Energy related disruption led to a sharp Belgium acetone price increase in the early days of 2026, with Belgium leading an overall 13.11 % increase, as supply-side disruptions made their impact felt on the market. Domo Chemicals’ Leuna operation filed for insolvency and INEOS Phenol shut down its Gladbeck plant on a permanent basis, both have taken or risk the removal of substantial quantities of regional acetone capacity. After Orlen exited Poland and now further cuts to operating rates, Acetone is going through a structural supply squeeze. Although acetone demand appeared weak overall, downstream industries such as BPA, MMA and solvent started to restock in the early days of the year, resulting in rising competition for traded goods. According to ChemAnalyst, with the high energy prices, carbon taxes and import competition putting continued pressure on producers, the acetone market in Europe is likely to remain firm into February 2026.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
