Plant Watch
Indorama Ventures to establish one of Africa’s largest recycling facilities for PET
March 12, 2026 — Indorama Ventures Ltd. (Bangkok, Thailand; www.indoramaventures.com), Nigerian Breweries p.l.c. and Genesis Power & Energy Solutions Ltd. plan to establish one of Africa’s largest recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) production facilities. Located in Lagos, Nigeria, the facility will be capable of producing up to 45,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of food‑grade rPET resin, with startup targeted in 2027.
Linde to build new air-separation plant in Wisconsin
March 10, 2026 — Linde plc (Dublin, Ireland; www.linde.com) will build, own and operate a new facility for the supply of industrial gases in Oshkosh, Wis. The new air-separation unit (ASU) will produce liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The plant is expected to start up in the second half of 2028.
Shintech announces construction project for ethylene, chlor-alkali and VCM
March 10, 2026 — Shintech Inc. (Houston; www.shintech.com) announced a $3.4-billion investment to bolster its manufacturing capabilities in Louisiana. The project includes construction of a second ethylene unit and a fourth chlor-alkali and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) unit at the company’s existing Iberville Parish facility.
Chandra Asri increases MTBE and butene production capacities
March 10, 2026 — Chandra Asri Group (Jakarta, Indonesia; www.chandra-asri.com) has increased the production capacity of its methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and butene-1 (B1) plants by 25%. The expanded plants are located at the company’s integrated complex in Cilegon, Indonesia.
BASF expands dispersions production capacity in Durban, South Africa
March 9, 2026 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) has expanded production capacity for dispersions at its site in Durban, South Africa. The dispersions manufactured at the site are mainly used in architectural coatings, construction materials and the paper industry.
Air Liquide and Holcim announce CO2-capture project in Belgium
February 27, 2026 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris; www.airlqiuide.com) and Holcim (Zug, Switzerland; www.holcim.com) signed an agreement to develop a CO2-capture plant for Holcim’s cement site in Obourg, Belgium. Under the agreement, Air Liquide will supply the necessary oxygen for Holcim’s oxyfuel-ready clinker production line, as well as provide technology to enable CO2 capture.
Messer commissions new air separation plant at Aurubis metal-recycling facility
February 24, 2026 — Messer Group GmbH (Bad Soden, Germany; www.messergroup.com) and Aurubis AG have commissioned a new production plant at Aurubis’ recycling site in Luenen, Germany. The ASU is capable of producing up to 210 m.t./d of oxygen and 16 m.t./d of nitrogen.
Mergers & Acquisitions
BASF to sell Softex business to GOVI CAST
March 12, 2026 — BASF signed an asset purchase agreement to sell its Softex business to GOVI CAST Sdn. Bhd., a supplier of specialty chemicals located in Malaysia. The Softex portfolio consists of calcium and ammonium stearate dispersions, primarily used in glove manufacturing, cement mixing and textile coatings. Production of Softex grades has been based at BASF’s Cimanggis site in Indonesia.
Sidara completes acquisition of Wood plc
March 11, 2026 — Sidara (Dubai, U.A.E.; www.sidaracollaborative.com) has completed the acquisition of Wood plc (Aberdeen, U.K.; www.woodplc.com), a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for energy and materials. Going forward, Wood will retain its own brand and continue operating as a standalone business.
Asahi Kasei to acquire German biopharmaceutical company Aicuris
February 26, 2026 — Asahi Kasei Corp. (Tokyo; www.asahi-kasei.com) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all issued shares of Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG, a German biopharmaceutical company, for approximately €780 million. This transaction expands Asahi Kasei’s specialty pharmaceutical platform further into treatment for severe infectious diseases.
Saint-Gobain buys construction-chemical assets in the Netherlands and Belgium
February 26, 2026 — Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France) has agreed to acquire Grouttech, a specialist in construction chemicals, including concrete repair systems, grouting, injection resins and technical flooring, with locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. The acquisition includes the companies Grout Techniek B.V. (Netherlands) and Grout Techniek B.V. (Belgium).
Mary Page Bailey