The Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) microchannel-reactor technology developed by the Oxford Catalysts Group (Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordcatalysts.com) and marketed under the brand name Velocys (www.velocys.com), has been selected for use in the design and possible construction of a commercial biomass-to-liquids (BTL) plant in…
Together with its Westphalia-based parent company Haver & Boecker (www.haverboecker.com) and machine builder Möllers, Feige Filling GmbH received its biggest order in its more than 40 year company-history from Foster & Wheeler. The order is part of the world’s largest…
The plant engineering company Uhde Inventa-Fischer (Domat/Ems, Switzerland; www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com) has received an order from SK Chemicals Co., Ltd. (Korea) to build the first plant for the continuous production of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The new plant will be integrated into the…
Cereplast, Inc. (Seymour, Ind.; www.cereplast.com), a manufacturer of biobased compostable and sustainable bioplastics, announced that it has received multiple purchase orders for compostable blown-film resins totaling approximately $200,000 in sales. These resins will be used for the manufacture of single-use…
The Vivergo bioethanol plant, a joint venture between BP (London, U.K.; www.bp.com), DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) and AB Sugar, was officially opened in Hull. The new £350 million plant is the U.K.’s biggest bioethanol producer and largest single-source supplier of…
EuroChem (Moscow, Russia; www.eurochem.ru), a global fertilizer company, announced its intention to build an ammonia and urea production plant in Louisiana to manufacture and distribute fertilizer products in the U.S. and other markets. The project requires an estimated investment of…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) will increase its global capacities for producing the chemical intermediate 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and the BDO derivative PolyTHF (polytetramethylene ether glycol; PTMEG) within the coming two years. BASF’s annual BDO capacity will rise from 535,000 to…
Phoenix Solar Inc. (San Ramon, Calif.; www.phoenixsolar.com), the U.S. subsidiary of Phoenix Solar AG has announced it signed a contract with Silicon Ranch Corp. (Nashville, Tenn.; www.siliconranchcorp.com) to build a 38.6-MW solar plant called Simon Solar Farm outside Atlanta, Georgia.…
Michelman, Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio; www.michelman.com) has acquired Ecronova Polymer GmbH (Recklinghausen, Germany), a manufacturer of water-based polymers used in the production of paints and lacquers. The purchase includes all assets, technology and manufacturing facilities. The name Ecronova Polymer will continue…
Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Co. (SOCC), a joint venture (JV) equally owned by Albemarle Netherlands B.V., a subsidiary of Albemarle Corp. (Baton Rouge, La.; www.albemarle.com) and Saudi Specialty Chemical Company, an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) announced today the…