A quarter of European ethylene production capacity is threatened by refinery cuts in the background of the global pandemic of Covid-19, states ICIS. If the coronavirus restrictions continue, the ethylene crackers may be forced to reduce operating rates or even shut down due to their dependency on LPG feedstocks which are sourced from refineries.

LG Chem has entered into a MOU with Veolia R&E to ensure the stable supply of chemically recycled MMA (methyl methacrylate) for producing transparent ABS (high value-added synthetic resin). Under the contract, the companies will also work together for process technology enhancement and R&D to improve the quality of recycled MMA.

Under a long-term agreement between Air Liquide and Jiangsu Shagang Group, Air Liquide will supply industrial gases to the steel company in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, China. In this background, Air Liquide has plans to invest around 118 million dollars for the construction of the mega ASU.

PROCESS Worldwide brings to you the ‘Top 10 plant engineering projects of August 2021’ from all over the world. Right from building a world scale petrochemical complex in Indonesia to converting a refinery services facility into the first carbon-neutral (blue) hydrogen production facility in the USA, find out all the projects making headlines here.

Global Energy has partnered with Proman to set up the ‘Cromarty Clean Fuels Project,’ a renewable power to methanol plant at the Nigg Oil Terminal in Scotland. The new facility is expected to use local sources of captured CO2 for the production and it will also store as well as load green methanol to be exported on bulk carrier vessels.

Haldor Topsoe’s Syncor autothermal reforming technology has been chosen by Air Products for its world-scale net-zero hydrogen energy complex in Canada. The technology will be installed at Air Product’s new facility which will help to capture over 95 % of CO2 emissions.

Under a MOU signed by Air Liquide, Borealis, Esso S.A.F., Total Energies and Yara International, all the companies will work together to explore the development of a CO2 infrastructure in order to help decarbonize the industrial basin located in the Normandy region, France.

Chevron, Itochu Corporation, Hyzon Motors and Ascent Hydrogen Fund have invested 20-million-dollars in Raven SR. Raven SR’s technology is capable of producing hydrogen fuel compliant with SAE J2719 (the international specification of hydrogen fuel cells) and high-quality synthetic fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Located in Japan, the new pilot facility for chemically recycling acrylic resin will commence pilot tests in the fall of next year and begin providing samples in 2023. Sumitomo Chemical also plans to develop a recycling system for PMMA (poly-methyl-methacrylate) which aims at early commercialization of chemically recycled PMMA.

Linde has started up its new liquid hydrogen plant in La Porte, Texas, USA which is the company’s fifth unit in the country. The facility is expected to supply over 30 tons per day of high-purity liquid hydrogen to meet the rising demand.