Clariant to build new masterbatches plant in Australia, and more business news

Plant Watch Jacobs awarded contract for ExxonMobil projects in Baytown and Mont Belvieu August 12, 2014 — Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com) was awarded a contract from ExxonMobil Chemical Co. to provide engineering, procurement and construction services as part of an ethane-cracker project in ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Tex. complex, and associated premium product facilities in Mont Belvieu, Tex. Company officials did not disclose the contract value. Clariant plans to build new masterbatches plant in Australia August 12, 2014 — Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) plans to build a new masterbatches plant in Sydney, Australia. The new plant will mainly serve the Australian market. Construction on the plant is currently underway, with commissioning scheduled for the fourth quarter 2014. Ashland to expand capacity for hydroxyethylcellulose capacity Nanjing August 4, 2014 — Ashland Inc. (Covington, Ky.; www.ashland.com) plans to expand capacity at its hydroxyethylcellulose production facility in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park by 4,000 metric tons (m.t.), or approximately 40%, over the next 18 months. The additional capacity will come online in two phases. The first…