LyondellBasell to Exit Refining Business by end of 2023

LyondellBasell announced its decision to cease operation of its Houston Refinery no later than December 31, 2023. In the interim, the Company will continue serving the fuels market, which is expected to remain strong in the near-term, and consider potential transactions and alternatives for the site. The company revealed its intentions to sell the refinery … Read more

Sumitomo Chemical to Exit Caprolactam Business

Sumitomo Chemical announced its decision to close down its production facilities for caprolactam at its Ehime Works, Niihama city, Ehime, Japan in October 2022, and exit the business. Sumitomo Chemical started production of caprolactam at its Ehime Works in 1965, employing a liquid-phase process, and has since been engaged in the business for more than … Read more

Lubrizol, Suzano to Jointly develop Natural-based Ingredients

The Lubrizol Corporation announces a global collaboration project with Suzano, the world’s leading eucalyptus pulp and paper producer. This market-leading partnership will co-develop natural-based ingredients using renewable materials to the beauty, personal and home care markets. The new relationship combines Lubrizol science, formulation, and market expertise with Suzano knowledge in all varieties and applications of … Read more

INEOS to Build new Acetonitrile Plant at Cologne

INEOS Nitriles, a subsidiary of INEOS has announced plans to construct a 15,000-tonne-per-year acetonitrile plant in Cologne, Germany, one of its key operating sites. It stated that the investment would be “substantial”. The company, which claims to be world’s larger producer of acetonitrile, said the intent is to improve supply to its European customer base … Read more

Röhm Announces Further Expansion of PMMA Capacity in Germany

Röhm is further driving the growth of the company by the additional expansion of capacities for impact-resistant PLEXIGLAS, a branded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in Germany. In January, Röhm announced the expansion of production facilities for PLEXIGLAS molding compounds in Worms (Germany) and Shanghai (China). A new section is currently being added to a plant producing … Read more

Sumitomo Chemical to Build API and Intermediates Plant in Japan

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. will construct a new manufacturing plant for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates for small molecule drugs at its Oita Works. This project is to enhance the Company’s capacity to supply a variety of high-quality APIs and intermediates in response to the increasing demand for small molecule drugs. The new plant … Read more

Baker Hughes, Dussur to form Oilfield, Industrial Chemicals JV in Saudi Arabia

Baker Hughes and Dussur, a firm owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Aramco and SABIC, have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company (JV) focused on providing oilfield and industrial chemicals in Saudi Arabia. The JV supports Baker Hughes’ efforts to better serve the chemical market in the region … Read more

GACL JV Commissions Chlor-alkali Plant in India

Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL) had earlier informed about updates on GACL-NALCO Alkalies & Chemicals Private Limited (GNAL), a Joint Venture Company between GACL and National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) formed to set up 800 TPD Caustic Soda Plant along with 130 MW Captive Power Plant at Dahej. GNAL is a Material Subsidiary of … Read more

Yara takes Sole Ownership of Green Hydrogen, Ammonia Project in Norway

Yara International ASA to continue the realisaton of its decarbonisation project at the ammonia plant in Herøya, Porsgrunn without Aker Clean Hydrogen AS and Statkraft AS. The project was launched in 2021 as a cooperation between Yara, Aker Clean Hydrogen and Statkraft, aiming to decarbonize Yara’s ammonia plant at Herøya in Porsgrunn and removing 800,000 … Read more

Eastman picks Preferred Location for $1 Billion Recycling Plant in France

Eastman has entered an exclusive negotiation with Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine in Normandy as the preferred location of the molecular recycling facility it plans to build in France. This is an important step toward a significant milestone in the company’s plan to invest up to $1 billion and build the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling plant in France … Read more

Mitsui and Storegga Sign MoU on Commercialization of Direct Air Capture Tech

UK carbon capture specialist Storegga jointly with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to advance the commercialisation of direct air capture (DAC) technology. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on March 25th will also support development of the UK’s first DAC facility in North East Scotland which aims to extract one million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) … Read more

Indian Oil to Build $191 Million Polybutadiene Rubber Plant

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has announced plans to build a 60,000 ton per annum (tpa) polybutadiene rubber (PBR) plant at its existing naphtha cracker complex in Panipat. IOCL be investing Rs 14.6 billion ($191 million) in the new facility. The plant will use technology provided by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The project … Read more

ExxonMobil Progresses Construction of LAO Unit in Baytown

ExxonMobil announced that construction of the new linear alpha olefins (LAO) manufacturing unit at its Baytown, Texas, integrated petrochemical complex is progressing and targeting commercial start up in mid-2023. When fully operational, the new facility will have the capacity to produce approximately 350,000 metric tons of LAO annually. ExxonMobil will manufacture 10 high-purity LAO products … Read more

Algeria, China Sign $7 Billion Tebessa Fertiliser Production Deal

Two Algerian companies along with two Chinese companies signed a Shareholders’ Pact for the creation of a joint-stock company under Algerian law to begin preliminary activities relating to the development of an integrated phosphates project (PPI). Algerian companies include Asmidal, a subsidiary of Sonatrach (Hydra, Algeria), and Manal. The Chinese companies include Wuhuan Engineering Co. … Read more

Maire Tecnimont Bags $230 Million Blue Ammonia Plant EPCM Contract in the US

Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. announced that it has been awarded a project on an EPCM basis by a leading global chemicals producer for the implementation of a Blue Ammonia plant in the United States. The project is part of the US’s plan to develop its energy transition industrial vision. Tecnimont S.p.A., a main contractor of Maire … Read more

Petronas Partners with Malaysian firms in Driving Circular Economy of Plastics

Petronas signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM) and One Biosys Sdn Bhd for the supply of plastic waste from landfills and evaluation of potential collaboration to build waste segregation facilities in Malaysia. Under the MoU, KDEBWM and One Biosys will supply plastics waste that consists of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) … Read more

Oil India Approves $861 Million Investment for Petrochem Project

Oil India Limited announced that the Board of Directors at its meeting held on March 16, 2022, has approved Rs 65.55 billion ($861 million) investment by subsidiary company Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) for implementation of petrochemical project at Numaligarh, Assam. The board also approved the formation of a joint venture company between Assam Gas Company … Read more

Air Liquide to Build Gas Units to Supply Semiconductor Sector in Japan

Two major semiconductor market leaders have awarded Air Liquide long-term contracts for the supply of ultra-high purity industrial gases in Japan. To fulfill these contracts, Air Liquide has begun a staged investment of more than 300 million euros in four state-of-the-art gas plants in key Electronics basins to produce more than 1.5 billion Nm3 per … Read more

India’s Supreme Petrochem to Expand EPS Capacity

The Board of directors of Supreme Petrochem Ltd. in its meeting held recently has approved Phase II expansion of its Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) plant at Nagothane, Maharashtra by 30,000 MTA. The Board has also approved setting of second line of Extruded Polystyrene Board (XPS) with capacity of 100,000 M3 and increasing the Masterbatch and Compounds … Read more

SABIC Partners with Kraton for Renewable Butadiene to Produce Styrenics Block Copolymers

SABIC has announced a new collaboration with Kraton to deliver certified renewable butadiene from its TRUCIRCLE portfolio for use in Kraton’s certified renewable styrenic block copolymers (SBC). This effort forms part of SABIC’s 2025 strategy, which includes a Sustainability Development Goal roadmap spanning the organization’s entire value chain and addressing 10 goals to help drive … Read more