Market Overview
Ethylene Oxide
For the Quarter Ending December 2020
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
The supply for EO tightened due to production outages at some upstream Ethylene plants. Upstream supply remained affected by LG chemical’s Yeosu cracker’s unexpected 3 week-long force majeure due to fire breakout at the company’s central control unit. Unexpected plant turnarounds triggered Ethylene production loss of around 400 KT, cumulatively during the quarter. The price of EO is the Asian region inclined due to firm demand for glycols and tight product supplies. The Indian Ethylene Oxide industry remained largely unchanged over the previous quarter with market fundamentals staying balanced for a larger part of the month. The price of EO in India showed a slight increment in Q4 2020, maintaining an average of USD 1078 per tonne. Driving the trajectory were the firmer feedstock costs and increasing demand from the downstream MEG producers.
North America
There was a consistent decline in supply of the upstream Ethylene across North America with majority of its EO demand being directed towards the downstream glycols sector. Operating rates at the upstream units were heard increasing after affected run rates due to hurricane related disruptions in the US. Early December, Formosa’s new EO plant in Texas turned operational which is expected to ramp up the production rates in Q1 FY21 amid anticipations of pent-up demand. EO inventory levels at several downstream sectors turned lower due to strong demand for glycol ethers used in disinfectants and cleaning chemicals while pricing is likely to remain uplifted amid persistent transportation constraints.
Europe
EO supplies tightened during the fourth quarter amid tightened supply of Ethylene whose inventories stood low limiting the product availability to several other downstream production units. Shutdown of Ethylene cracker of Borealis in Stenungsund (Sweden) in December further exacerbated the market tightness. Persistent tightness in the upstream supplies and recovery in crude futures spiked the spot prices of EO across Europe. Regional traders reported better demand from the downstream detergents and medical industries throughout the quarter.
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Services
Market Analysis
Company-wise installed capacity, production volume and plant operating efficiency is captured directly from manufacturers. Import and Export volume is captured from government sources and demand for Acrylonitrile is calculated considering the production, import, export and inventory-levels on the country and regional level markets.
Pricing Analysis
Acrylonitrile price is correlated with the price trend of crude oil, demand-supply gap, Propylene and with movement across the downstream derivatives such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) etc.
Company Profile
Basic details and information on financial performance of leading global players in the Acrylonitrile market is presented in a visually captivating manner. Expansion plans and the company’s strategy is also captured to understand the vision and mission of the company to help understand the areas where companies need to focus more.
News & Deals
Daily updates on industry-specific and product-specific news, exclusive primary-based news capturing plant shutdowns/outages/closures, capacity expansions, operating rates, insights on demand-supply situation, awarding of technology licenses, new product launch and deals specifying mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and disinvestments, to help players capitalize on market opportunity.
Methodology
ChemAnalyst gathers information through primary research surveys conducted with various Ethylene Oxide manufacturers, spread across the domestic and international market, suppliers, and dealers/distributors to gain insights into value-chains and demand-supply scenario to assess the market situation. Thorough study of company’s annual reports and secondary sources such as exhaustive search on credible paid databases, including our internal database is done to verify the information. All the collected information is analyzed, evaluated, and presented in chronological order to depict a meaningful and clear picture of the concerned market.
Our dedicated team of industry experts comprehensively monitors and analyzes various aspects of the Global Ethylene Oxide market. The team analyzes various industrial segments, strategic viewpoints and provides an analysis of the industry’s performance in the long run. This would enable our clients in efficiently plan their future investments, mitigate risk, understand the cost dynamics, and strike out a balance amidst market volatility.
Critical examination of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global supply chains and shift in demand patterns with change in buying behavior of consumers across the globe.
Several ongoing development projects across industries are tracked, followed by the details of major projects in the development stage, which can positively or negatively influence Global Ethylene Oxide market.
Pricing is captured through exhaustive primary interviews with domestic and international manufacturers, suppliers, traders and importers and customers on monthly and yearly basis.
Finally, region-specific markets for Ethylene Oxide are analyzed and region-wise demand pattern is tracked.
About
Ethylene Oxide (EO) is a colorless flammable gas with sweet odor and high flash point which lies below 00F, thereby imparting it high volatility. Ethylene Oxide in the liquid form is less dense than water, whereas in the gaseous form is heavier than air. Ethylene Oxide is manufactured by reacting Oxygen (O2) and ethylene (C2H2) to undergo catalytic oxidation at a temperature of 2000C – 3000C and a pressure of 10-20 bar. Ethylene Oxide is a feedstock for many consumer chemicals (such as household cleaners, textile, personal care items, medical equipment’s etc.) as well as non-consumer chemicals (Antifreeze, Sterilizers etc.) and intermediates (ethylene glycols, ethanol amines and ethylene glycol ether).
