Since the end of the corona lockdowns in China in spring 2020, the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) industry there has been expanding like never before. More than 30 new propane dehydrogenation plants with a capacity of more than 30 million tons per year are currently under construction in China or are planned for the coming years.

IPCO pastillation systems make intermediate products easy to transport, store, handle and dose for manufacturers of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food products. Benefits include consistently sized pastilles, high hygiene standards and GMP compliance.

In the chemical industry, research facilities create the link between laboratory development and industrial-scale production. Flexible plants comprising multiple areas are sites of innovation and testing, acting as stepping stones for subsequent scale-up. When Evonik Industries was looking to modernize such a plant at the Wolfgang Industrial Park in Hanau, Germany, it was the perfect place to use Simatic PCS neo, the completely web-based process control system from Siemens.

Specialty chemicals company Perstorp introduces 2-Ethylhexanol based on 25 % renewable raw material according to a traceable mass balance concept. 2-EH Pro 25 is designed to reduce the carbon footprint throughout the value chain.

Power-to-X is on everyone’s lips: as energy storage, alternatives to battery-electric mobility or basic raw materials for industrial processes, the conversion of green electricity into material form is a cornerstone of all defossilization strategies. But how realistic is the vision of fuel from the socket? A test plant in Lower Bavaria, Germany, shows that the necessary technologies have long been in the starting blocks.

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.

Mining and battery chemicals manufacturer Keliber has completed a four-phase pilot-scale test programme and verified the behaviour of the ore from the company's largest deposit, Rapasaari, at all stages of the production process.

China's ethylene production capacity will again grow strongly this year. While less investments are being made in new plants worldwide, the trend in the People's Republic is going in the opposite direction, reports PROCESS (China). More than seven additional annual tons of capacity will be added in 2021 through various significant projects, which will raise the total capacity in China to a new high of around 40 million yearly tons, writes PROCESS' sister editorial office in Beijing.

By signing three agreements with a total value equivalent to around seven billion dollars, Inoes aims to establish itself on the Chinese market. The deals signed with Sinopec generate a total annual capacity of seven million metric tons and generate sales of around ten billion dollars.

For the expansion of its electrolysis plant in Padana, India, Kutch Chemical has ordered corresponding equipment from Thyssenkrupp Nucera. The additional capacity will more than double the output of the plant.