The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has recently reported that the EU chemical production is expected to decline by about 8 % in 2023 as compared to the previous year.

Sumitomo Chemical and Ginkgo Bioworks have plans to expand their existing biomanufacturing partnership by developing functional chemicals with synthetic biology. For this project, Ginkgo Bioworks will utilize its strain design technology to develop a microbial strain and related fermentation process to produce the target molecule, while Sumitomo Chemical will develop the manufacturing process and its scale-up for commercialization.

Shin-Etsu Chemical has plans to expand its silicones business by further investing an additional amount of 650 million euros into it. The move is in line with the growing demand for eco-friendly silicones in the region.

Total Energies has plans to construct a new mechanical recycling unit for plastic waste at its Grandpuits site in France. The new facility is expected to produce 30,000 tons a year of high value-added compounds and will contain up to 50 % recycled plastic material.

Producers of food and household chemicals have to protect their products on the pallet in a energy and resource efficient way. To achieve this, they must be able to process more films made from recyclates. The new, modularized high-performance packaging system from Beumer proofs, that operators can combine both goals.

GEA’s carbon capture portfolio has the capacity to decarbonize carbon-intensive industries such as cement both swiftly and cost-effectively. A number of trials have been conducted at a pilot plant at Phoenix Zementwerke in Beckum, Germany and it has demonstrated that CO2 emissions in cement production can be reduced by 90 %.

Total Energies has collaborated with Petronas and Mitsui to establish a carbon storage hub in Malaysia. Under the terms of the contract, the parties will identify the best site for the project and also develop a business framework for commercialization of a carbon storage service in the country.

R. Stahl has introduced its latest socket panels for wall installation which can be used in hazardous areas. With this, the firm has expanded its range of socket panels.

Sabic-Sinopec’s joint venture Sinopec Sabic Tianjin Petrochemical Co. has begun commercial operations of a new polycarbonate plant. With an annual capacity of 260 kT, the unit is expected to meet the growing demands of polycarbonate in the region.

PT KPI has selected Topsoe’s Hydroflex technology for the production of renewable fuels at its Cilacap Refinery Complex in Central Java, Indonesia. The unit is expected to produce 6,000 bpsd.