It sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie: A newly developed method produces customized molecules in the reactor according to a building plan – to some extent the 3D printer for chemistry. Although the “Chemputer” was actually supposed to synthesise customized medicine, British defence and aerospace multinational BAE has secured the method. Now drones are expected to be developed in the chemical bath.

Mc Dermott International has bagged a technology contract which includes basic engineering and technology licensing as well as detailed engineering and material supply of heaters for Irkutsk Oil Company’s 650 KTA ethylene plant in Russia.

Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), was inaugurated by the Saudi King.

Whether major project or container factory: What is decisive is the networking — What does chemical production of tomorrow look like? While the mega plants score with their scaling effects in giant proportions, the modular plant scores in flexibility thanks to the construction kit principle. Container modules against projects worth billions — an unequal battle. But perhaps on closer look David and Goliath are not really so different?

Lanxess announces major milestone for the world's biggest Nd-PBR plant in Singapore: The German based specialty chemicals company celbrated the groundbreaking for its new 140,000 metric tons/year rubber production on Jurong Island. Lanxess plans to invest some € 200 million in the site.

The EU’s revised Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC specifies that machine controls should be designed to ensure that they do not present hazards. This requirement is not new — it also appeared in the previous (1998) version of the Directive — but what is new is how this safety is to be achieved. Engineers dealing with mechanical design and plant construction are now caught between two new safety standards, EN ISO 13849 and EN IEC 61508, both of which require quantitative risk analysis.

The agreement has been signed with the province of West Java in Indonesia and aims at reducing the pollution of plastics especially plastics reaching the ocean from around the country. The Indonesian Government has also committed to reduce marine plastic debris by 70 per cent by 2025.

With a total investment of 4.2 billion US dollars, the Nanhai petrochemicals complex at Daya Bay in Huizhou, China, has attracted a lot of attention because of its sheer scale. But to automation experts the complex is equally interesting because of the sophistication of its process control and monitoring systems.

The refinery catalyst market is set to grow from its current market value of more than 4 billion dollars to over 5.5 billion dollars by 2025; according to a report by Global Market Insights.

KSB received the “2008 Best Innovator” award in the “Complexity Management” category. What exactly was it that so impressed the judges from A.T. Kearney and WirtschaftsWoche business magazine? PROCESS went to find out.