Oh, Those Oleos: Sliding Up the Value Chain

In this Dec 2012 interview, Emery Oleochemicals CEO Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang, Ph.D, discusses:

- Oleos generally; 

- Benefits - located - No.2 global producer of palm oil; 

- Indonesian government’s cut - export tax rates of crude and refined palm oils - competition concerns; 

- Indonesia cutting the gap with Malaysia - oleochemicals production - address imbalance with Malaysia; 

- Expected volatility for Asian oleochemical prices - fluctuations in feedstock - debt crisis in Europe; 

- Concerns: decline in demand from Europe - biggest market; 

- Soybean and CPO prices (tallow, soybean oil, palm and palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil) - feedstock price volatility - issues; 

- Cost passthroughs - adding value - issues; 

- Benefits - backward integration - Sime Darby Big Brother; 

- Production capacity - utilisation - outlook; 

- Moving up the value chain; 

- Global overcapacity - Emery still investing - North America - data points; 

- Boom-bust cycles - issues; 

- Recent burst of new capacity in China - impact - South-East Asian players; 

- Whether scope for further capacity development - where - located; 

- Where is most of the demand coming from; 

- Shale gas and oil revolution in the US - impact - prices - margins; 

- Sustainability concerns - RSPO and certification - issues; 

- JV with PTT - Sime - long term return on investment; 

- Funding needs - Sukuk cancellation; 

- Whether exit - IPO.