Business & Economics
EEW and GEA launch strategic partnership for CO2 capture
EEW Energy from Waste (EEW; Helmstedt, Germany; www.eew-energyfromwaste.com) and machine and plant manufacturer GEA Group AG (Duesseldorf, Germany; www.gea.com) have agreed a strategic partnership for CO₂ capture. The aim of the collaboration is to test innovative processes for capturing and…
Global and U.S. chemical production see small increases in March, according to ACC data
The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) released chemistry and economic trends data last week. Among the findings were a 0.6% increase in the Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI), and a 0.1% rise in the U.S. Chemical…
The chemistry of semiconductors
Semiconductors are vital components in the modern technologies that we use in our everyday lives, both in industrial automation and consumer products. Computers, automobile electronics, smartphones and other “smart” devices, robotics and medical devices that depend on semiconductor chips are…
Plant Watch: May 2025
Plant Watch Altana scales up production of UV-curing resins and 3D-printing materials April 14, 2025 — Altana AG (Wesel, Germany; www.altana.com) has scaled up the production of ultraviolet (UV) curing resins for industrial additive serial production. The company also started…
An Array of Factors Complicates U.S. Petroleum Refining Strategy
Maintaining profitability amid considerable uncertainty in global trade, environmental policy and product demand is a daunting prospect for the U.S. refinery fleet A complex and somewhat unprecedented interplay of factors has been complicating investment and production strategies for U.S. petroleum…
Recently Published Books for the CPI: May 2025
The following are recently published titles that may be relevant to the chemical process industries (CPI): Microbial Biotechnology: Integrated Microbial Engineering for B3—Bioenergy, Bioremediation and Bioproducts. Edited by Maulin Shah and Kiran Bala, Elsevier Press, 2025, 400 pages, $195.50. …
Yokogawa to acquire Web Synergies, a provider of integrated IT/OT solutions
Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Tokyo, Japan; www.yokogawa.com) announces that it has finalized an agreement to acquire Singapore-based Web Synergies (www.websynergies.com), a leading provider of IT and integrated IT and operational technology (OT) solutions. For more than a decade, the two companies…
Neptune Energy produces battery-grade lithium carbonate from gas-field brine using KBR technology
KBR (Houston, Tex.; www.kbr.com) is proud to partner with Neptune Energy (London, U.K.; www.neptuneenergy.de) to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) from gas field brine at the Altmark site in Germany, utilizing KBR’s proprietary PureLi® refining and conversion technology. Li2CO3 is…
Syensqo and Sinopec collaborate on advanced materials and specialty chemicals
Syensqo, a leader in advanced materials and specialty chemicals, and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) have signed a Strategic Partnership Framework Agreement to foster collaboration in advanced materials and specialty chemicals. The partnership is set to explore business development opportunities and…
2025 CEPCI updates: February (prelim.) and January (final)
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for February 2025 (most recent available) fell by a small margin compared to the previous month’s value. The final value for January 2025 was downwardly revised, partially because of some…