Plant Watch
Chevron Phillips Chemical completes LV PAO expansion in Belgium
August 12, 2025 — Chevron Phillips Chemical L.P. (CPChem; The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) has completed the expansion of its low-viscosity polyalphaolefins (LV PAO) production unit in Beringen, Belgium, significantly boosting its manufacturing capacity in Europe. The project has doubled the site’s LV PAO production capacity to 120,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr), establishing it as the largest decene-based LV PAO facility in Europe by volume.
Clariant expands production of its stabilizer product portfolio
August 12, 2025 — Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) completed chemical commissioning of a second production line at its Cangzhou facility in China, which will primarily produce multi-functional stabilizer products. This plant is part of Clariant’s joint venture with Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co. The new production capacity will serve the textile and engineering plastics industries throughout China and the broader Asian market.
Imperial Oil completes construction of renewable diesel plant in Canada
August 12, 2025 — Imperial Oil Ltd., a majority-owned affiliate of ExxonMobil Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) has completed construction of a renewable diesel facility at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Canada. At full capacity, the facility is expected to be Canada’s largest renewable diesel facility, with the capacity to produce up to 20,000 barrels per day of lower-carbon fuels.
Nouryon to supply major pulp mill with new manufacturing facilities in Brazil
August 12, 2025 — Nouryon (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.nouryon.com) plans to construct fully integrated sodium chlorate and chlorine dioxide manufacturing facilities in Mateo Grosso do Sul, Brazil. These plants will supply Arauco’s new $4.6-billion pulp mill, which is scheduled to start up in late 2027. The sodium chlorate facility will increase Nouryon’s South American capacity by 20% and its global capacity by almost 10%.
DIC Corp. to build new epoxy resins production facility in Japan
August 7, 2025 — DIC Corp. (Tokyo; www.dic-global.com) plans to build a new epoxy resins production facility at its Chiba Plant in Ichihara, Japan. The plant is expected to start operations in July 2029, and it will increase DIC’s annual production capacity for epoxy resins used for semiconductors by around 60%.
LG Chem and Enilive break ground on Korea’s first HVO/SAF plant
August 5, 2025 — LG Chem Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea; www.lgchem.com) and Eni S.p.A.’s (Rome, Italy; www.eni.com) group company Enilive have broken ground on Korea’s first hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant at LG Chem’s Daesan complex located in Seosan, South Korea. The plant is scheduled for completion in 2027 and will process around 400,000 m.t./yr of renewable bio-based feedstocks.
Linde commissions one of the world’s largest helium-storage caverns
August 1, 2025 — Linde plc (Dublin, Ireland; www.linde.com) announced it has commissioned one of the world’s largest helium-storage caverns. The storage facility, located in Beaumont, Tex., has a capacity of more than 3 billion ft3. As one of only three helium salt caverns in the world, it has the capability to both store and extract helium.
Air Liquide makes major investment to support Europe’s semiconductor industry
July 24, 2025 — Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) has been awarded a long-term contract to build new industrial gas production units in Dresden, Germany. Air Liquide will build, own and operate three air separation units (ASUs), two hydrogen production units and associated infrastructure to provide ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen, helium and CO2. This investment of over €250 million will be Air Liquide’s largest investment ever to support the electronics industry in Europe. The facility is expected to be operational in 2027.
Kemira to expand production of aluminum chlorohydrate in Spain
July 24, 2025 —Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, Finland; www.kemira.com) plans to expand its production capabilities in Tarragona, Spain. The approximately €20-million investment will enable the construction of a new production line for aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH), a high-performance coagulant primarily used in drinking water treatment. The new line will be built using proven technology already in use at Kemira’s facilities in the United States and Poland. Kemira anticipates commissioning the new line in early 2028.
Mergers & Acquisitions
IFF to sell soy and lecithin business to Bunge
August 6, 2025 — International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF; New York City; www.iff.com) agreed to divest its soy crush, concentrates and lecithin business to Bunge Global S.A. (Geneva, Switzerland; www.bunge.com). The transaction — expected to close by year-end 2025 — includes operations that generated around $240 million in revenue in 2024 and employed around 250 people globally.
Cabot acquires Mexico Carbon Manufacturing from Bridgestone
August 6, 2025 — Cabot Corp. (Boston, Mass.; www.cabotcorp.com) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mexico Carbon Manufacturing S.A. de C.V. (MXCB) from Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.bridgestone.com). The acquired company operates a reinforcing carbons manufacturing facility that is located in close proximity to Cabot’s current reinforcing carbons facility in Altamira, Mexico.
Saint-Gobain makes acquisitions in Canada, Italy and Peru
August 1, 2025 — Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France; www.saint-gobain.com) is reinforcing its construction chemicals portfolio with three new acquisitions: Interstar Materials in North America; Isoltech in Italy; and Soquimic in Peru. Interstar Materials is a manufacturer of high-performance pigments for concrete that operates two facilities in Canada (in Quebec and Alberta) and one in the U.S. (in Illinois). Isoltech manufactures additives specialized for cellular concrete technology used in the production of lightweight concrete. It operates a production facility in Verdellino, Italy. Soquimic manufactures concrete admixtures at two plants located in Lurin and Arequipa, Peru.
Baker Hughes to acquire Chart Industries for $13.6 billion
July 29, 2025 — Baker Hughes, Inc. (Houston; www.bakerhughes.com) and Chart Industries, Inc. (Atlanta, Ga.; www.chartindustries.com) entered into an agreement under which Baker Hughes will acquire all outstanding shares of Chart’s common stock for a total enterprise value of $13.6 billion. Chart provides design, engineering and manufacturing of process technologies and equipment for gas and liquid handling across a broad range of industrial and energy end markets.
Veolia acquires chemical maker Chameleon Industries
July 24, 2025 — Veolia North America (Boston, Mass.; www.veolia.com) has acquired Chameleon Industries, a Texas-based producer of specialty chemicals. The company’s circular economy technology uses byproducts from the semiconductor manufacturing process in its proprietary applications. Chameleon operates four production facilities located in Texas, Oregon and Arizona that recover byproducts of semiconductor manufacturing for beneficial reuse.
AGC sells polycarbonates business to Sumitomo Bakelite
July 22, 2025 — AGC Inc. (Tokyo; www.acg.com) has reached an agreement with Sumitomo Bakelite Co. (Tokyo; www.sumibe.co.jp) for the transfer of its polycarbonate business. AGC’s polycarbonate business offers products for a wide range of fields, including electronics, optics and building materials. ■
Mary Page Bailey