Unigel and Thyssenkrupp Nucera expand green hydrogen production capacity

thyssenkrupp nucera and Unigel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase the capacity of the green hydrogen plant that Unigel is developing in Bahia, Brazil, from 60 MW to 240 MW of water electrolysis. The signing ceremony was held in Belo Horizonte, during the visit of the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs … Read more

Toyo Ink Group to Acquire Top Thai Coatings Manufacturer

Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., the Japan-based parent company of the specialty chemicals company Toyo Ink Group, announced that, on March 10, 2023, it and its consolidated subsidiary Toyo Ink (Thailand) Co., Ltd. concluded a share purchase agreement to wholly acquire Thai Eurocoat Ltd., the top manufacturer of external coatings for non-printed cans in … Read more

CHIMEI Begins Mass Production on New 350,000T PS Lines in Zhangzhou

CHIMEI Chemical Co., Ltd. announced the official start of mass production at its newly-built PS production lines in Zhangzhou on March 10. These production lines, with an annual capacity of 350,000 tons, are expected to be fully operational in the second half of this year. Combined with the PS production capacity of Zhenjiang CHIMEI, they … Read more

LyondellBasell announces decision to acquire Mepol Group

LyondellBasell and Mepol Group announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for LyondellBasell to acquire Mepol Group, a manufacturer of recycled, high-performing technical compounds located in Italy and Poland, consisting of Mepol S.r.l. and its subsidiaries Polar S.r.l. and Industrial Technology Investments Poland Sp.z.o.o. “This acquisition demonstrates LyondellBasell’s commitment to move the circular economy … Read more

H2Pro Partners with Sumitomo for Green Hydrogen Initiatives

Israel-based H2Pro has announced a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, a conglomerate company, to collaborate on various green hydrogen initiatives. H2Pro, which is known for developing the innovative 95% efficient E-TAC electrolyzer system, has been actively partnering with industrial players globally to integrate green hydrogen into their clean energy transition plans. Under the agreement, Sumitomo Corporation … Read more

Aramco’s S-OIL Breaks Ground on $7bn Petrochemical Project in South Korea

South Korean President Yoon and Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the $7 billion Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsan, South Korea. Ministers and senior officials from both countries also attended the milestone event. The Shaheen project, which was announced in November 2022, is being developed by Aramco affiliate S-OIL … Read more

BASF Starts Sustainable Sovermol Production in India

German chemical company BASF has started producing its first bio-based polyol, Sovermol®, at its Mangalore site in India. The product meets the increasing demand for eco-friendly solutions in various industries, such as New Energy Vehicles (NEV), windmills, flooring, and protective industrial coatings in the Asia Pacific region. The Sovermol production facility is operational after comprehensive … Read more

Solenis to acquire Diversey for $4.6 billion

Specialty chemical manufacturer Solenis and hygiene solutions provider Diversey Holdings have announced a definitive merger agreement, in which Solenis will acquire Diversey in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.6 billion. Following the merger, Diversey will become a private company. Solenis, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2021 and produces specialty … Read more

Gulbrandsen starts production of triethylaluminum in India

Gulbrandsen, a global specialty chemicals leader, has started production of triethylaluminum (TEAL) at a new manufacturing facility located in Dahej, India, to meet increasing global demand. Aluminum Alkyls are used as co-catalysts for manufacturing polyolefins, synthetic rubber, pharmaceuticals, and other fine chemicals. “This investment supports Gulbrandsen’s commitment to meet the growing needs of our customers … Read more

Momentive invests in new facility to meet Southeast Asian demand

The Momentive Performance Materials group (Momentive) announced a growth investment to build a new manufacturing facility in Rayong, Thailand. Breaking ground on what will be home to a new state-of-the-art facility, this new site will expand Momentive’s manufacturing capacity to serve the growing Southeast Asian market demand for specialty silicones in industries including beauty and … Read more

Aimia Announces Acquisition of Bozzetto Group for $328 Million

Aimia Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Giovanni Bozzetto S.p.A., also known as Bozzetto Group, from Chequers Capital and other minority shareholders. The purchase price is based on an enterprise value of approximately $328 million and is expected to be financed with a combination of cash and debt. The executive management team of Bozzetto … Read more

Sumitomo Chemical Plant in India faces closure following accident at Bhavnagar site

Sumitomo Chemical India Limited recently faced an accident at their Bhavnagar site in Gujarat on February 24, 2023. Following this incident, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) issued an order on its website, instructing the company to restrict and close its operations at the Bhavnagar site. The GPCB has set certain conditions that the company … Read more

SABIC invests in catalyst manufacturing in Saudi Arabia through the Shareek program

SABIC’s participation in the Shareek program highlights the company’s commitment to enhancing partnerships with the private sector and supporting sustainable growth in the national economy. The program, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, aims to develop public-private partnerships and build a prosperous national economy by attracting investments and developing industries associated with … Read more

Perstorp and Uniper to Produce Sustainable Methanol with Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey, a UK-based sustainable technology company, has been selected by Perstorp AB to provide the methanol license and engineering services for its Project Air initiative in Sweden. The project aims to substitute all the fossil methanol used by Perstorp in Europe as raw material for chemical products with sustainable methanol. The plant is expected … Read more

Merck KGaA reports strong FY2022 sales growth

Merck, a leading science and technology company, has reported a strong performance in the fiscal year 2022, delivering profitable growth despite challenges. The company’s group net sales increased by 12.9% (organically: 6.4%) to €22,232 million compared with the previous year, driven by all regions and business sectors, particularly Life Science. The Big 3 businesses – … Read more

Synthomer Completes Sale of Laminates and Coated Fabrics Businesses to Surteco

Synthomer plc, a leading specialty chemical company, has completed the sale of its laminates, films, and coated fabrics businesses to Surteco North America, Inc. The sale, which was approved by Synthomer shareholders in January 2023, has now been finalized, following the satisfaction of the conditions precedent as outlined in the circular to Synthomer shareholders published … Read more

Archroma Completes Acquisition of Huntsman Textile Effects and Restructures Business

Archroma, a leading sustainable specialty chemicals and solutions provider, recently announced the completion of its acquisition of Huntsman Textile Effects, a business division of Huntsman Corporation. The acquisition, which was first announced in August 2022, adds over 2,300 employees in 33 countries and 10 production sites to Archroma’s global workforce. With this acquisition, Archroma’s global … Read more

GACL Expands Caustic Soda Lye Plant and Commissions Large Evaporation Unit

Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL), a leading player in the Indian chemical industry, has recently expanded its Caustic Soda Lye Plant at its Dahej Complex from 785 MTPD to 1310 MTPD in line with its growth plans. As a part of this expansion, a new 700 MTPD Caustic Evaporation Unit (CEU) has also been … Read more