Isopentane in the US extended a sharp March rally as tighter supply, higher feedstock costs, and robust downstream demand tightened prompt markets. Maintenance on Gulf Coast isomerisation units and several refinery outages trimmed merchant availability, while firmer upstream costs from rising natural gas liquids and crude benchmarks added to pressure downstream margins for isopentane. Export demand from Latin America and renewed interest from Asia absorbed incremental flows in the latter part of the month. Construction-driven buying and restocking in EPS and insulation chains kept inventories tight, lifting spot sentiment. Downstream demand dominated, with construction users and EPS converters replenishing stocks ahead of peak activity, and automotive demand improving alongside higher vehicle sales. On the supply side, multiple refinery outages and force majeure events alongside logistics bottlenecks at key terminals limited prompt movements of isopentane. Market remains tight near term, with an uptick likely before seasonal moderation later in summer. Baseline outlook points to gains into April and May before easing.
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.
