Special Reports

A comprehensive report on small modular nuclear reactors (nuclear SMRs) as a low carbon intensity source of energy for the chemical and fuel industries.  This report tackles the complex ownership, project management, regulatory and process challenges inherent in manufacturing applications of nuclear SMRs, covering seven newly commercializing developers in detail, with a focus on PWR, BWR, and HTGR technologies.  It features a critical approach to cost claims, analyzing recent poor cost performance of nuclear deployment and identifying sources of cost inflation and best practices, and provides levelized cost of energy estimates for each examined developer, as well as cash cost estimates for two hydrogen production processes optimized to use nuclear energy.  ​

These reports compare the various options for lowering the carbon intensity of chemicals production via technoeconomic, carbon intensity, and strategic analysis. Regional cost and carbon intensity baselines, comparative carbon intensities (including breakdown and analysis by Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions) of decarbonization configurations, cost of productions, and impacts of carbon tax/credits on competitiveness (including break-even values) are analyzed across four regions: US, Brazil, China, and Western Europe. Additional chemicals and/or regions/countries are also available. Off-the-shelf coverage includes the following reports: 

Low Carbon Intensity Ethylene - A Technoeconomic and Carbon Intensity Study 
Low Carbon Intensity Aromatics - A Technoeconomic and Carbon Intensity Study  
Low Carbon Intensity Propylene - A Technoeconomic and Carbon Intensity Study 
Low Carbon Intensity Hydrogen - A Technoeconomic and Carbon Intensity Study  

This report examines the technical, economic, and strategic aspects of thermal conversion (e.g., pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatment) technologies that are used to recycle mixed plastics waste. Selected developers of technologies were profiled and ranked under different criteria. The economic analysis of thermal conversion technologies, involving the production of feedstocks for olefins are provided for different geographic regions. In addition, the report includes an analysis of the plastic-based naphtha delivered cost competitiveness to Western Europe from the USGC, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. An ethylene carbon intensity analysis is provided. Strategic and business considerations are also included in the report. 

This report assesses SAF production pathways in terms of their technical, economic, and carbon intensity aspects, in line with increasing pressure to decarbonize—along with a key focus on fuel blends that will allow surpassing the existing blendwalls (a potential barrier to net zero ambitions). Key technologies covered at the cost of production level include integration of key pathways for producing paraffins, isoparaffins, and aromatic blendstocks, and blending into a finished product that does not require blending with a fossil fuel. These routes include HVO, ETJ, MTJ, FT, MTA, ETA, as well as traditional refining units with renewable feeds such as isomerization, alkylation, FCC, etc. 

This report is a comprehensive study of the emerging lithium extraction technologies in the market. In this study, NexantECA has produced detailed analyses of the process technologies being developed as well as cost of production estimates for several well-developed routes. To summarize the technology landscape, NexantECA provides a strategic review of the technologies by looking at the stage of development, technology characteristics and perceived competitiveness of each route. 

This special report will provide a detailed assessment of the key end-use trends and the global market outlook for polyalphaolefins (PAOs). Regional supply, demand and net trade balances for PAO will be developed for 2021-2040, as well as price forecasts for low- and high-viscosity PAOs under multiple crude oil price scenarios. In addition, profit margins and delivered cost competitiveness will be examined. 

The Global Polyolefins Technology Analysis, formerly known as the POPS Technology Report, is published on an biennial schedule and provides technology analysis for all polyethylene resins (LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE) and polypropylene in a single study. The report includes comparative process economics for all major licensed technologies, as well as technologies not licensed but important to the polyolefins industry.  Factors within the industry and the external market that shape technology development and competitive positioning are also examined.