Contents ↘ March/ April ↘ For more, visit chemweek.com ↘ Issue: 181 ↘ number: 8 ↘ 15 STAUDIGL: Lower prices hit Wacker. ↘ 17 SCOTT: Wesfarmers bids for Lynas. ↘ 18 VOROBIEV: Lukoil expands in PP, styrene. ↘ 30 BECK: New Ecolab COO. On the cover ↘ Business & Finance United States/Americas ↘ Dow Chemical: Ready for a return Dow Chemical re-emerges this week as a standalone public company with its April spin o from DowDuPont. The portfolio is narrower and management promises strong earnings growth and sharper discipline on cost and capital allocation. Private equity diversifies the portfolio • • • • • • Newsbriefs WPC : Industry cautious as outlook moderates Ineos to acquire Cristal’s US TiO business YPF sees Argentina petrochemical hub within next decade WPC highlights plastics and sustainability, circular economy Nouryon to double organic peroxides capacity in Mexico Ineos to double size of EO and derivatives project in US ITC fire tightens aromatics, clean-up obstructs Houston Ship Channel Japan JV pays $. billion to remain in Saudi methanol alliance European Parliament votes to ban single-use plastic items BASF opens catalysts research center Wacker expects drop in EBITDA on lower prices, rising energy costs Safic-Alcan acquires UK specialties distributor Wesfarmers o ers to buy rare-earths firm Lynas for $. billion Asahi Kasei invests $ million to expand in battery separators Brenntag buys majority stake in Singapore firm • • • • New construction Lukoil plans PP, styrene production facilities in Russia Grupa Azoty selects Hyundai Engineering for PDH, PP complex ThyssenKrupp wins order to build fertilizer complex in Egypt Lanxess hikes benzyl alcohol capacity in Germany, India WPC : Crude-to-chemicals in focus Ethane hedge key to Sasol’s US project Viewpoint Key changes CW • • Basic Chemicals & Plastics Methanex proxy fight over Geismar project intensifies H.B. Fuller adjusted earnings down .% YOY DIC to build PPS compounding line in Wisconsin Sinopec’s chemical profit steady, PetroChina’s earnings rise Deadly explosion at pesticides plant in China Merck KGaA to invest € billion at Darmstadt through Europe/Mideast Departments Top of the week Aramco to acquire SABIC for $ . billion, as part of petchems push Asia/Pacific chemweek.com 25 March/1 April 2019 | Chemical Week | 1
Chemical Week Mar. 25/Apr. 1, 2019: 1
