Category: Europe

Russian gas producer Gazprom and fertilizer giant PhosAgro have signed a new five-year agreement for the supply of sulphur, according to a report from Interfax on 5 June. The deal, signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), will see Gazprom continue to supply the key raw material for PhosAgro’s phosphate fertilizer production. The document was signed by Gazprom Deputy Chairman Vitaly Markelov and PhosAgro CEO Alexander Gilgenberg.

Gouda Refractories Group has acquired Revestimientos Refractarios (RR), based in Madrid. Founded in 1979, RR specialises in the installation of refractory materials, serving customers across a wide range of industries, including petrochemicals, (waste to) energy, cement, and other industrial sectors. It is a trusted partner for the installation of refractory materials, hexmesh, anchoring, engineering, technical assistance, project management, inspections and supervision for shutdowns and turnarounds across the European Union. The company has a long history of cooperation with Gouda Refractories, which has intensified in recent years and which, due to a natural moment of succession, has led to this acquisition.

Axens has signed an agreement with Air Liquide to acquire its methanol to olefins technology portfolio, including the Lurgi Methanol-to-Propylene ™ process. The company says that this addition expands its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) portfolio through Axens’ Jetanol ® process chain, offering its customers an end-to-end solution for SAF production through the methanol to jet pathway (MTJ).

Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) says that it has completed work on a government funded demonstration project which aims to be “the next generation of waste-to-energy plants”. The new £4 million ($5.4 million) MicroHub plant, developed as part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme, produces hydrogen and electricity from biogenic waste while capturing carbon emissions using water scrubbing. Unlike traditional methods that use chemical solvents like amines, CSS’s system uses water to remove carbon dioxide from syngas, which the company says is a safer and more sustainable solution.

MaireGroup says that its NextChem subsidiary has completed the acquisition of the Ballestra group, a leading player in the licensing, design and engineering of processing plants, as well as in the supply of proprietary technologies and equipment for the chemical industry. NextChem says that the integration of Ballestra significantly strengthens its technology portfolio in phosphate and potassium fertilizers and completes its coverage of the full NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) spectrum. At the same time, it provides access to new segments with high growth potential, particularly in chemistry for the production and circularity of strategic materials needed to develop and expand electrification, where Nextchem is already present with metals recovery technologies following the recent acquisition of ETEK.

On May 23, a drone attack was reportedly carried out on the Metafrax methanol plant in Russia’s Perm region, according to state media. According to the region’s governor, Dmitry Makhonin, there were no casualties. Metafrax Chemicals was previously attacked in September 2025, and February 17 and March 11, 2026. In February, local residents reported at least six explosions, and plant workers were evacuated.

HyOrc Corporation says that it has secured financing for the first module of its 8 t/d (2,650 t/a) waste-to-methanol facility in Porto, Portugal. Manufacturing is actively underway for an initial modular unit capable of producing up to 1 t/d of green methanol, targeted for shipment in September 2026. The plant uses municipal waste as a feedstock, gasifying it and converting it into syngas for downstream methanol synthesis. HyOrc has previously completed a 25 t/d gasifier in Coimbatore, India, and a 3 t/d waste to methanol unit in Assam, India (May 2026).

Romanian state-controlled gas supplier Romgaz signed an agreement 29 May to acquire all production assets of fertilizer producer Azomures for a total consideration of approximately euro 69 million ($80.15 million), according to a report filed with the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The transaction price comprises euro 46.46 million ($53.96 million) for the plant assets, plus up to $11 million for the book value of consumables and raw materials, and $15 million to cover operating costs during the period between signing and completion. The deal is financed entirely from Romgaz's own sources. The transaction completion remains subject to approval by Romgaz's Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, an unconditional clearance from Romania's Competition Council, and approval from Bucharest's Foreign Direct Investment Screening Commission (CEISD).

Axens has agreed to acquire Air Liquide’s Methanol to Olefins technology portfolio, including the Lurgi Methanol to Propylene (MTP™) process, to strengthen its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) offering via a Methanol to Jet (MTJ) route.

Environment Committee MEPs have backed changes to strengthen the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), voting to extend it to a long list of downstream steel and aluminium products, tighten anti circumvention rules and set up a Temporary Decarbonisation Fund (TDF) for industry.