The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), the leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), showed a 0.1% gain in April, while, the Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) remained stable through March. Both pieces…
Endress+Hauser (Reinach, Switzerland; www.endress.com) is acquiring 100% of the process automation business of Colsein Ltda., its longtime sales and service partner in Bogotà, Colombia. “We believe Colombia represents a market with great potential for further growth,” explains Michael Ziesemer, Chief…
CB&I (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cbi.com) has been awarded contracts valued in excess of $640 million by Toyo Engineering Corp. (Chiba, Japan; www.toyo-eng.co.jp) to provide ethylene technology, basic engineering and cracker heater supply, as well as construction services for the…
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) has expanded its capacity to produce high-purity hydrogen bromide (HBr), which is used in the manufacture of semiconductors, to 600 metric tons per year (m.t./yr), 1.5 times as much as the previous level.…
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com) announced today that its subsidiary, Jacobs Projects (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., has acquired a controlling interest in Suzhou Han’s Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (SHCE) in China. The company is now Jacobs Engineering (Suzhou)…
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI; Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant within the Omuta Works site (Omuta City, Kyushu) to manufacture its new and advanced polyurethane elastomer, Fortimo (1,4-Bis (isocyanatomethyl) cyclohexane), and the polyisocyanate (using 1,5-pentamethylene diisocyanate),…
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) has doubled the capacity of its existing high-purity hydrogen fluoride (HF) production facility in Kawasaki, Japan. SDK has also decided to build a new HF production facility in China. High-purity HF is used…
Total S.A. (Paris, France; www.total.com) has announced investments to upgrade the Donges refinery in western France and transform the La Mède refinery in southern France. Three of Total’s five refineries in France — Gonfreville in Normandy, Grandpuits in the Paris…
Henkel AG & Co. (Düsseldorf, Germany; www.henkel.com) has announced Project Xina, a €27-million expansion project named for a volcano near its Toluca production site in Mexico. Project Xina will simultaneously double the capacity and reduce the environmental impact of Henkel’s…
CB&I (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cbi.com) has been awarded a contract by NefteGazIndustriya, LLC, through project developer MAVEG GmbH, to provide engineering and procurement services for the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar, Russia. CB&I's project scope includes early detail engineering…