BASF will expand its global capacities for methane sulfonic acid (MSA) to 50,000 metric tons per year. This involves a higher double-digit million euro investment in constructing a new methane sulfonic acid plant at the Ludwigshafen site. The company had announced the expansion plan of MSA at the end of 2018. The construction works started … Read more
Braskem SA announced on Thursday that it was shutting down its chlor-alkali production facility in Camaçari in the state of Bahia because it had reached the end of its lifespan. The unit in Bahia has a capacity to produce 79,000 tonnes of caustic soda and 64,000 tonnes of chlorine per year. “The market will not … Read more
Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. continues its progress on the construction and startup of expansion units at Point Comfort, Texas site. The 1.5 million-MT per year cracker has come online and was seen ramping up through January. The 400,000-MT per year LDPE unit is in the commissioning stages, with initial start-up expected in April 2020. The … Read more
Covestro A.G. is delaying work to expand its MDI plant in Baytown, a move that will halt work on the MDI-500 project for 18-24 months. In a Jan. 21 news release about the decision the company cited “challenging global market dynamics” for the halt. However, it stressed that there were no plans to leave the MDI … Read more
Asahi Kasei Mitsubishi Chemical Ethylene, a joint venture of Asahi Kasei Corp and Mitsubishi Chemical Corp, said it will restart operation at its naphtha cracker in Mizushima, Okayama prefecture on 24 January, after completing planned repair of the unit’s troubled refrigeration system. The naphtha cracker automatically shut down on 14 January after it detected a … Read more
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has decided to terminate operation of its production lines to synthesize unsaturated polyester resin (UP) and vinyl ester resin (VE) at Isesaki Plant by the end of June 2021. The company will concentrate domestic production of UP and VE at Tatsuno Plant in order to improve profitability of its UP and … Read more
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. announced on Monday that its isobutane dehydrogenation (iBDH) plant in the Mont Belvieu, Texas area recently began service, with volumes expected to continue ramping up during the next two weeks. The facility, which is supported by long-term, fee-based contracts with investment grade customers, will ultimately have the capability to process approximately … Read more
Formosa Petrochemical has received air pollution permits for a $9.4 billion petrochemical and plastics complex the company has proposed building in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The company has received the final Title V operating permits needed from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The complex would be built in two phases and produce ethylene, propylene, … Read more
Borealis AG and NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced last Thursday that they have reached an agreement for Borealis to buy NOVA Chemicals’ 50% ownership interest in Novealis Holdings LLC. Formed in 2018, Novealis is the joint venture between affiliates of Borealis and NOVA Chemicals, which subsequently formed a 50/50 joint venture with an affiliate of Total … Read more
INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, has announced plans to build a world-scale acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plant in Ningbo, China. The new production site will be adjacent to the recently acquired polystyrene plant in Ningbo. After the acquisition of two polystyrene production sites in China from Total in February 2019, INEOS Styrolution embarks on plans … Read more
Gulf Coast Ammonia LLC (GCA) announced that it has closed on non-recourse project financing for its world-scale anhydrous ammonia plant in Texas on December 30, 2019. Construction capital will be provided by a joint venture of Starwood Energy Group Global LLC (Starwood Energy) and Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG (Mabanaft). The facility will have a … Read more
ChemChina and Sinochem are consolidating their agricultural assets into a new holding company to be called Syngenta Group, ChemChina unit Syngenta said on Sunday. Chen Lichtenstein, current president and CEO of Shenzhen-listed crop protection company ADAMA, which will also be incorporated into the new group, will be nominated CFO of the newly formed Syngenta Group. … Read more
Sinochem Energy, a unit of China’s Sinochem Group, has agreed to sell a 20% stake to five state-owned firms for 11.56 billion yuan ($1.65 billion), Xinhua news agency reported. The financial investment arms of Agricultural Bank of China and Industrial Bank of China (ICBC), and Citic Securities Investment Co were the strategic investors, the official … Read more
China’s Rongsheng said on Tuesday it has started up the remaining units in the first phase of Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical (ZPC) refinery complex, one of two new major refineries built in China in 2019. Located in east China’s Zhoushan city, the complex is now producing oil products and chemicals to commercial specifications, ZPC stated … Read more
Elkem ASA has entered into an agreement to acquire Polysil, a leading Chinese silicone elastomer & resins material manufacturer with strong positions in baby care and food grade silicones, as well as silicone products for the electronics and medical markets. The companies have agreed an enterprise value for Polysil of up to RMB 941 million … Read more
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance framework agreement to accelerate collaboration with Yokogawa Electric Corporation. The agreement includes selection of Yokogawa as a preferred supplier of control systems. Under this alliance agreement, Yokogawa will promote localization in Saudi Arabia, and its integrated control systems and safety instrumented … Read more
The Saudi Arabian Fertiliser Company (SAFCO) agreed to acquire a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) to improve growth and look for new markets, the company said on Wednesday. SAFCO will acquire 100% of SABIC Agri Nutrients Investment Company, which is valued at 4.59 billion Saudi riyals ($1.2 billion) by way of an increase … Read more
Ascend Performance Materials has finalized plans for a $175 million project to expand adiponitrile (ADN) production capacity at its Decatur, AL manufacturing facility. The company will also construct energy cogeneration units at the site. The cogeneration units will reduce emissions at the facility by 60 percent. Ascend said that state and local governments are providing … Read more
LyondellBasell has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a 50:50 joint venture with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), one of the largest integrated energy and chemical companies in China. Under the non-binding MoU, the JV will construct a new propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer (SM) unit in Zhenhai, Ningbo, China to serve … Read more
Tata Chemicals on Thursday said it has acquired the remaining 25 per cent stake in Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners Holdings for $195 million. Following the transaction, Tata Chemicals ownership in Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners has increased to 100 per cent. “Tata Chemicals, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Valley Holdings Inc, has acquired the remaining … Read more