Communicator

Vienna, Austria / Abu Dhabi, UAE — March 4, 2025

In a landmark move reshaping the global petrochemicals industry, Austria’s OMV and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have unveiled plans to merge their chemical subsidiaries, Borouge and Borealis, into a new entity named Borouge Group International. This new company will then acquire Nova Chemicals, a leading North American polyethylene producer, for $13.4 billion, including debt. The combined enterprise, valued at over $60 billion, is poised to become one of the world’s largest polyolefins producers, with a production capacity of approximately 13.6 million tons per year. The transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2026 pending regulatory approvals, underscores both companies’ ambitions to expand their global chemicals footprint.

The deal involves two key steps.
First, OMV, which owns 75% of Borealis, and ADNOC, holding 54% of Borouge, will consolidate their shareholdings into Borouge Group International. Each company will own approximately 46.94% of the new entity, with the remaining 6.12% offered as free-float shares to Borouge’s existing shareholders. To balance the ownership, OMV will contribute €1.6 billion (about $1.7 billion) in cash, subject to adjustments based on dividends paid before the deal closes.
Second, Borouge Group International will acquire Nova Chemicals from Mubadala Investment Company, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, for an enterprise value of $13.4 billion. The equity value of the deal is reported at $9.377 billion, with the remainder comprising assumed debt. Nova Chemicals, based in Canada, operates four production sites in the Sarnia area, boasting a capacity of 2.6 million tons of polyethylene and 4.2 million tons of ethylene annually. The resulting company will combine Borouge’s dominance in the Middle East and Asia, Borealis’ leadership in Europe, and Nova Chemicals’ strong foothold in North America, creating a truly global player in the polyolefins market.

The formation of Borouge Group International and its acquisition of Nova Chemicals promise to reshape the industry. The merger unites Borouge’s access to competitive feedstock from ADNOC, Borealis’ European market expertise, and Nova Chemicals’ North American operations, bolstered by shale gas-based resources. This geographical diversity strengthens the company’s ability to serve customers worldwide. With an estimated $500 million in annual cost synergies, the new entity will optimize production, share cutting-edge technologies, and leverage combined market access. The company aims to rank as the fourth-largest polyolefins producer globally, enhancing its competitiveness. Sustainability is also a key focus, with all three companies—Borouge, Borealis, and Nova Chemicals—bringing expertise in recycling technologies and sustainable products. Borouge Group International is positioned to lead in the circular economy, targeting net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050.

Borouge Group International will be headquartered in Vienna, Austria, with a regional base in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and additional hubs in Calgary, Pittsburgh, and Singapore. The company will be listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), with potential plans for a secondary listing in Vienna. Existing Borouge shareholders will exchange their shares for stakes in the new entity, with promises of dividend growth. The acquisition of Nova Chemicals will be funded through debt, which the company plans to refinance in the capital markets post-closing, reflecting confidence in its long-term financial stability backed by ADNOC and OMV.

#abudhabi  #omv  #novachemicals  #borouge  #borealis  #merger  #ethylene  #polyethylene  #recycling  #sustainability  #circulareconomy #netzero #shalegas  #mubadala 

Dutch TTF Gas March 25 (TGH25) Price Chart (€/MWh)

Yara's Hull Plant Mothballing Highlights Europe's Ongoing Energy Challenges

The recent announcement (on 7 February 2025) of Yara International's decision to mothball its Hull ammonia plant in the UK, which has an annual capacity of 300,000 metric tons represents a striking example of how Europe's energy crisis continues to impact industrial production.

This decision is part of a broader strategy to reduce European ammonia production by 1 million metric tons due to high natural gas feedstock costs and the impact of European carbon policies.

The Hull plant closure, likely permanent, reflects the challenges faced by energy-intensive industries in Europe, where elevated energy prices and regulatory pressures have significantly eroded competitiveness.

The Natural Gas-Fertilizer Connection

Fertilizer production, particularly nitrogen-based fertilizers, is
inextricably linked to natural gas prices. Natural gas serves not only as an energy source but also as a key raw material in the production process. Through the Haber-Bosch process, natural gas (methane) is converted into hydrogen, which then combines with nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia – the building block of nitrogen fertilizers.

When natural gas prices surge, fertilizer production costs increase dramatically, as gas can represent up to 80% of the production costs for nitrogen fertilizers. This direct relationship makes fertilizer plants particularly vulnerable to gas price volatility.

The Chain of Events: Europe's Energy Market Transformation

The current situation stems from a series of significant changes in Europe's energy landscape:

Europe took the decisive step of sanctioning gas imports from Russia altogether, forcing a dramatic restructuring of its energy supply chains. This led to a rushed transition toward liquefied natural gas (LNG) from distant suppliers like the United States and Qatar. However, LNG proves significantly more expensive than pipeline gas due to the complex processes of liquefaction, oceanic transport, storage and regasification.

Germany's decision to accelerate the dismantling of its nuclear power plants set an early precedent for increased gas dependency in Europe's largest economy. This shift put additional pressure on the continent's gas supplies and grid stability.

