MA Alexander Stark

If it sounds German to you, then that's on purpose: The Grün-Book is a publication written by German, Austrian and Swiss experts to provide a guideline for a modern recycling concept in Singapore. At Achema Pulse, Dr Tim Philippi and Joachim Ihrcke presented solutions defined in this publication for closing the waste loop in Singapore.

A polycarbonate facility operated by Sabic in Cartagena, Spain, is set to become the world’s first large-scale chemical production site to be run entirely on renewable power, following the signing of a major agreement.

In order to extract hydrogen from natural gas networks, Linde and Evonik offer a joint technology solution. The fully integrated, holistic solution combines different technologies for gas separation.

According to the several news agencies, an explosion occurred in a petrochemical complex in Iran. The incident follows a series of different events in the country in recent weeks.

Atos and Siemens are working together with the pharmaceutical industry to improve production with an innovative solution based on a digital replica of the pharma production process. Currently being tested in the pharmaceutical industry, this “Process Digital Twin” for pharma manufacturing – powered by IoT, AI and Advanced Analytics – is designed to provide improved efficiency and flexibility in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products.

Siemens Energy and Air Liquide have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the objective to combine their expertise in PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technology. They intend to focus their activities on these key areas: co-creation of large industrial-scale hydrogen projects in collaboration with customers, laying the ground for mass manufacturing of electrolyzers in Europe, especially in Germany and France, and R&D activities to co-develop next generation electrolyzer technologies.

Cannabis removed from the UN prohibition schedule and CBD not considered as a narcotic drug — Two major decisions to drive further research to explore the full potential of one of the major and longest established medicinal plants. A new report provides information on production technologies, medical applications and political framework conditions.

Due to lower customer demand from Covid-19, the Solvay`s Composite Materials business will accelerate existing efficiency plans. This is to be accomplished by restructuring its manufacturing footprint with the intent to close two sites and reduce global headcount by 20 %.

The two industrial giants Air Products and Haldor Topsoe have signed a global Alliance Agreement. The companies plan to collaborate in the development of potential projects and the combination of their expertise on large-scale ammonia, methanol and/or dimethyl ether plants to be developed and built globally.

Petrofac’s Engineering and Production Services (EPS) business has been awarded its first ever green hydrogen Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the landmark Arrowsmith Hydrogen Project, which will become Australia’s largest commercial-scale green hydrogen complex.

Two workers died after suffering burns during a fire at Chelanese’s plant on Jurong Island on February 7. Singapore’s authorities and the chemical company are now investigating the cause of the incident.

An explosion on March 4 at a naphtha cracker of the South Korean chemical company Lotte Chemical had serious consequences. At least 31 people were injured in the resulting fire. Production in the affected cracker was suspended until further notice.

The acquisition of CVC Thermoset Specialities by Huntsman is complete. The North American specialty chemical manufacturer serves the industrial composites, adhesives and coatings markets

With biofuels growth plans and the start of a basic engineering phase of a next generation biorefinery, UPM Biofuels is planning to significantly increase their capacity. The potential biorefinery would have an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes of high-quality renewable fuels including sustainable jet fuel.

Roche announced that at its December meeting the Board of Directors has approved first proposals to the planned changes in the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Committee.

One of the world’s largest plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling facilities is to be built at Eastman's site in Kingsport, USA. Through methanolysis, this world-scale facility will convert polyester waste that often ends up in landfills and waterways into durable products, creating an optimized circular economy.

The global healthcare company GSK and Samsung Biologics have entered into a partnership. The cooperation is to secure additional manufacturing capacity for innovative biopharmaceutical products.

Solidifying melts and viscous fluids on a steel belt offers a number of advantages including low-dust generation and extremely uniform granules. With its GMP-compliant, steel belt-based Rotoform pastillation system, Ipco offers a solution with particular appeal to manufacturers of foodstuffs, cosmetics and drugs.

Alfa Laval has acquired a 20 % stake in US-based IIOT specialist AMI Global effective year-end 2020. The move is to strengthen the company's market position in connected services such as condition monitoring of equipment and systems.

The Japanese group Toray Industries has created a new polymer that retains the outstanding thermal resistance, rigidity, and strength of polyamide 6 (PA6) while delivering a bending fatigue limit that is 15-fold that of conventional polymers.

Within the framework of the “Absolutely Circular” project, Ineos plans to build a demonstration polymerisation plant for the production of ABS plastic from recycled feedstock in Antwerp, Belgium.

Clariant is expanding production capacity for its isethionates derivatives - Hostapon SCI - mild surfactants to support the increasing shift by personal care formulators and brands towards using mild surfactants to differentiate applications. It also supports the growing consumer trend for hygiene products.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Prof. Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Scientific and Managing Director of the newly established Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin for her groundbreaking work on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. She shares the prize with Jennifer Doudna from the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

In a new series, PROCESS looks at the individual sectors of the chemical industry in China. In the second part of the series, after the fertiliser industry, the focus is on the petrochemical industry. In the wake of the new five-year plan, the industry is expected to grow and secure China's self-sufficiency.

The gases group Linde has signed a long-term contract with the Hungarian chemical company Borsod Chem to supply nitrogen, oxygen and compressed air to the chemical complex in Kazincbarcika.

