Shell (The Hague, the Netherlands; www.shell.com) and Sabic (Riyadh, Saudia Arabia; www.sabic.com) have signed an agreement whereby Sabic will acquire Shell’s 50% share in the petrochemicals Sadaf joint venture (JV), located in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for $820 million.…
The preliminary value for the November CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) experienced a jump from the previous month’s value, due largely to fresh data on carbon-steel plates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that pushed the…
LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands; www.lyondellbasell.com) announced completion of the 800 million pounds-per-year ethylene expansion project at the company's Corpus Christi, Texas, site. The project increases ethylene capacity at the facility by 50%, from 1.7 billion pounds-per-year to 2.5 billion pounds-per-year,…
PPG Industries, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com) announced that its board of directors has elected Vincent J. Morales to serve as senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective March 1. Morales is replacing Frank S. Sklarsky as CFO, who…
Schneider Electric SE (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.schneider-electric.com) announced the acquisition of Renewable Choice Energy, a leader in helping commercial, industrial and institutional clients navigate their clean energy purchasing options. Schneider Electric’s acquisition further enhances its existing position in the rapidly growing renewables…
Thirteen leading energy, transport and industry companies have today launched a global initiative to voice a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition. In the first global initiative of its kind, the Hydrogen Council is…
Outotec Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.outotec.com) has agreed with National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) on the delivery of two sulfuric acid plants for the Sarcheshmeh and Khatoon Abad copper smelters in the Kerman province in Iran. The value of the…
Akzo Nobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) has officially opened its €11-million powder coatings facility in Chengdu, western China. The new site will help to meet growing demand in the region and supply customers with a full range of powder…
Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil; www.braskem.com.br) announced the startup of its new UTEC Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) production plant at its La Porte, Tex. site. Braskem sells high-performance UHMWPE under the trade name UTEC, developed and produced through Braskem’s proprietary technologies. “This…
Nova Chemicals Corp. (Calgary, Alta.; www.novachem.com) has announced the startup of its new world-scale linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) gas-phase reactor at its Joffre, Alberta site. The new reactor started up in December 2016, and the company is now shipping butene…