KBR has secured a feasibility study contract by PKN Orlen to assess plastics recycling projects in Central Europe by making use of KBR's Hydro-PRT technology. Both the companies have also signed a Letter of Intent in order to work together for future projects.

The ‘marinized’ electrolyzer project will be developed at Grimsby in the UK for renewable hydrogen production. The Oyster Project is funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public private partnership of the European Commission and will develop and test an electrolyzer system designed to be integrated with offshore wind turbines.

Several of the major international process industry groups will soon have new management personnel. In addition to Dupont, Lyondell Basell and Lonza, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Jubilant Therapeutics have also announced changes at the top levels. PROCESS worldwide summarizes the latest announcements for you.

Orion Engineered Carbons has commenced the construction of its second plant in China for specialty carbon black. Located in Huaibei, the new facility is expected to have an initial production capacity of 65-70 kilotons per year and will be completed by 2022.

With an aim to meet the growing demand for methyl acrylate in North America and the world, Dow has plans to expand its methyl acrylate production capacity in the US Gulf coast. In this background, a new 50 kiloton nameplate capacity of methyl acrylate will be produced at St. Charles Operations in Louisiana, USA.

Siemens Energy and Toray will jointly promote the development of the largest multi megawatt class PEM electrolysis in Japan under the Green Innovation Funding Program arranged by the Japanese Government. Toray’s new membrane technology will be used in the process. The companies aim to advance the technologies used in the production of green hydrogen by making use of renewable energy sources.

At Sumitomo Chemical’s Ehime Works situated at Niihama city, Ehime, in Japan, the company will install new production lines to double the capacity for high-purity sulfuric acid and at Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co.’s Iksan plant, the company will increase the capacity for high-purity ammonia water. The high-purity chemicals will be used for the semiconductor industry.

Sinopec has launched the first phase of the Gulei refining complex in China. The complex, a 50:50 JV between Sinopec's Fujian Petrochemical Company and Taiwan Xuteng Investment Company, has invested 4.28 billion dollars for its development which will include an ethylene plant, a styrene unit and seven downstream petrochemical units.

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.

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.