Lyondell Basell's innovative Moretec technology has secured a 40 million euro grant from the EU Innovation Fund. The funds will boost the establishment of an advanced, fully-electrified recycling plant in Wesseling, Germany

With the rise of megatrends in Europe such as electromobility and renewable energies which require silicones, Wacker Chemie has decided to build a new silicones production site in Czech Republic. Production at the site is expected to begin by the end of 2025.

Thyssenkrupp Uhde has won a basic engineering package and front-end engineering design package from Gulf Biopolymers Industries for the first large biopolymer plant in the Mena region. The plant is expected to produce polylactic acid polymer in large-scale volumes.

Sika has plans to invest at its polymer production site in Texas, USA. This is the second investment at the site by the firm and it comes in the background of growing demand for concrete admixture in the USA and Canada.

Neste has begun the gradual transformation of its crude oil refinery in Porvoo, Finland into a leading renewable and circular solutions refining hub. The full transformation of the refinery is expected to be completed in 2030.

Neste, Mitsui Chemicals and Prime Polymer have plans to make use of renewable materials for developing more sustainable food packaging solutions for Co-op, a brand of the Japanese Consumers Co-operative Union.

Cefic has predicted a possible 1.0 % growth in EU27 chemical output for 2024. The small growth comes after a prolonged and challenging period in 2023 and 2022.

Sulzer Chemtech has plans to launch a portfolio of licensing technologies which will help in carbon-neutral polymer recycling. The move is in line with the growing demand for a circular economy of plastics.

Lanxess will supply brine to Standard Lithium for industrial production of battery-grade lithium at its site in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA. Lanxess also aims at leasing a plot of land to Standard Lithium for the development of a production facility.

Maag Group has announced new services in Malaysia for Maag Ettlinger melt filters. The move is in line with the company’s plan to grow capacity in strategic markets where it expects strong long-term demand.