Industry Trends

February 2020

See what has been happening in Asia’s petrochemicals, agrochemicals, automotive, bio energy, and mining industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

More powerful batteries, ethanol production in the Philippines, Thailand EV roadmap, and more. Find out what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

New electrode design may lead to more powerful batteries
ScienceDaily

New research could lead to batteries that can pack more power per pound and last longer, based on the long-sought goal of using pure lithium metal as one of the battery’s two electrodes, the anode.
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Ethanol production in the Philippines expected to increase
Ethanol Producer Magazine

The USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service’s annual biofuels report for the Philippines says the country is poised to produce more ethanol in 2019 and 2020 than it did in 2018. The increase is attributed to efficient utilization of prodcution capacity.
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Thailand EV production draft roadmap within three years; two companies to begin manufacture this year
Paul Tan’s Automotive News

The government of Thailand is drafting a roadmap for the production of electrified vehicles to begin within three years, the Bangkok Post reports. This roadmap will serve as the national master plan for EV manufacture in the country and it ‘must be finalised this year’, finance minister of Thailand Uttama Savanayana said.
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Are mining companies jumping the gun on lithium?
Mining Technology

Global efforts to reduce emissions have driven demand for technology such as electric vehicles, which has increased demand for the lithium needed for batteries. According to analysis from Benchmark Minerals, demand for lithium ion batteries has tripled since 2015 to 180 gigawatt hours (GWh), reaching the levels initially predicted for 2020.
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BHP becomes the world’s largest copper producer
MINING.com

BHP Group on Monday became the world’s largest copper miner based on production after Chile’s copper commission announced a slide in output at state-owned Codelco. Hampered by declining grades Codelco production declined by 5.6% or about 100,000 tonnes last year. Overall, Codelco, nationalized in the early 1970s, churned out 1.706 million tonnes of copper, the lowest level since 2008, when output was at 1.55 million tonnes. Codelco, nationalized in the early 1970s, churned out 1.
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Chhattisgarh pushing for rice-based ethanol
Biofuels Digest

In India, the Daily Pioneer newspaper reports that Chhattisgarh’s chief minister has written to the prime minister pushing for approval of a rice-based ethanol plant as well as requested a price for rice-based ethanol be set in line with ethanol produced for sugar and molasses. The state has prioritized rice feedstock for ethanol due to its significant surplus and wants national policy requiring annual permission for ethanol production from rice to be made more flexible.
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Fireproof, lightweight solid electrolyte for safer lithium-ion batteries
ScienceDaily

Lithium-ion batteries are in everything from cell phones to cars. However, recent incidents involving fires or explosions of these devices show there’s a need for safer batteries. One option is to replace the flammable liquid electrolyte with a solid-state electrolyte (SSE). But some of the most-studied SSEs are themselves flammable, leaving the original safety concern unaddressed. Researchers now report that they have developed an SSE that won’t burn up.
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Trading Giants Seek Oil Storage at Sea as Virus Creates Glut
Rigzone.com

The industry is dealing with an oil glut that’s emerged since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China.
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Rising to safety and productivity challenges: Innovations in underground lifting vehicles
Mining Technology

When operating underground lifting vehicles, we are faced with a number of challenges. Mining workers must be kept safe, and to keep up with an increasingly mechanised industry, vehicles must be as productive as they are robust. The electrification of vehicles used by the mining industry has led to a number of outcomes; carbon emissions are reduced, air is cleaner in underground tunnels, and the opportunity for digitised approaches to mining has gained traction.
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Huntsman sells chemical intermediates and surfactants businesses to Indorama for $2B
Biofuels Digest

In Texas, Huntsman Corporation completed the sale of its chemical intermediates businesses, which includes PO/MTBE, and its surfactants businesses to Indorama Ventures in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion, comprising a cash purchase price of approximately $1.93 billion, which includes estimated adjustments to the purchase price for working capital, plus the transfer of up to approximately $76 million in net underfunded pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities.
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Clariant licenses sunliquid cellulosic technology in China
Ethanol Producer Magazine

Clariant, Anhui Guozhen Group, and Chemtex Chemical Engineering on Jan. 7 signed a license agreement on sunliquid cellulosic cellulosic ethanol technology. The technology will be used to convert agricutlure residues to ethanol at a facility in China.
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Mitsubishi to acquire 30% stake in Chile’s Mantoverde copper mine
Mining Technology

Japan-based Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMC) has signed an agreement to acquire a 30% interest in Mantos Copper’s Mantoverde copper mine and associated projects in Chile for $263m from Mantos Copper. The Mantoverde copper mine is located in the Atacama region of northern Chile. It has 2.1 million tonnes (Mt) of copper reserves and 5.7Mt of copper resources.
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Clariant expands production and launches new products for edible oils and biofuels market
Biofuels Digest

In Switzerland, Clariant is investing in additional production capacity at their Yuncos, Spain plant for edible oils and biofuels market products, is adding a new product line that extends their portfolio of highly activated bleaching earths, and is adding production & service closer to customers in Spain of products for 3-MCPD reduction in edible oils.
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Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Acquires c-m-p GmbH
PR Newswire

Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials AG (MCAM), a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials, today announced that it has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of c-m-p GmbH (c-m-p) through its German subsidiary.
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ExxonMobil and Chevron report fourth-quarter earnings declines
Financial Times

US oil majors knocked by tighter margins, chemicals weakness and writedowns.
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2020 to be pivotal for coal miners — report
MINING.com

After a Jekyll and Hyde year in 2019, and a decade characterised by China’s disruption of the met coal trade, participants can be forgiven for being sick of change. But research firm Wood Mackenzie believes a shift toward consistency and stability is probably too much to ask for in 2020 as China continues to play powerbroker over the seaborne market and spot pricing. Woodmac says 2020 is likely to be a pivotal year for those miners who struggled through the second half of 2019.
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Malaysian minister on EU charm offensive to try to boost palm oil’s green image
Biofuels Digest

In Malaysia, the Edge Markets reports that the country’s primary industries minister is on a charm offensive in Europe this week, visiting United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium in an effort to convince policymakers of the sustainability of Malaysia’s palm oil industry. The country is preparing new limitations on oil palm expansion as well as restrictions on growing oil palm on peatlands.
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Indonesia may not have much palm oil to export this year thanks to B30
Biofuels Digest

In Indonesia, the Jakarta Post newspaper reports that the national biodiesel producers association believes there may not be enough surplus for export this year thanks to the B30 mandate that will absorb 8.3 million metric tons of palm oil. Palm oil production may increase this year thanks to improved weather than will help support yields, which will be good for exports next year in case the government’s plan to roll out B40 comes to pass.
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Rare-earth miner Lynas to build waste treatment plant in Malaysia
Mining Technology

Rare-earth mining firm Lynas has reached a deal with the Malaysian state of Pahang to build a waste treatment plant. This deal fulfils one of the several conditions imposed by the Malaysian Government last year to continue operations in the country. A remote site in Bukit Ketam, Pahang, has been selected as the strategic location to construct the permanent disposal facility (PDF), which will be used for water leach purification (WLP).
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Malaysia releases new fuel standards to help with B20 roll out
Biofuels Digest

In Malaysia, Bernama news agency reports that the standards department has issued two new standards to support the fuel supply chain’s implementation of the 20% biodiesel blending mandate. Introduction of the standards are meant to also help boost consumer confidence in addition to helping fuel producers and fuel retailers alike, not to mention vehicle manufacturers and fuel distributors.
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