US ethanol prices strengthened in late February due to rising fuel blending demand, tighter prompt supply, and surging exports. Operational outages at several domestic plants temporarily reduced capacity, supporting firmer bids, while overall production remained steady at around 1.1 million barrels per day. Exports expanded to roughly 217,000 barrels per day, with no imports reported, highlighting strong domestic supply. The ongoing Middle East conflict, particularly US-Iran tensions, is expected to keep crude and gasoline prices elevated, improving ethanol blending economics. Market anticipation points to sustained demand for ethanol-blended fuels and continued support for US ethanol prices in the near term.
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.
