Hereby, on behalf of the organization committee of the 12th International Chlor-alkali &Vinyls Conference 2018, I would like to extend our warm welcome to your participation!
In this year, our conference will focus on the profound changes that have taken place in the international chlor-alkali industry last year; Besides, we are dedicated to explore the future development of the world chlor alkali &vinyl industry from the "New Conception, New Angle and New Perspective ".
Against the background of global economic and energy changes, various countries have put forward different stimulus policies, especially those countries from China, the United States, Southeast Asia, India and Europe.
In China, the chlor-alkali industry is in the face of the structural excess of products, the increasingly constrained resources and energy constraints and the ever-increasing demand for safety, environmental protection and energy efficiency, however, it acted actively and bravely to overcome the difficulties and face the challenges of the industry. The overall trend of steady development has been maintained. The comprehensive competitiveness of industrial enterprises has been continuously improved, and the production and operation achieved good results. At the same time, the industry is experiencing a deeper level of transformation and upgrading and structural adjustment. The pace of supply-side structural reform is accelerating. For the chlor-alkali industry, opportunities and challenges will continue to coexist in the future.
According to the latest data from National Bureau of Statistics of China, domestic caustic soda production was 14,804,000 tons from January to May 2017, representing an increase of 6.9% over the same period of last year. PVC cumulative production from January to May is of 7,681,000 tons, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year. In the first half of this year, the market for caustic soda recovered. The operating rate for caustic soda has encountered a further increase. In the first half of this year, the average operating rate of the industry was 90%. The average operating rate of the polyvinyl chloride industry was 79%, both higher than last year.
In the United States, shale gas in the United States is becoming an important factor that can affect the global energy landscape. According to an expert, “the development of shale gas in the United States and the large-scale increase in output will make the power costs in the U.S. market only accounts for one-third or less than the cost of electricity in China. The global oil market, the coal market and the chemical market will be completely rebuilt and distributed. North American shale gas by-product-- a large number of ethane, which will be used as raw material to produce ethylene; and the ethylene cost only covers half of the cost of traditional naphtha process; shale gas application led the US to a variety of chemical raw materials costs decline, which helps the US to achieve large exports. It is estimated that the prices of ethylene, Polyethylene and other products will be even more competitive than that of the Gulf region; the United States urea and chlor-alkali manufacturers take full advantage of low-cost ethylene, on the contrary, other countries need to suffer from the issue of high energy costs. The operating rate of U.S. chemical plants rose from less than 60% in three or four years ago to more than 93% now and the profitability surpassed the Middle East.
- In EU, due to the low profit in the past, which hindered the transformation from the mercury method to ion membrane method. By the end of 2017, the European chlor-alkali industry is undergoing structural adjustment. The most advanced technologies will be adopted in the chlor-alkali production in Europe and the plant utilization rate considered to be higher , which will also benefit the industry in the long run, especially the industry in countries such as France, Italy and Spain where small number of mercury-based installations still exist. In addition, the European chlor-alkali industry faces the challenge of high electricity costs. Experts urge that Europe should implement the affordable electricity and petrochemical raw material prices system to enhance the competitiveness of the European chlor-alkali industry.
- India's huge market potential is constantly attracting new investment. In recent years, big companies such as Bayer, Clariant and DuPont have invested in India. Meanwhile, Rohm and Haas (now part of Dow), Degussa (has been incorporated into Evonik) has also established a factory in India, India will quickly become a fine chemicals country. According to the Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association (ICMA), in the field of fine chemicals, India is working toward 15% annual domestic market growth and 20% import growth each year. At the same time, some large chemical companies began to seek foreign investment acquisitions.
- In Southeast Asia, as an import-dependent area in the chlor-alkali industry, by the end of 2017, the industry is still dominated by small and medium-sized chlor-alkali enterprises. Compared with other regions, most plants in Southeast Asia are relatively new. The new plants adopt advanced "ion Membrane Technology". Southeast Asia, dominated by a large population and strong industrial demand, although its development has been expanding in recent years, its cost advantage is still a difficult point for them to overcome.
The upcoming 12th International Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls Conference 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand will bring you new capacity information and global market analysis. In addition, if you are looking for new investment and cooperation opportunities to expand the global business landscape, this conference will provide you with sufficient time and resources to help you find the most suitable partner.
Look forward to working with you! Join us now!
Day One ︱ March 8th ︱ Thursday ︱ Morning
8:00-9:00 Registration & Welcome Coffee& Networking
Industry & Feedstock Trend
Opportunities or Obstacles? How will the Chlor-alkali Industry move forward confronted with Rising Energy Costs
Speaker: Mr. Mike Thomas The Lantau Group Partner
Global Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls Industry Structure Overview 2018-2020
TBC: Frost & Sullivan
Coffee Break & Networking
Caustic Soda project life cycle & plant showcase
Speaker: Nuberg Engineering Ltd
Global PVC Supply/Demand Analysis
Speaker: Mr. Stephen Moore Townsend Solutions Business Director of Asia
1200-1400 Lunch Buffet
Day One ︱ March 8th ︱ Thursday ︱ Afternoon
Deep Analysis on Major Product Market & Policy Impact
Chlor Alkali Industry in India
-Production Trends
-Demand Growth
-Status on Consuming Industries
-Projections
Speaker: Anil Kumar, DCM SHRIRAM CONSOLIDATED LTD. Executive Director
Panel Discussion:When will the Broken Balance return? (Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls)
How will China’s Environmental Protection Policy affect Chlor-Alkali Industry development
Speaker: Mr. Cai Jie China National Petroleum and Chemical Planning Institute Deputy General Engineer
Keynote Speech for Sponsor
TBC: Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers Co., Ltd.
Coffee Break & Networking
Caustic Soda Market Outlook 2018-2020
TBC: ICIS Singapore
New Capacity, New Investment, New Setup for Chlor-Alkali Industry
Inviting: Petrovietam R&D Center; Malaysian Investment Development Department
The Role of the Alumina Industry and its effect on the Chlor-Alkali Industry
Speaker: Mr. Michael Shenton Prima Resources CEO
1800-2000 Dinner Buffet
Day Two ︱ March 9th ︱ Friday ︱ Morning
Trade Flow Variation & Technology Innovation & Application & Industry Development Exploration
Identifying new application drivers for Chlor-Alkali Industry for the Next Generation
PVC Additive Usage Trends
Speaker: Stephen Moore Townsend Solutions Business Director Ȍ Asia
Coffee Break & Networking
Global VCM Trade Flow 2017-2018
Speaker: Kitiya Atthayuwat; Nexant Asia Limited; Senior Analyst
With the Ending of Mercury Based Caustic Soda in Europe, what is the future for Global Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls Industry in technology development?
1200-1400 Lunch Buffet