Plant Watch Aster invests in expansion projects at Bukom petroleum refinery December 11, 2025 — Aster Chemicals and Energy Ltd. (Singapore; www.aster.com.sg) announced a significant investment program at its Bukom petroleum refining facility in Singapore. The project includes a $75-million…
Stirred tanks are common throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), used as batch reactors and continuous-flow reactors, as well as for physical processing of product formulations in which no chemical reaction is occurring. In all cases, fluid mixing — in…
A federal government shutdown in the U.S. from October 1 to November 12, 2025 disrupted the release of producer price index (PPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), so the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) is behind schedule.…
Several 2025 year-end reports and data releases paint a nuanced picture of the global chemical process industries (CPI) as we head into 2026. The complex picture reflects the diversity of industry sectors comprising the CPI, and the wide range of…
UPM (Helsinki, Finland; www.upm.com), a global leader in sustainable material solutions, has achieved an important milestone in the startup of production of commercial, wood-based chemicals in its Leuna biorefinery in Germany. The refinery, which is the largest industrial-scale investment in…
Asahi Kasei (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.com) a diversified global manufacturer in the Healthcare, Homes, and Material sectors, announces its strategic divestiture of Daramic, a lead battery separator business, to Kingswood Capital Management, LP. The Daramic business transfer closed on December 1,…
Year’s end is, of course, the default juncture at which current situations are assessed and forecasts for the future are posited. As this year nears its end, indications are that 2026 will likely be a tough year for much of…
The ability to forecast costs, align budgets and maintain control throughout the lifecycle of a project can mean the difference between delivering value and facing costly overruns In asset-intensive industries, such as energy, chemicals, power and infrastructure, the balance between…
When paired with deep process expertise, cost estimation becomes a powerful tool for mitigating risk and guiding investment for large capital projects Chemical manufacturing is one of the most complex and capital-intensive industries in the world. From specialty chemicals to…
Plant Watch Mitsubishi Gas Chemical builds new electronic materials plant in Thailand November 11, 2025 — Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. (MGC; Tokyo; www.mgc.co.jp) completed construction of a new plant expansion at MGC Electrotechno (Thailand) Co. (ETT), a subsidiary dedicated to…