Argus' chemicals consulting team can access deep pools of proprietary data in the chemical price reporting and analytics space. Whether your focus is on plastic circularity, bio-based chemicals or the economic challenges facing the chemical industry - we can help you.
The team supports clients across the chemical value chain with expert analysis and strategic insights, helping them navigate complex markets and make informed decisions through services such as:
In this insight paper, Argus Media’s Consulting division explores the impact of PPWR on plastic markets and addresses key client concerns. While focused on polyolefins, many of the concepts discussed apply broadly across the plastics industry.
Please find a selection of case studies with a summary of the deliverables for each project.
What the client wanted: to understand the competitive position and feedstock alteration of a particular cracker complex in Western Europe.
What Argus delivered: Argus provided (i) long-term forecast prices for crude oil, naphtha, ethylene, propylene, and C4+ cracker products; (ii) supply, demand and trade outlook for the cracker products; (iii) a review of the hydrogen landscape including pipelines, bilateral agreements, and upcoming projects; (iv) a critical review of the client’s competitiveness, showing the position of the complex vs. other West European crackers; (v) profiling of competitors to highlight feedstock, products, integration, and decarbonisation; and (vi) assessment of the regulatory landscape, enhanced producer responsibility, and how these could affect the cracker complex operations in the future.
What the client wanted: as an active participant in Europe’s circular plastic industry, the client sought long-term price forecasts for post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic grades and chemically-recycled products.
What Argus delivered: Argus developed a bespoke price model for PCR bales, flakes, pellets, and chemical recycling materials (pyrolysis oil, circular naphtha, etc.). Argus also provided a recycling supply/demand/trade balance, subdividing demand for each polymer by feedstock (mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, circular naphtha, fossil) with commentary on expected substitution, demand and supply drivers, and chemical recycling capacities. Argus provided a detailed review of the EU’s regulatory framework, discussing each relevant European legislation, its effect on the price forecasts, and expected impacts to the client’s operations.
What the client wanted: to benchmark the cost of production of ethylene, based on renewable feedstock – bioethanol (EU/ARA, sugar beet, wheat, corn, cellulosic), biomethanol (methanol-to-olefins), HVO, and biomethane.
What Argus delivered: Argus performed an initial screen of feedstock availability and cost per CO2 saving (in terms of $/kg CO2 reduction) for different bio-feedstock grades. Subsequently, developed a cost or production model to assess four technologies to produce renewable ethylene, at plant gate and delivered to Europe, for 2025 and 2030. Argus provided input prices for both fossil energy and green energy, where applicable. Argus selected an appropriate geographic location and capacity/scale of each plant and gave commentary on the relative positions of the bio-based routes within the ethylene cost curve, commenting on disparities with conventional (e.g., naphtha).
What the client wanted: as a technology provider for “fat splitting” of natural triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerine, the client requested support for their market and sales strategy.
What Argus delivered: Argus conducted a two-phase study: (1) identification of optimal question set and survey group, by conducting in-house analysis of oleochemical market fundamentals, producer dynamics (e.g., level of upstream integration into bio-feedstock), and applicability of client’s technology, to estimate market size capturable by the client; (2) subsequent market intelligence gathering through spoken interviews. Argus gained 12 positive leads for the client, resulting in eight parties interested in connecting with the client to further discuss the client’s fat splitting technology.
With over 25 years of experience in chemical or related commodity markets, the Argus Chemical Consulting Project team is well-positioned to help inform your strategic decisions with a comprehensive and rigorous evidence base.
Based in Argus’ London office, Matthew leads Chemical Consulting Projects in Europe and Africa. He has six years’ experience in consulting, and has led projects spanning commodity chemicals, through to engineering plastics and bio-based/specialty markets. Matthew’s keen interest in sustainable chemistry began during his doctoral years, when he was sponsored by BASF to investigate cellulose regeneration in recyclable ionic liquid systems. Prior to his consulting career, Matthew worked in the agrochemical industry, where he was responsible for the structural elucidation of polymer co-formulants using chromatography and spectroscopy. He conducted two years of postdoctoral research at the Max-Planck-Institute for Coal Research in Germany.
Lucas joined Argus’ Chemical Consulting Projects team in 2023. Lucas is responsible for managing consulting projects, and takes active ownership for chemical models and forecasting tools. Before Argus, Lucas spent eight years in the upstream oil and gas industry, working for multinational and independent companies, on acquisition and development consulting in the United States and Brazil. Lucas completed a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Cambridge, where he collaborated on several strategy/market entry consulting projects and was co-president of the Cambridge Consulting Network. He has an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he wrote his thesis on the optimisation of penetration rates in the Eagle Ford.
Ana joined Argus’ Chemical Consulting Projects team at the start of 2025. Ana’s role is varied, combining execution of chemical projects plus management and oversight of analysts within the wider Projects department. She brings a wealth of relevant industry knowledge – foremost ethylene oxide, surfactant, and aromatic value chains – gained during her two and a half years in a prior market research role. Before her career in commodity markets, Ana graduated from Durham University, where she studied Chemistry. Her Masters project focused on more environmentally friendly non-halogenated flame retardant coatings for paper and textiles. She previously worked as a Scientist on the development of biodegradable plastics.
Discover how the Argus Chemical Consulting Project team can help your company make more informed, data-driven decisions across the supply chain.
