In the land of the rising sun, researchers have developed a new technology for small-scale ammonia production: The compact ammonia synthesis systems can enable smaller countries to establish their own decentralized NH3 production and could play an important role in the decarbonization of the industry. As so often, a sophisticated catalyst is the enabler.

At this year’s Achema trade show which is claimed to be the world's leading trade show for the process industry, more than 2,200 exhibitors from over 50 countries along with 70,000 plus participants from 127 nations were present at the event which was held from August 22 – 26, 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The chemical company Yara along with Northern Lights, a joint venture firm of Shell, Equinor and Total Energies have entered into an agreement to transport CO2 captured from Yara Sluiskil, an ammonia and fertilizer plant in the Netherlands, and permanently store it under the seabed off the coast of Norway.

Time is running out! We have to get our greenhouse emissions under control and eliminate it completely before it’s too late. The effects of climate change are already beginning to appear and, in this background, the most carbon-intensive sectors have undertaken sustainable business strategies to achieve their net zero goals but is it going to be enough? PROCESS Worldwide lists down four progressive solutions that will help industries to decarbonize their operations.

Keeping products in the economic cycle for as long as possible, closing material cycles, avoiding waste (including CO2) — awareness is now wide spread that the Circular Economy is more than “just” recycling. However, the extent of the transformation is only gradually becoming apparent. At Dechema’a Tutzing Symposium, the consensus was: if you really want to implement the Circular Economy, you have think big.

Six key take aways from Parenteral Drug Association’s (PDA) recent workshop have been summarized by the author. The association intends to host a number of workshops to educate and help the industry implement the revision of the new Annex 1: ‘Manufacture of Sterile Products’.

The introduction of robotics into manufacturing plants benefits both products and staff, delivering greater operational flexibility, safety, quality and process efficiency compared to what traditional mechanical solutions allow. However, the price to achieve this is a reduction in production rates.

Electrolysis is said to be particularly good at load control and can therefore respond flexibly to fluctuating energy flows. But it's not quite that simple: a pilot project is being launched in Japan to test flexible hydrogen production.

Enablers of production – Same old in the “pump halls”? Not this time! If the production of tomorrow wants to truly unleash its efficiency potentials, pump experts are challenged. In fact, the largest exhibitor group at Achema is more innovative and digital than ever before.

Successful integration of green hydrogen into production networks – Compact electrolysis plants, powered by green electricity, could help to solve the issue of energy storage, providing power and raw materials available for a wide range of applications. But setting up a container plant is not enough: Sahll the decentralized H2 production become a success, it needs to be suitably integrated and connected. Is the energy transition a matter of plant planning and design?