Continued pressure on the Maasvlakte site’s profitability due to global overcapacities, a strong increase of imports from Asia and high costs of European production has forced Lyondell Basell and Covestro to permanently shut down the Propylene Oxide Styrene and Monomer production unit (PO11) in the Netherlands.

BASF has plans to expand the production capacity of expandable polystyrene granulate (Neopor) at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany. The expandable polystyrene granulate is mainly used as a raw material for the production of energy-efficient insulation materials for building envelopes.

OMV has secured a grant from the EU Innovation Fund for the first time for its planned industrial Reoil plant. The facility is expected to process up to 200,000 metric tons of used plastics and will make use of OMV’s proprietary Reoil chemical recycling technology to convert the recycled material into sustainable base chemicals.

LG Chem has plans to accelerate the commercial production of bio-acrylic acid in the second quarter of this year. LG Chem's bio-acrylic acid is made from 3-Hydroxypropionic acid which is produced by microbial fermentation of plant-based raw materials.

With a mid-double-digit million-euro investment, BASF has plans to develop a new alcoholates plant at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. On completion, the project is expected to produce sodium methylate and potassium methylate.

Adnoc and OMV have plans to combine Borouge and Borealis to establish a new firm, Borouge Group International. The newly formed company is also expected to acquire Nova Chemicals for 13.4 billion dollars, thus establishing the world’s fourth-largest polyolefins player.

Chuangui New Energy company will make use of Topsoe’s licensing and engineering design services and technologies, including its Hydroflex technology, proprietary equipment and catalysts to produce SAF as well as renewable diesel in China.

Lummus and Resynergi have achieved a significant milestone with the commercialization of Resynergi’s Continuous Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (CMAP) Modules. The technology has the ability to convert plastic waste into circular pyrolysis products significantly faster and more efficiently than traditional pyrolysis methods.

BASF’s Performance Materials Division has converted all of its European sites to run completely on renewable electricity. The changeover applies to the compounding of Engineering Plastics, Polyurethanes and Thermoplastic Polyurethanes and Specialty Polymers.

Gerhard Schubert and the Berndt+Partner Group have collaborated under the Packaging Competence Center which provides technical consulting services for packaging processes and technologies.