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  • Pages
01 Cover
02 Welcome Letter / Sections
03 Section 1: Latin America
04 Latin America Resilience
05 Interview: APLA
06 Interview: S&P Commodity Insights
07 Interview: ExxonMobil Chemical
08 Interview: INEOS Styrolution Americas
09 Sustainability
10 Interview: Tecnon OrbiChem
11 Interview: Pilot Chemical Company
12 Interview: Air Products
13 Industry Thoughts: Decarbonization
14 Section 2: Mexico
15 Mexico Overview
16 Factsheet: Mexico
17 Interview: National Chemical Industry Association (ANIQ)
18 Interview: Braskem Idesa
19 Interview: Grupo Idesa
20 Interview: Evonik Industries Mexico
21 Interview: Unigel Mexico
22 Interview: Helm de Mexico
23 Section 3: Brazil
24 Brazil Overview
25 Factsheet: Brazil
26 Interview: ABIQUIM
27 Interview: Braskem
28 Interview: Indorama Ventures Limited
29 Interview: Elekeiroz
30 Interview: Petrom Petroquímica Mogi das Cruzes S.A.
31 Interview: Ultracargo
32 Section 4: Argentina
33 Argentina Overview
34 Factsheet: Argentina
35 Interview: Argentine Chamber of the Chemical and Petrochemical Industry (CIQyP)
36 Interview: Argentine Petrochemical Institute (IPA)
37 Interview: YPF QUÍMICA
38 Interview: Petrocuyo
39 Interview: Petroquímica Rio Tercero
40 Section 5: Andean Region
41 Andean Region Overview
42 Factsheet: Chile
43 Factsheet: Colombia
44 Interview: Acoplásticos
45 Interview: Chilean Chemical Industry Association (ASIQUIM)
46 Interview: Ecopetrol
47 Interview: Petroquim
48 Factsheet: Peru
49 Factsheet: Ecuador
50 Factsheet: Bolivia
51 Factsheet: Venezuela
52 Section 6: Chemical Distribution
53 Chemical Distribution
54 Interview: Brenntag Essentials Latin America
55 Interview: Univar Solutions
56 Interview: Química Anastacio
57 Interview: GTM Caldic
58 Interview: Pochteca
59 Interview: Tricon Energy
60 Section 7: Logistics
61 Logistics and Services
62 Interview: Leschaco
63 Interview: Vopak
64 Interview: Eurotainer
65 Interview: Stolthaven Terminals
66 Interview: Port of Antwerp-Bruges
67 Industry Thoughts: Logistics Innovation
68 Company Profiles (Sponsored Content)
69 Braskem Profile (Sponsored Content)
70 YPF QUÍMICA Profile (Sponsored Content)
71 Brenntag Profile (Sponsored Content)
72 Evonik Profile (Sponsored Content)
73 Article & Interview Index
74 Credits

Manuel Díaz Executive Director, APLA

"The extreme dependence on certain raw materials from particular countries has caused a rethink of the whole dynamic. Latin America should be more self-sufficient in certain products such as urea."

What are the main themes of APLA’s Annual Meeting in Cancun?

The petrochemical industry exited the pandemic in a good shape, yet it immediately entered another crisis of economic slowdown and high energy and logistic costs. This is creating uncertainty. One of the key themes during our annual meeting is an analysis of energy prices and access to feedstock. Another area of concern is logistics. As Europe requires more LNG, this is already affecting the normal flow of ships in Latin America. Moreover, another question is: Is the plan to move towards a net-zero carbon industry at risk? Finally, one of the key pillars of our meeting is sustainability.

How is the geopolitical and economic scenario affecting industry dynamics?

The weakening of the euro is related to negative economic projections in Europe. More than the exchange rate as such, what is affecting the industry more deeply is the economic slowdown, because this may cause adjustments to production capacities, generating either a shortage of certain products or higher costs. Then, if the current gas supply constraints in Europe worsen, that will definitely have a negative impact on global logistics. With regards to high oil prices, this has two impacts: one on the production chains of petrochemical products, especially in countries with naphtha-based industries, and one on the general economic situation.

In terms of the energy transition, the main question is if the current context of high energy prices and supply disruptions can act as an accelerator. There is a lot of energy capacity that needs to be replaced, but this crisis can act as an opportunity for a matrix that is both more renewable and more based on local resources. Brazil is investing heavily in wind farms, for instance.

Can this be an opportunity for Latin America to be more self-sufficient?

A reduction of globalization levels is already underway. The extreme dependence on certain raw materials from particular countries has caused a rethink of the whole dynamic. Latin America should be more self-sufficient in certain products such as urea; this would be a logical geopolitical step for the future of the region, and goes beyond the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Also, the development of unconventionals plays a key role in this process to add value to the regional economies. The continuous progress in this respect, particularly in Argentina, is helping reduce the amount of liquified natural gas (LNG) that the country imports every year. For that, the construction of a gas pipeline is still pending, so the products of Vaca Muerta can be exported. Argentina has restarted investments in this area and some projects have been announced whereby the country would invest in liquefaction facilities, which would transform Argentina into an LNG exporter. There are also projects to restart exports of natural gas to Chile, and even export natural gas to Brazil, but these plans are still preliminary. Regionally, the main petrochemical project underway is the construction of an ethane import plant in Mexico at Braskem Idesa’s facility.

What were the highlights of APLA’s Sustainability event in Bogotá?

The Sustainability event in Bogotá provided a summary of the main trends in this field in the petrochemical industry. Companies like Ecopetrol, Esenttia, Unigel and Braskem Idesa presented their projects on areas such as renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions. Then, we also had the participation of brand owners such as L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble, who shared their initiatives on areas such as water usage and the minimization of single-use plastics.

Would you like to provide a final comment about APLA’s annual meeting?

This year’s meeting is exclusively in person. We want our members to meet face to face, with a core goal to connect people and provide a platform to share knowledge and experiences. We are going to have around 700 delegates, and several commitments: to offset our carbon footprint during the event, to make sure we do not generate waste, and to ensure that we are very meticulous in terms of our health and safety standards. Also, we are having a volunteer initiative to clean mangroves and cenotes, together with a Mexican foundation called ‘Centinelas del Agua’.

Next:

Interview: S&P Commodity Insights