Petrochemical feedstocks: the cornerstone of competitiveness

Future outlookThe future of much of Europe’s chemical industry depends heavily upon the availability of affordable petrochemical feedstocks. In the Middle East, where petrochemical feedstocks are cheap, and in China, where demand is surging, producers are substantially increasing capacity for a wide range of petrochemicals including polypropylene and polyethylene. In the USA, cheap shale gas and economic recovery are driving a chemical industry investment bonanza. But demand growth in the European Union is weak and output growth is modest.