Business & Economics
A powerful algorithm enables end-to-end supply chain optimization
Axxom Software AG (Munich, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-541) has introduced a new technological approach that, for the first time, allows an end-to-end supply chain optimization of very large, multi-stage networks. Based on the so-called cost-scaling algorithms (CS-A), production companies can now plan…
Chementator: A bioprocess to make natural plastic makes its commercial debut
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (Decatur, Ill.; edlinks.com/5827-542) plans to build the world’s first commercial plant to produce PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), which are high-performance plastics made from renewable resources, such as corn sugar. The plant, to be located at a major ADM…
Chementator: Hydrogen power
BP (London; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-544) and Edison Mission Group, a subsidiary of Edison International (Rosemead, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-545), are planning a $1-billion, hydrogen-fueled power plant — said to be the first-of-a-kind — for generating electricity with minimal emissions of carbon dioxide. Detailed engineering…
Westinghouse sale
Last month, British Nuclear Fuels Plc. (BNFL; Daresbury, U.K.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5826-554) announced plans to sell Westinghouse Electric Co. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5826-555), the highest bidder, says BNFL. Others vieing for the U.S. nuclear-power-plant arm of BNFL included GE…
Hydrogen: The real ACTION is Today
While politicians and research institutes debate about a future hydrogen economy, plant contractors and industrial gas suppliers are working overtime to build bigger, more efficient hydrogen plants to meet the immediate demands. The fact is, there doesn’t seem…
Project Success Builds On a Well-Defined Scope
A clear definition of what a project will include can go a long way in helping to reach the desired objective. Spending the time upfront to seek input from pertinent parties and to scope out the details can…
Force Majeure? Make the Best of It
In the U.S. last year, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita powerfully demonstrated the ability of nature to disrupt companies’ operations and commitments. In a business context, the effects of such natural (or, for that matter, civil or social) disruptions can be…
Keeping fast-track projects from going off the rails
Whether working on retrofits or new-plant construction, engineers involved with chemical-process projects nowadays are likely to find themselves under pressure to reach completion quickly, sometimes even at the cost of bypassing traditional procedures and project controls. The downside becomes a…
Chementator: Beyond petroleum
With plans to double its investment in alternative energy, BP (London; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5825-551) has formed BP Alternative Energy (Sunbury, U.K.), which will manage an investment program in solar, wind, H2, and IGCC power generation. Click here for a full pdf…
Cyclohexane
Last month, BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5825-543) started up its first plant for producing cyclohexane. The $12-million investment, located on the Friesenheimer Island, produces 130,000 m.t./yr cyclohexane from benzene using a new process developed by BASF. Without disclosing details, BASF…