Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) has launched a project to build a specialty polymers production plant for Solef Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), Tecnoflon Fluoroelastomers (FKM) and their essential monomer VF2 in China to satisfy the growing demand for these high value-added…
UOP LLC (Des Plaines, Ill; www.uop.com), a Honeywell company, has been selected by the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. (Takreer) to provide key technology for a new petrochemical production unit in the United Arab Emirates. The new propane dehydrogenation (PDH)…
Novo Nordisk A/S Bagsværd, Denmark; www.novonordisk.com) is investing close to 1 billion Danish kroner (€134 million) in a new factory in Kalundborg, Denmark, for the production of biopharmaceuticals such as haemophilia medicine, growth hormone and other current and future pharmaceuticals.…
Specialty-chemical producer Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) has appointed Dr. Hans-Joachim Müller member of the executive committee. He will join the company on July 1, 2011 and will be responsible for the two business units: Catalysis & Energy and Functional Materials.…
AkzoNobel (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) is investing €140 million to convert its chlorine plant in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to state-of-the-art membrane electrolysis technology. The new facility, which will increase current capacity by around 50%, will help to reinforce the…
South Refineries Co. (SRC), a subsidiary of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, awarded Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.axens.net) the basic engineering design and license contracts for the construction of the new petroleum refinery in Maissan, Southern Iraq. Axens will supply the…
Shenhua Baotou Coal Chemical Co. and Davy Process Technology (Davy; London, U.K.; www.davyprotech.com), a Johnson Matthey Company (www.matthey.com), announced that a plant using Davy/JM’s methanol technology has successfully passed its performance test and achieved plant acceptance at Baotou in Inner…
Celanese Corp. (Dallas, Tex.; www.celanese.com) says it will accelerate its original schedule and now expects to begin industrial ethanol production in China earlier than previously announced. In addition to the company’s previously announced plans for one, and possibly two, greenfield…
The technology group The Linde Group (Munich, Germany; www.linde.com) has closed a long-term deal to supply the Indonesian steel corporation PT. Krakatau POSCO (PTKP) with industrial gases. PT. Linde Indonesia, member of The Linde Group in Indonesia, and PTKP recently signed an agreement to…
Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) announced today that it has produced biologically derived 1,4-butane diol (bio-BDO) at demonstration scale at the Decatur, Ill. facility of its partner, Tate & Lyle (London, U.K.; www.tateandlyle.com). The demonstration-scale stage of production will validate…