What do operators of the technology-focused process industry expect from a pump manufacturer? Well, they certainly expect in-depth application knowledge relating to all aspects of central production processes. Industry-specific know-how is and always has been an important driving force behind innovation at Grundfos. Today, other topics like resource efficiency and sustainability are gaining hugely in importance.

Digital twins are either a must-have for any self-respecting engineering consultant; or they are dismissed as the latest shiny object dreamed up by VC-fueled ‘constructech’ mania. On the one hand, digital twins are important enough to warrant their own National Digital Twin Day; on the other, proponents are accused of ‘digital-twin-washing’ Bim just like they ‘green-washed’ their eco-sustainability credentials, driven by fear of missing out.

Messer has plans to develop a mega air separation unit (ASU) in Texas, USA which will be powered with solar energy. This will enable the company to reduce CO2 emissions at the site.

In a field test, a chemical plant in Japan ran autonomously for 35 days with the assistance of an artificial intelligence (AI) solution developed by Yokogawa and the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. The next-generation control technology is capable of taking into account numerous factors such as quality, yield, energy saving, and sudden disturbances.

With this investment, Cemex plans to increase its hydrogen injection capacity across its cement operations while reducing the consumption of fossil fuels leading to the decarbonization of its processes. Hiiroc has introduced a technology that makes use of thermal plasma electrolysis to convert biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into clean hydrogen at a lower cost than other existing solutions.

Ineos has plans to develop a world scale carbon capture enabled hydrogen production plant in Grangemouth, Scotland. For this, the company is inviting bids from leading engineering design contractors for the design of the mega project. The produced low carbon hydrogen will be used to replace hydrocarbon fuels used at the Grangemouth site which will help to power its processes and manufacture important materials.

Pharmaceutical packaging between flexibility and turn key approaches —  This pharmaceutical packaging market is growing rapidly and pharma machinery manufacturers are leaving no stone unturned to explore the many dimensions of this critical sector. A ramble through this year's novelties.

Under the new joint venture agreement, BASF and Heraeus will establish a new company called ‘BASF Heraeus (China) Metal Resource Co.’ in China. The collaboration will enable a circular economy solution as precious metals will be recovered from spent automotive catalysts in the country.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in its latest report ‘Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor’ elaborates on the new global power dynamics in the background of a hydrogen economy. It also states that green hydrogen has the potential to disrupt global trade and bilateral energy relations with new hydrogen exporters and users.

India has entered into a collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to strengthen the country’s renewable energy in order to become a leading producer of green hydrogen. Under the terms of the contract, the two will assess the potential of green hydrogen as an enabler of the country’s transition and as a new source of national energy exports. India is also launching a National Green Hydrogen Mission that will help in the production, storage, distribution, and application technologies of green hydrogen.