December 14, 2009 — Borealis (Vienna, Austria; http://www.borealisgroup.com) has announced plans for a €75-million investment in Linz, Austria for a new semi-commercial catalyst plant to develop and scale up new catalysts for the production of innovative new polymers. Borealis has…
Koch Membrane Systems Inc. (KMS; Wilmington, Mass.; www.kochmembrane.com) recently unveiled large-diameter reverse osmosis (RO) elements and pressure vessels for seawater desalination that offer cost savings and reduced footprints. The new RO element and pressure vessel combinations have an 18-in. dia.…
In light of the growing scarcity of oil resources, biofuels constitute an alternative solution, since they can serve as a complement to fossil fuels. As part of its policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union is requiring…
This week, production will start at AkzoNobel’s (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) chelates facility located at the company’s new €275 million multi-site in Ningbo, China. The startup of the first activities in Ningbo means that AkzoNobel is now the only major…
Süd-Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.sud-chemie.com) and GTC Technology Inc. (Houston, Tex.; www.gtchouston.com) have reached agreement on a strategic alliance. As part of this alliance agreement, Süd-Chemie has acquired a 25% share in GTC. The partnership significantly strengthens Süd-Chemie‘s position in…
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; Karlsruhe, Germany; www.kit.edu) and BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) have founded “IP3” (innovative products, intelligent particles, integrated processes), a joint laboratory for process technology in Karlsruhe (www.ip3.de). JointLab is run by the two partners on…
Bayer Technology Services (BTS; Leverkusen; www.bayertechnology.com) collaborated with Lurgi GmbH (Frankfurt, both Germany; www.lurgi.com) to implement an operator training simulator (OTS) for a Lurgi’s new methanol-to-propylene (MTP) process. At the core of the MTP process is a complex, heterogeneously catalyzed reaction…
GEA Group AG (Bochum, Germany; www.geagroup.com) received the order to design, manufacture and supply the Air Cooled Condenser — worth €10 million — for the extension of the 250-MW, gas-fired power plant Tzafit in Israel. The extension will increase the capacity…
Process Systems Enterprise (PSE; London, U.K.; www.psenterprise.com) has announced an exclusive agreement with Imperial College London (ICL; www3.imperial.ac.uk) to provide the SAFT-VR advanced thermodynamic technology within its world-leading gPROMS advanced process modeling software. The Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT) approach…
After investing €50 million in the expansion of the international Innovation Headquarters in Linz, Borealis AG (Vienna, Austria; www.borealisgroup.com) plans an additional investment of €75 million in Upper Austria, setting the next milestone in the development of the plastics region.…