Reuters reports that a fire at Petronas' Malaysian oil refinery was brought under control early on Friday after an explosion. The company was testing its facilities ahead of planned commercial operations later this year.

The integrated, international oil, gas and chemicals company, OMV, and Kommunalkredit Austria have announced a joint investment in the construction of Austria’s largest electrolysis plant on the premises of Schwechat Refinery.

Microfluidic technologies are rapidly becoming the method of choice for micro- and nanoparticle production across a number of sectors, from cell biology research to drug development. This approach offers a number of advantages over traditional batch methods, including precise process control, enhanced reliability, and the ability to easily scale up production.

A new maintenance system is helping to make sensors smart. A research team led by Professor Andreas Schütze of Saarland University is combining artificial intelligence with sensors that gather status data on industrial machinery.

In order to advance the development of their nanopore sequencer, Roche has acquired Stratos Genomics, an early-stage sequencing technology company.

If it sounds German to you, then that's on purpose: The Grün-Book is a publication written by German, Austrian and Swiss experts to provide a guideline for a modern recycling concept in Singapore. At Achema Pulse, Dr Tim Philippi and Joachim Ihrcke presented solutions defined in this publication for closing the waste loop in Singapore.

The Swiss company Endress+Hauser has weathered the crisis year 2020 in good shape. However, the Group’s consolidated sales fell — strongly influenced by exchange rate effects — by almost 3 % to just under € 2.6 billion.

The manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials, Covestro, is planning a new production facility for polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) at their Integrated Site in Shanghai, China (CISS). The company wants to address the rising demand for environmentally compatible coatings and adhesives in the Asia-Pacific region. A further line for polyester resins, from which PUDs are produced, is also to be built there.

The new PCR Workflow test from Thermo Fisher Scientific is one of the first validated methods for the detection of Sars-Cov-2 on environmental surfaces. It can help protect staff, brands, business, and public health.

The year 2020 was a promising year for bio-based polymers: Sold out PLA in 2019 has led to the installation of increased capacities, PE and PP made from bio-based naphtha are breaking ground and future expansion for bio-based polyamides as well as for PBAT, PHAs and casein polymers is on the horizon. A lower production is only observed for bio-based PET.

The construction industry currently uses almost half of all paints and coatings that are sold. Large-scale projects for infrastructure or commercial construction are hardly ever directly affected by crises. According to the latest Ceresana Report, this is because major infrastructure and commercial construction projects are hardly ever directly affected by crises.

Siemens Energy has signed an agreement with Canada-based TC Energy Corporation (TC Energy) to commission a novel waste heat-to-power pilot installation in Alberta. The facility will capture waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating at a pipeline compression station and convert it into emissions-free power.

Borealis has held the groundbreaking ceremony for its new, world-scale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant. Located at the existing Borealis production site in Kallo, Belgium, the new facility will have a targeted production capacity of 750,000 metric tonnes per year of propylene.

The agroscience companies Corteva Agriscience and M2i announced multi-year global agreements for the research, development and global commercialization of pheromone-based insect control solutions.

Thyssenkrupp is building a new integrated chemical complex in Hungary. The foundation stone for the polyol production facility was laid on September 27, 2019 in Tiszaújváros.

The global supplier of process equipment, SPX Flow, has added a new model of tank outlet valve to its APV D4 series mix proof valves.

Engineering company Bilfinger has been commissioned by the Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant to deliver EPCM (engineering, procurement, overall project and construction management) services for the construction of their commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production plant using Clariant’s sunliquid technology in southwest Romania.

Oman Cement Company (OCC) installs a state-of-the-art digital solution at its cement plant. ABB Ability System 800xA is to optimize performance on all three process lines.

A new hydrogen development and testing facility is to leverage and expand Ricardo's capabilities in building solutions to support zero-emission mobility. It will also become part of a global center of excellence for hydrogen, renewable fuels and electrified transportation technology.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the market for oil and gas seals has slumped in 2020 and 2021. However, in 2022, the industry will likely gain momentum again, a new study says.

Mitsui Chemicals announced that it has completed the construction of a new plant to produce Lucant, a series of hydrocarbon-based synthetic fluid, at its Ichihara Works in Ichihara, Japan.

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) announced that Thomas B. Hartman has been appointed as the CEO and President, effective 1 June 2020.

Air Products’ Board of Directors announced an amended employment agreement with Air Products’ chairman, president and chief executive officer, Seifi Ghasemi. The new agreement extends Ghasemi’s term through September 30, 2025.

Global petrochemical company SK Global Chemical and waste solutions provider Brightmark have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a partnership that aims to take the lead in the circular economy of plastic by construction of a commercial scale plastics renewal plant in South Korea.

Due to the Corona pandemic, Namur and Phoenix Contact jointly agreed to postpone the Namur Annual Conference China to August 2021.

The oversees subsidiary of JGC was in December 2020 awarded the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract for a gas separation plant construction project in the Republic of Kazakhstan being planned by Kazmunay Gas, Kazakhstan's state-owned oil company, and its subsidiary, KLPE.