OQ Chemicals has completed the expansion project at its Oberhausen site in Germany which has led to the significant increase in isononanoic acid. The move is in line with the firm’s long-term capacity strategy for carboxylic acids.

Lux Research’s new report titled ‘The Chemicals and Materials Company of 2040’ states that over the next 20 years, the chemicals and materials industries will change drastically due to climate change and the digital transformation. The sectors will also be forced to adopt new skills and develop new goals to stay competitive in the market.

Faster, more flexible and customer oriented – this is how the Japanese process automation company Yokogawa wants to position itself in the market in the future. The new business slogan ‘Co-innovating tomorrow’ describes the change – it is supposed to show new products and services.

The mega plant is expected to produce 900 metric tonnes of high-purity methanol daily. The facility is expected to commence operations in 2023 and will be using Haldor Topsoe’s MeOH-To-Go technology to convert natural gas to methanol.

The new naphtha cavern has recently been commissioned in Porvoo, Finland. With this project, Borealis will now be able to source and store naphtha from the global market in a cost-efficient manner. The cavern is also expected to store renewable naphtha which proves useful for the production of renewable polyolefins.

Linde and Shell have collaborated with an aim to accelerate the deployment of the ethane-oxidative dehydrogenation technology for ethylene production. The technology has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and is also an alternative to ethane steam cracking.

Dr. Martin Brudermüller is the current CEO of BASF and has been appointed by Cefic as its new President. He succeeds Daniele Ferrari, CEO of Versalis (Eni) who has occupied the post since October 2018.

The in-depth background paper on renewable carbon focuses on the definition, strategy, measures and potential of renewable carbon as well as outlines the cornerstones of the transition from fossil carbon to renewable carbon for all organic chemicals and materials.

Already in the middle of this year, BASF in Shanghai more than doubled its compounding capacities for polyamide and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and started operations in Korea a plant for compounding the two materials in October. Now BASF will expand its compounding capacities for engineering plastics in Schwarzheide/Germany.

The acquisition has led to the establishment of the MBCC Group and Dr. Jochen Fabritius has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the new standalone company. The Group will be focusing on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for the construction industry.