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CSB releases update on investigation of 2024 hydrogen sulfide release

Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB; Washington, D.C.; www.csb.gov) released a second update on its ongoing investigation into the fatal hydrogen sulfide release that occurred on October 10, 2024, at the PEMEX Deer Park Refinery in Deer…

LyondellBasell and Covestro to close propylene oxide styrene monomer production unit in the Netherlands

LyondellBasell (Houston, Tex.; www.lyondellbasell.com) and Covestro (Leverkusen, Germany; www.covestro.com) have jointly decided to permanently close the Propylene Oxide Styrene and Monomer (POSM) production unit (PO11) at the Maasvlakte site in the Netherlands. This decision comes after thorough and careful consideration…

Croda opens new lipids manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania

Croda International Plc (Yorkshire, U.K.; www.croda.com)  today announces the opening of a pioneering new lipids manufacturing facility in Lamar, Pennsylvania, USA. Our investment in this new site reinforces Croda’s commitment to drive innovation in drug delivery systems for next-generation therapeutics.…

BASF commissions 54-MW PEM water electrolyzer at Ludwigshafen, Germany

Germany’s largest proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer has gone into operation at BASF’s (www.basf.com) Ludwigshafen site. Designed to produce zero-carbon hydrogen, the electrolyzer has a connected load of 54 megawatts and the capacity to supply the main plant with up…

ABB and Charbone sign MoU for green hydrogen production

ABB (Zurich, Switzerland; www.abb.com) and Charbone Hydrogen Corporation (Brossard, Que., Canada; www.charbone.com) – an integrated green hydrogen production company based in Montreal, Canada – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to collaborate on the development of up to…

KBR and ISU advance lithium sulfide technology to commercial scale

KBR Inc. (Houston, Tex.; www.kbr.com) and ISU Specialty Chemical Co. Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea; www.isuchemical.com) have advanced their PureLi2SSM lithium sulfide technology to commercial scale, following the successful operation of the Onsan pilot plant in Ulsan, Republic of Korea. Under the…

2025 CEPCI updates: January (prelim.) and December 2024 (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for January 2025 (most recent available) rose slightly compared to the previous month’s value. The final value for December 2024 was downwardly revised by a small margin. For the first…

Solvay to nearly halve CO2 emissions at Torrelavega plant with biomass project

Solvay (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) is taking another decisive step to phase out coal at its soda ash and bicarbonate plants with a new energy transition project in Torrelavega, Spain, aiming to nearly halve CO2 emissions by 2027 1 and ensure…

Wacker to replace fossil coal with biogenic carbon for production of silicon

  Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) is to start replacing coal with biogenic carbon for its silicon production in Holla, Norway. A long-term supply contract to this effect has been signed with Aymium. In Holla, Norway, WACKER currently uses…

Recently Published Books for the CPI: March 2025

The following are recently published books with potential relevance for professionals within various parts of the chemical process industries (CPI).    Advances in Process Control with Real Applications.  By Ch. Venkateswarlu, Elsevier Publishing, 2025, 350 pages, $195.50.  Harnessing Automation and…