise fuel costs in the most populous U.S. state, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said.

However, the opening up of these unusual trade routes in May shows the state still has options to shield consumers from extraordinary price spikes, he said.

Retail gasoline prices averaged $4.68 a gallon in California on Friday, while the national average was $3.12, according to GasBuddy data.

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CATL signs exclusive LFP supply deal with Jiangxi Shenghua

Power battery supplier, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL; Ningde, China) said it has signed an agreement with Jiangxi Shenghua New Materials to secure an exclusive supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) materials, as per Chemweek.

The agreement ensures CATL priority access to additional LFP cathode material capacity, industry sources said to Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Under the supplemental agreement, CATL agreed to pay 500 million renminbi ($69.6 million) before May 31 to support construction of Shenghua’s Jiangxi base, which will have an LFP production capacity of 160,000 metric tons per year. CATL will also provide funding for the third-phase project in Sichuan, which will add 200,000 metric tons per year of LFP capacity.

Shenghua will prioritize production lines for manufacturing LFP materials required by CATL. CATL guaranteed a minimum annual offtake volume representing at least 80% of Shenghua’s committed capacity throughout the same period.

Meanwhile, Shenghua will expand production capacity, aligning with CATL’s demand forecasts, the agreement showed. Shenghua, a subsidiary of Fulin Precision, has a production capacity of 215,000 metric tons per year for high-tap-density LFP cathode materials.

CATL invested 400 million renminbi in March 2025 to acquire an 18.7% stake in Shenghua. In addition, CATL has long-term supply agreements with multiple leading Chinese LFP cathode producers, including Wanrun New Energy and Lopal Tech.

According to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, CATL’s power battery installations totaled 78.7 GWh in the first four months of 2025, accounting for 42.9% of the country’s total.

CATL’s LFP battery installation reached 55.2 GWh during the same period, accounting for 36.8% of the country’s total.

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LyondellBasell enters exclusive talks for Europe asset divestments

LyondellBasell has entered into exclusive talks with an industrial investor for the sale of four European production sites, slightly over a year after launching a review of its asset base in the region, said the company.

The company entered into the talks with AEQUITA, a Germany-based investment group specialising in turnarounds and carve-outs. Other assets acquired by the firm include a bake disc technology company purchased from Bosch, a cloud solutions business from Fujitsu, and a glass manufacturer from Saint-Gobain.

AEQUITA is in position to take control of four sites of the nine operated by LyondellBasell in Europe in the deal, spanning France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

That leaves LyondellBasell with its Knapsack and Wesseling, Germany, site – collectively its largest production centre in Europe – as well as Frankfurt, Germany; Moerdijk, Netherlands; Brindisi, Italy and Tarragona, Spain.

Collectively, the sites represent a “scaled” olefins and polyolefins platform with operations close to customer demand, LyondellBasell said, although the size of the crackers in the portfolio are smaller than many capacities that have come on-stream in the last few years.

“We are confident in our ability to accelerate their development under AEQUITA’s ownership approach,” said Christoph Himmel, Managing Partner at AEQUITA.

The current agreement entered into takes the form of a put option deed, which grants the owner the right but not the obligation to sell an asset at a specific price.

In this case, AEQUITA has agreed to purchase at the agreed-upon terms if LyondellBasell opts to exercise the option after concluding works council consultation processes.

The financial terms of a sale have not yet been disclosed, but the current timeline would see the deal close in the first half of 2026, LyondellBasell added.

The Europe review is part of a wider shift in footing towards three key pillars for the business.

Announced in 2023, this is based on prioritizing spending on businesses where the company “has leading positions in expanding and well-positioned markets”, growing circular solutions earnings to $1 billion/year by 2030, and shifting from cost controls to a broader idea of value creation.

The company’s strategy for its remaining European asset base will be based around sustainability and the circular economy, according to Lyondell CEO Peter Vanacker.

“Europe remains a core market for LyondellBasell and one we will continue to participate in following this transaction with more of a focus on value creation through establishing profitable leadership in circular and renewable solutions,” he said.

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China’s Jan-Apr sulfuric acid exports rose

China’s sulfuric acid exports over January-April rose 78.1% year over year to about 1.32 million metric tons, as per Chemweek.

Chile received the largest share, importing 483,117 metric tons, which accounted for 36.6% of total exports and marked an increase of 12.4% compared with the same period in 2024.

Indonesia emerged as China’s second-largest sulfuric acid importer, receiving 207,957 metric tons in the first four months, a significant increase of 440% year over year.

Saudi Arabia emerged as the third-largest importer with 207,957 metric tons, marking a sharp year-over-year surge of 746.4%. Morocco followed with 124,502 metric tons, reflecting a 321.4% year-over-year increase. In contrast, India experienced a sharp decline in imports, falling by 40.1% to 85,256 metric tons.

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