The industrial gas specialists of Air Liquide have big plans in China: Not only does the company plan the country's largest air separation unit, it also announces further investments.

Clariant has signed two key agreements with Sinopec in Beijing. In the first agreement, Sinopec licenses its FCAS series of S-Zorb sorbent to Clariant. The second agreement is the FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) Agency Agreement between Sinopec Catalyst Company (SCC) and Clariant Qatar W.L.L. stating that Clariant Qatar W.L.L. will be the representative for Sinopec’s FCC catalysts to oil refineries in Qatar.

The application of high pressure and steam is a proven method for the mobilisation of valuable components from biomass. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is contributing to the project "Production of butanol and hydrogen by fermentation techniques using steam treated municipal solid waste (MSWBH)" with its expertise on fermentation and the use of anaerobic bacteria for the production of biobased chemicals.

Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz (CAC) has signed a contract with Ciech Soda Deutschland for the construction of a turnkey crystallization plant.

Air Products announced the next phases of expansion to build two more nitrogen plants serving Samsung Electronics’ giga fab in Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Akzo Nobel Specialty Chemicals and Gasunie New Energy have joined forces to investigate the possible large scale conversion of electricity into hydrogen via the electrolysis of water.

Unipetrol, the Czech Republic’s largest refining and petrochemical group, continues the modernization of its chemical plant in Záluží u Litvínova. Shortly after the announcement a fire occurred at the same site, disrupting refining operations.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has concluded an agreement to license technology for its flue gas carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plant to PJSC Metafrax, a major Russian chemical company.

Dow's Thai propylene oxide business has successfully completed a first full capacity performance test. The cooperation with the Siam Cement Group is thereby ready to enter production on a full scale status, speakers confirmed.

Maire Tecnimont and Azerbaijan's state oil company Socar signed an EPC contract for the modernization and reconstruction of the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery. The contract amounts to a value of approx. $ 800 million.