Industry: Chemicals & Plastics

In the March 2025 edition of the ADI newsletter, we covered how refineries are under pressure to decarbonize. Despite a slowdown, shale consolidation was expected to attract investment, and the Middle East was experiencing a gas boom to meet rising demand. Additionally, the global chemical industry was projected to rebound in 2025, driven by specialty […]

The refining industry faced another challenging year in 2024, with crack spreads plummeting due to weak demand for petroleum products and rising global refining capacity. As we look ahead to 2025, refiners will likely encounter another difficult year with sluggish demand, tight margins, and potential supply disruptions amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Key trends to watch […]

Resilience through innovation and strategic restructuring is laying the groundwork for a recovery in the chemicals industry. As companies pivot toward high-growth markets and adapt to global challenges, 2025 is expected to bring renewed optimism. Key trends to watch in 2025 include: The rest of this article is available to ADI Plus Essential subscribers. ADI […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Rob Helwick, CEO & President, Meridian Chemicals, and Anahita Khanlari, Solution Marketing Director, AspenTech, joined moderator Panuswee Dwivedi, Project Manager, ADI Analytics. The group participated in the specialty chemicals panel. Key topics include the chemical industry’s focus on digitalization, efficiency, and sustainability, driven by market shifts and feedstock challenges. This […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Tom Ambrose, Co-Founder & Partner, Black Bay Partners, and Chris Hogan, MD, KeyBanc Capital Markets join Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics for the investor panel on chemicals day. Key topics include private equity’s robust capital but choppy deal activity due to high interest rates, leading to bifurcated valuations favoring top-tier […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Rajeev Agnihotri, Advisor, Technical Scouting, Innovation, ExxonMobil, and Carol Conomos, Advisor, Mainspring Energy, joined Panuswee Dwivedi, Project Manager, ADI Analytics for the innovation panel on chemicals day. Key themes during the panel included how the chemical industry is rapidly transforming, driven by AI and generative AI for accelerated material design […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Ricardo Estrada, VP, Plastilene Group and Jan Kalfus, Director, Braskem joined moderator Panuswee Dwivedi, Project Manager, for polyolefins panel. They explore polyolefins market challenges like low operating rates and overcapacity amidst rising demand for sustainable solutions. The discussion highlights the economic viability of bio-based and recycled polyolefins and the role […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Sachin Sakhalkar, SVP, Teknor Apex, and Kristian Gubsch, Co-Founder, Mars Materials joined the engineered materials panel, moderated by Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics. Key themes during the panel included how the chemical industry is driving high-performance polymer innovation for autos, especially EVs, leading to polyamide adoption and a manufacturing shift […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, experts discussed how U.S. feedstocks are transforming chemical manufacturing. Steve Brown, President of Chemstations, and Walter Breidenstein, CEO of GasTechno, joined Uday Turaga, CEO of ADI Analytics, to explore the U.S. chemical industry’s competitive edge from natural gas liquids. Discussions covered operational optimization, innovative modular technologies, market strategies, and AI’s […]

At the 2025 ADI Forum, Uday Turaga, CEO of ADI Analytics, shares his 2025 chemical industry outlook. Key challenges include low margins, overcapacity from China, and U.S. feedstock dynamics. He emphasizes the urgent need for restructuring, innovation, and new business models. U.S. innovation faces challenges, and virgin plastics remain cheaper. These and other issues are […]

Piercen Hoekstra, Analyst at ADI Analytics, discusses the 2025 chemicals outlook. Recovery is expected, fueled by specialty chemicals demand in energy storage, semiconductors, and healthcare, notably from electric vehicles. Petrochemical firms are prioritizing efficiency and digital adoption to combat oversupply. Learn more about this outlook at the 2025 ADI Forum.

Piercen Hoekstra, Analyst, ADI Analytics, discussed the potential impact of President Trump’s proposed tariffs on the chemicals industry, including a 10% tariff on Chinese goods and a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. These tariffs, while less severe than initially proposed, could significantly increase costs for US chemical companies due to their reliance […]