Mc Dermott has won a contract by Saudi Aramco and Total to provide license, basic engineering package, extended basic engineering, training, technical services and supply of proprietary equipment for one of the largest mixed feed crackers across the globe.

The consortium aims to produce base chemicals and also significantly reduce carbon emissions. Leading companies such as BASF, Borealis, BP, Lyondell Basell, Sabic and Total are part of this new Group.

Right from the United Nations’ Clean Seas campaign to the Paris agreement, single use plastics has become a burning issue across the globe. Nonetheless, prominent global companies have taken up the challenge to create a more sustainable and circular economy for the plastics industry.

The ‘Global Pharmaceutical Functional and Multifunctional Excipients Market, Forecast to 2023,’ report by Frost & Sullivan mentions that innovative drug delivery technologies, a growing generic and biosimilar drug market, and aging population are the core factors responsible for the growth of the functional and multifunctional excipients in the pharmaceutical industry.

Royal DSM has appointed Shruti Singhal as President of DSM Engineering Plastics. Singhal will report to Dimitri de Vreeze, Member of DSM’s Managing Board and succeed Roeland Polet who is expected to retire next year.

BASF, Solvay and Domo Chemicals agreed that Domo will acquire the European PA6.6 business from Solvay. This transaction is targeted to close by the end of 2019 and remains subject to the approval of the relevant competition authorities.

BASF and Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) have signed an agreement to cooperate closely in the area of machine learning. The aim of the collaboration is to develop workable new mathematical models and algorithms for fundamental questions relating to chemistry, for example, from process or quantum chemistry.

BASF plans to invest €50 million to expand its crop protection production capacities in the Guaratinguetá chemical complex, about 170 kilometers from São Paulo, Brazil. Furthermore, a new plant for biological products is scheduled to be opened by August this year in Chile. With these investments, the BASF Crop Protection Unit reinforces its strong commitment to deliver innovation and strengthen its position in continuously growing agricultural markets as Latin America.

The new plant is expected to commence in 2022 and aims to increase BASF’s global Tert-Butylamine production capacity by more than 30 % annually. The facility will support the growth of the firm’s customers in the rubber, tire, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.

5,600 billion Euros is the ultimate Grand Prix for chemicals. But the winner is by no means identified — The chemical industry experienced above-average growth globally. With this development, chemical companies could pocket 5,600 billion Euros per year till 2035. But the global distribution is not equal: The North American market is growing strongly whereas the market in Europe has stagnated. The consequence: The significance of the old continent could get marginalized for this industry. There is still time to change course.