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Mitsui Chemicals breaks ground for new synthetic fluid plant

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant within the Ichihara Works (Ichihara City, Chiba) to manufacture hydrocarbon-based synthetic fluid marketed under the name Lucant. The new plant is expected to reach commercial operation in…

Dow to expand alkoxylation capacity in Spain

Dow (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) announced plans to expand its alkoxylation capacity at its existing facility in Tarragona, Spain directly benefiting the Europe, Middle East, Africa and India region. This low capital intensity, high return, incremental investment builds on the previously…

ExxonMobil announces $1-billion expansion project at Fawley refinery

Exxon Mobil Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) has made a final investment decision to expand the Fawley refinery in the U.K. to increase production of ultra-low sulfur diesel by almost 45%, or 38,000 barrels per day, along with logistics improvements. “ExxonMobil…

Evonik awards EPCM contract to Wood for new polyamide plant

Wood plc (Aberdeen, Scotland; www.woodplc.com) has been awarded a new contract by Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) to deliver engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the group’s new polyamide 12 (PA12) production complex, to be built at…

Altivia opens new production unit at LaPorte phosgene derivatives plant

Altivia Specialty Chemicals, LLC (Houston; www.altivia.com) announced the completion of a new multipurpose production unit at its Phosgene Derivatives Unit at La Porte, Texas.  This new facility will result in a 30% increase in capacity for the production of acid…

Embrace Industry 4.0 to Improve Reliability

Step changes in condition-monitoring technology to achieve operator-driven reliability can be a reality for organizations of any size The chemical process industries (CPI) are like all others in that they must negotiate the twin challenges of maximizing productivity and opportunities…

Ineos divests its Melamines and Paraform business units

INEOS (London; www.ineos.com) has announced the sale of INEOS Melamines and INEOS Paraform to Prefere Resins Holding GmbH. The agreement covers sites in the U.S., Germany and Indonesia. INEOS Paraform is Europe’s second largest producer of Paraformaldehyde. It employs around…

Sasol begins operations at Nanjing alkoxylation plant

Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa; www.sasol.co.za) reached beneficial operation of its new alkoxylation plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province on 18 April 2019. “Sasol has successfully built the new facility by implementing state-of-the-art technology for alkoxylation plants. The construction was completed…

Air Products to build ASU for steel-mill expansion in Arkansas

Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) announced an agreement to build, own, and operate a second air separation unit (ASU) to support Big River Steel LLC’s expansion at its Osceola, Arkansas steel mill. The new ASU, scheduled to be onstream…

Sumitomo opens new plant for high-purity chemicals in Changzhou

Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp) and Dongwoo Fine-Chem, Sumitomo Chemical's subsidiary located in Korea, have invested $150 million into a new project at the Changzhou National Hi-Tech District (CND) facility of Sumika Electronic Materials (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. Designed to…