Global News on Chemicals, Materials & Energy （June 30 – July 6, 2025）

1. Carbon Capture and Emission Reduction Initiatives

• Heidelberg Materials launched Europe's first industrial-scale carbon capture facility at its cement plant in Brevik, Norway. The plant aims to capture 400,000 tons of CO₂ annually, using amine-based absorption and storage under the North Sea.

• The move is considered a milestone for industrial CCS, though concerns remain over cost-effectiveness and carbon pricing mechanisms.

• https://www.chemwi.com/category/environmental-protection-and-carbon-reduction

2. Battery Materials and Critical Mineral Supply Chains

• Electroflow Tech (California) secured funding to scale its electrochemical lithium extraction technology. It promises 96% lithium recovery at $1,500 per ton—significantly cheaper and cleaner than traditional brine evaporation.

• https://www.chemwi.com/category/battery

• France accelerates rare earth localization, with new projects led by Solvay and Eramet. These aim to secure supply chains and reduce reliance on Chinese imports, in alignment with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.

  
  

3. 🇩🇪 European Chemical Industry Outlook

• The IFO Institute reported a sharp increase in confidence within Germany's chemical sector in June, reaching a 3.5-year high, buoyed by proposed industrial electricity tax reductions.

• Despite this boost, firms continue to face low demand and elevated operating costs.

4. Clean Energy Transition and Green Hydrogen

• The chemicals sector remains heavily reliant on fossil feedstocks. Despite some success stories like Denmark’s e-methanol pilot plants, electrification and green hydrogen adoption is still limited due to high costs and insufficient incentives.

• A South Korean research team developed a boron-doped cobalt phosphide nanomaterial that could halve the cost of green hydrogen production through efficient water electrolysis.

• https://www.chemwi.com/category/next-generation-fuel-energy

5. New Capacity Announcements

• Tosoh (Japan) announced a new chloroprene rubber plant (22,000 tons/year) targeting start-up in 2027.

• BASF launched a 260,000 tons/year hexamethylenediamine (HMD) facility in France to meet rising demand in polyamide and coating industries.

• https://www.chemwi.com/category/environmental-protection-and-carbon-reduction

📌 Key Takeaways

Theme	Highlights
Carbon Capture	First CCS cement plant in Norway operational
Battery Materials	Electrochemical lithium extraction gains momentum
Critical Minerals	France advances rare earth independence
Energy Transition	Tech breakthroughs, but fossil reliance remains
Capacity Expansions	Japan and Europe invest in rubber & HMD production