TotalEnergies

US biotechnology company receives USD 14m financial injection from group of investors led by Bill Gates / Greater collaboration with France's Total

New HDPE “Circular Compounds” range launched / Blending post-consumer recyclate with virgin material / Initial volumes to become available next year

Global production increasingly consolidated / PS market declining / Capacity expansions in Asia / Worldwide EPS demand continues to rise / Germany is the exception / Insulation segment largely switching to grey EPS

Two Moscow airport workers plead guilty in Total CEO's death / Airport safety breach

French refineries and crackers almost back to normal operations

Situation on petrochemicals front appears to be easing / Pilots announce strikes coinciding with start of UEFA Championship

Police slowly clear union barricades blocking refineries / Public mood flags / Union threatens to extend strikes to rail and nuclear plants / More force majeure declarations

Petrochemical output increasingly threatened by strike / Most refineries affected / Many FM declarations / Minister says the country has been taken hostage

PE, PP, PS: Strike leads Total to declare force majeure for Gonfreville / Other sites also affected

Investors plan merger with Italian composites producer Polynt / Deal expected to close this year

Agreement to buy French battery company Saft / Accelerating growth in renewable energy sector

Future benzene deliveries in eastern Germany to come by pipeline / Massive investment project with partner Total Leuna

Polyolefins, EPS: Total lifts FM for Feluy

Polyolefins, EPS: Total declares force majeure for Feluy / Truck strike in Belgium prevents deliveries

MoU for petrochemicals hub in Iran

Fierce competition and high volatility drive consolidation in Germany / French state fund for renovations / New UK market leader is born / Cladding segment increasingly trends towards grey EPS / Prolonged use of HBCD has no notable market relevance

Eye on the world: A journey from Brazil to China, from Russia to Italy / Challenges experienced by most countries

Takeovers, mergers and consolidations: Changes in the plastics production, packaging and automotive industries / No going back to the way things were

Carbon fibre-reinforced SMC production begins in Germany / Maleic acid anhydride capacity raised

New polymer R&D centre opens in Lyon / Collaboration involving all key French producers

Development of multilayer high barrier food jars with RPC Promens Consumer / Improved transparency and gloss

Dutch IBC specialist plans IPO in the US

Cracker in Carling to be shut down on 5 October

Half of rubber carve-out to be sold to Aramco / Joint Venture set to start in Q1 2016 / First back integration for German producer / Farther-reaching Middle East projects envisaged

New production era for mass plastics begins / European refineries on the brink of extinction / Feedstock base lost / Global competition increasingly relegates Europe to second class / High time for discussions on how to react