06 · Production · Updated 13 July 2026
Chemical Foundations
The chapter separates ammonia, methanol, olefins and aromatics and records the refinery, gas, coal and port systems that sustain them.
Open the interactive map- Coverage
- 46 mapped strategic records; chapter evidence has wider dataset coverage
- Evidence period
- Latest source releases available through July 2026; underlying observation years vary
The covered chemicals are industrial foundations, not one market
Ethylene, propylene and butadiene feed polymers and synthetic materials. Benzene, toluene and xylene support a different set of chemical chains. Ammonia is central to fertilizer and emerging energy-carrier proposals. Methanol feeds chemicals, fuels and shipping experiments. Product-level records are essential. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The interface does not sum all eight products into one capacity measure. It uses plant counts for broad coverage and product-specific units only where capacity is published on a comparable basis. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Integration determines the value of a site
A standalone ammonia plant, an oil-refinery petrochemical complex and a coal-to-chemicals site have different feedstocks, utilities, products and exposure. The dossier records whether a plant is integrated with a refinery, cracker, gas-processing system, fertilizer complex or export terminal. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Natural gas and coal derivatives are the most common feedstocks in the inventory. Feedstock type affects cost, emissions, operating flexibility and exposure to domestic energy policy. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
China’s weight is broad but should not be reduced to a single share
More than 40% of the operating plants in the inventory are located in China. This count indicates the breadth of the industrial base, but plant count is not equivalent to product capacity. A valid comparison must be made chemical by chemical. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The chapter therefore presents China’s concentration alongside other major coastal and feedstock-based systems in North America, the Gulf, Northeast Asia and Europe. It also distinguishes domestic-market complexes from export-oriented sites. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Low-emission ammonia and methanol need route disclosure
Projects described as blue, green, renewable or low-carbon are classified by feedstock, hydrogen route, electricity source, carbon-capture boundary and status. A colour label without those fields is not analytical evidence. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The project page also records whether the output has a named buyer, export terminal, storage plan and commissioning evidence. These factors determine whether a proposal can become an operating industrial chain. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The inventory is a strong base, not a complete capacity series
The November 2025 release covers plants operating as of 1 September 2025 and is intended to become a full tracker with annual updates. It provides location, ownership, products and feedstocks, but not every product has a complete, comparable capacity field. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
For that reason the atlas clearly labels whether a chart uses plant count, known capacity or a subset with verified capacity. Missing capacity is not replaced with an average estimate. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Each product has its own industrial geography
Ammonia follows fertilizer demand, gas or coal feedstock and export terminals. Methanol can serve chemicals, fuel blending and marine-fuel proposals. Ethylene and propylene are tied to crackers and derivative complexes; benzene, toluene and xylenes follow refinery and aromatics systems. The map therefore changes its network when the selected product changes. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
A global plant count is useful for coverage but not for market share. Product-level capacity is published only for the subset with comparable disclosed data, and the missing share is stated beside every ranking. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Energy and feedstock exposure need separate fields
Two ammonia plants of similar nameplate capacity can have different exposure because one depends on domestic pipeline gas and another on imported LNG or coal. The dossier records feedstock route, utility integration and port access rather than assigning a generic energy-risk label. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The same distinction is needed for petrochemical sites. Refinery integration, naphtha or ethane supply, steam and power balance, storage and derivative units determine whether a complex can operate flexibly during feedstock or logistics disruption. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
The project ledger tests commercial completeness
A proposed low-emission chemical project is recorded with feedstock, hydrogen production route, power source, capture boundary, buyer, transport system and status. Announced output is not added to operating capacity until construction and commissioning evidence are available. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Ownership is also tracked through immediate operator and parent company because integrated chemical sites can change hands while retaining the same physical assets. A dated ownership history allows users to separate industrial continuity from corporate change. Global Energy Monitor and Spatial Finance Initiative
Evidence table
Current comparison
| Product group | Primary location logic | Key evidence fields |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | Gas, coal, hydrogen, fertilizer demand and export terminals | Feedstock, route, capacity, downstream product, capture boundary. |
| Methanol | Gas/coal feedstock, integrated chemicals and marine access | Feedstock, product grade, domestic use and export route. |
| Olefins | Refineries, crackers, NGL or naphtha supply and polymer clusters | Cracker feed, derivative units, integration and ownership. |
| Aromatics | Refinery and petrochemical integration | Primary product, co-products and downstream chains. |
Source register
Documents and datasets
Plant-level information for eight building-block chemicals, products, feedstocks and ownership.
Operating plants as of 2025 · CC BY 4.0; attribution required.Cross-checking names, status, product, route and site geography where public tracker records are supplemented.
Most recent public disclosure available per asset · Source-specific; facts cited and linked, not republished wholesale.