The situation intensified when the Baltic states decided to cut
themselves off from the Russian power grid on 9 February 2025, leading to significant spikes in regional electricity prices. This was preceded by Ukraine's decision to halt gas transit through its territory on 1 January 2025, which had been a crucial pipeline route for Russian gas reaching European markets.

New U.K. Tax Rates Are Hammering North Sea Oil And Gas Drilling

In the UK, the situation intensified in October when the UK government raised the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), commonly known as the windfall tax, from 35% to 38%. The United Kingdom currently imposes one of the world's highest tax burdens on offshore oil and gas production, with operators in the North Sea facing a total tax rate of 78% resulting from the combination of standard taxation and the EPL.

The policy has created a challenging environment for the UK's domestic energy production, Britain now paying the highest electricity prices in the World.

Norway's Gas Threat: A New Risk to Europe's Energy Security

Norway, a critical supplier of natural gas to Europe, has recently hinted at potential disruptions to its energy exports due to domestic and geopolitical pressures. Currently providing nearly half of Germany's gas supply, Norway has become indispensable for European energy security following the decline of Russian gas imports.

However, soaring electricity prices in Norway—six times the EU average—have sparked domestic backlash, with political parties advocating for reduced energy exports to prioritize national affordability. Additionally, technical failures, such as the January 2025 shutdown of Norway's Hammerfest LNG plant, have already tightened Europe's strained energy supply.

These developments highlight Europe’s vulnerability to disruptions in Norwegian gas flows, further exacerbating its ongoing energy crisis.

European Decarbonization Policies

Both the EU and the UK are undergoing significant transformations in their energy landscapes as part of ambitious decarbonization policies aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The EU’s European Green Deal and legally binding Climate Law, alongside the UK’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), have driven renewable energy adoption and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

The measures have significantly impacted energy prices across Europe. Investments in green technologies, carbon pricing, and restrictions on fossil fuel use have increased costs for industries and households alike.

In the UK, phasing out coal power and limiting new oil and gas licenses have heightened dependency on renewables and imported energy, raising concerns about energy security.

Deindustrialization in Europe: The Impact of Surging Energy and Gas Prices

These rising costs are placing heavy financial pressure on energy-intensive industries across Europe and the UK, accelerating trends of deindustrialization, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions, net zero energy policy decisions, and the reduction of Russian gas supplies.

Energy-intensive industries, such as chemicals, steel, and aluminum, have been particularly affected, with many companies curbing production or relocating to regions with lower energy costs like the U.S. or Asia. Yara's decision to close its Hull ammonia plant is only the latest in a long list of industrial failures across Europe.

#naturalgas  #deindustrialization  #europe  #fertilizer  #ammonia  #lng #ttf

Oil company Chevron is moving its headquarters from California to Houston after repeated warnings that the Golden State's regulatory environment makes it difficult to do business there. The move announced Friday will end the company's more than 140-year existence in the largest U.S. state.

Chevron has already scaled back new investment in California refining, citing "confrontational" government policies in a state with some of the strictest environmental rules in the US. In January, refining chief Andy Walz warned that the state was playing a "dangerous game" with climate rules that threaten to spike gasoline prices.

Chevron joins a long list of California emigrants that includes Oracle Corp., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., Tesla Inc. and Social Network X. The migration among former Silicon Valley tech giants has been driven largely by tax and cost-of-living considerations, according to Bloomberg.

However, according to Ilon Musk's view, it's not so much about taxes as it is about policies implemented by the state's leadership. And that includes the green agenda (with its taxes on conventional oil and gas) and drug liberalization and so on.

#usa  #texas  #california  #chevron  #oilandgas  #refining  #netzero  #carbontax  #greenagenda 

LyondellBasell today announced the formal launch of a strategic review of the European assets of its Olefins & Polyolefins and Intermediates & Derivatives business units. The assessment will evaluate the assets through the lens of the company's strategy to Grow & Upgrade the Core, Build a Profitable Circular and Low Carbon Solutions Business, and Step Up Performance & Culture.

"At the 2023 Capital Markets Day, we stated our intent to concentrate our portfolio around businesses with long-lasting competitive advantage and to reinvest around those advantaged areas generating superior returns at meaningful scale," said Peter Vanacker, LyondellBasell chief executive officer. "These criteria have not changed."

The company's investments in a commercial-scale MoReTec plant, LyondellBasell's proprietary technology to convert plastic waste into liquid raw materials, and the development of a circularity hub in the Cologne, Germany region will continue as planned. LyondellBasell will also continue to invest and leverage its differential technology position as a key enabler to grow and upgrade the core asset base.

"The company will prioritize its investments to align operations with our circularity and net zero ambitions," Vanacker added. "We understand that strategic assessments can create uncertainty for our employees and customers, but we are committed to operate our assets safely and reliably throughout this process."

Source: LyondellBasell Corporate & Financial News, 8^th May 2024

#olefins #polyolefins  #europe  #assets  #circularity  #netzero  #plasticwaste