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Current economic trends

Capital equipment prices, as reflected in the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top), dropped 2% from April to May (the most recent data). Meanwhile, all of the Current Business Indicators from IHS Global Insight, including the operating rate, increased slightly…

Calendar: September – November 2012

NORTH AMERICA World Class Process Safety Management for Chemicals, Petrochemicals & Refining. T.A. Cook Consultants (Houston). Phone: 919-510-8142; Web: tacook.com/psmusa Houston, Tex. September 18–20   Plastics in Photovoltaics 2012. Applied Market Information LLC (Wyomissing, Pa.). Phone: 610-478-0800; Web: amiplastics.com/events Phoenix,…

Process Lead Responsibilities In Design Projects

Arbitrarily, process leads can be categorized into three different sub-categories or levels. Level one process leads are those who directly interact with the client to achieve the results required of the project, and are therefore accountable for any and all…

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Microchannel F-T selected for California WTF commercial demonstration plant  

Microchannel Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor technology developed by Velocys, Inc. (Plain City, Ohio; www.velocys.com),, the U.S.-based subsidiary of the Oxford Catalysts Group (Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordcatalysts.com), has been selected for use in a waste-to-liquids (WTL) commercial demonstration plant to be constructed in…

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Shaw to be acquired by CB&I  

The Shaw Group Inc. (Baton Rouge, La.; www.shawgrp.com) has signed a definitive merger agreement with CB&I (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cbi.com) under which CB&I will acquire Shaw in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $3 billion. Under the terms…

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BASF and Sinopec to explore building a world-scale isononanol plant in Maoming  

BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec; www.sinopec.com) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen their cooperation by jointly exploring the possibility of building a world-scale isononanol (INA) plant in Maoming Hi-tech…

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First day of the fair – first success  

The Achema fair crew of Sommer Maschinen- & Anlagenbau (Düsseldorf, Germany), which now belongs to the HAVER Group (Oelde, Germany; www.haverboecker.com), says it received its first order on the first day of the Achema fair last month. Together with Fuchs…

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Metabolix signs LOI with Antibioticos for production of Mirel Biopolymer Resin  

Metabolix, Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.; www.metabolix.com) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Antibioticos S.A. (www.antibioticos-sa.com) for production of Mirel biopolymer resin at its manufacturing facility in Leon, Spain. Under the terms of the LOI, Metabolix will begin work immediately…

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Air Products expands LNG heat-exchanger manufacturing in Florida  

In order to stay ahead of the increasing demand for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology and equipment, Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) plans to expand its LNG heat exchanger manufacturing capacity by constructing a second manufacturing facility at…

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SNC-Lavalin and JV partners acquire engineering division in Saudi Arabia  

SNC-Lavalin Inc. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada; www.snclavalin.com) is pleased to announce that SNC-Lavalin Fayez Engineering (SLFE), an engineering consultancy joint venture (JV) between SNC-Lavalin and its local partners, recently acquired the industrial division of Zuhair Fayez Partnership, a well-respected Saudi Arabian…