Chemical production in Leverkusen has one foot in the future. The F³ project was launched to ensure that the European chemical industry remains competitive in the world market. PROCESS took a look behind the scenes.

The F3 Factory Project was launched to enhance the competitiveness of the European chemical industry by developing alternative production concepts with fast and flexible production process. In an exclusive PROCESS interview, Dr. Thomas Bott, who is head of the Polymer Technology Unit in the Polymer Research organization at BASF and is involved in the F3 Project, explains how that approach might look like in practical application.

Oil as a natural resource is becoming scarcer and more expensive and there is a need to look at eco-friendly ways of extracting it, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. White biotechnology offers a solution: scientists are now using microorganisms such as bacteria to generate substances for the production of polymers. The advantage is that these miniature biochemical factories run on renewable resources or agricultural waste converting it into valuable chemicals.

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions has signed an agreement with the Russian jointstock company Polyester Plant Ivanovo to build a new PET polymer and staple fibre production plant. The contract is worth around €150 million and includes engineering, procurement and the supervision of erection and commissioning.

The Indian raw and wastewater market is estimated to be around `2,000 crore (about US $ 300 mio) and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12 per cent during 2016–2021. In this background, we interacted with a few industry players and experts from the sector to more about the latest trends, business opportunities and technologies in the wastewater treatment sector…

Verdezyne has reached an agreement with Bio-Xcell Malaysia to construct Verdezyne’s first commercial-scale renewable chemicals manufacturing facility in Bio-Xcell’s premier biotechnology and ecosystem park in Nusajaya, Iskandar, in southern Malaysia. It will be the world´s first bio-based plant for the production of Dodecanedioic Acid (DDDA).

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, announced that it has reached an agreement regarding the sale of the remaining part of DSM Elastomers to Lanxess for € 310 million on a cash and debt-free basis. The intended sale is expected to close in the first months of 2011, subject to regulatory and other customary approvals and notifications.

Low-shear pumping action, responsive control and reliability were critical considerations for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) systems specialist Nalco FabTech when designing and installing a 21-pump polymer injection facility for a Wyoming oilfield. Looking beyond the established plunger-type pumps in general use for polymer injection, the company turned to an alternative.

Changchun/PR China, Essen/Germany – Evonik Industries is significantly expanding its polyether ether ketone (PEEK) capacity in response to growing global demand. Along with a number of optimization measures, the company is modernizing an existing plant. The project at the Changchun site in China is scheduled to be completed by 3rd quarter 2011.

How can you accelerate the pace in the Chemical Process Industry (CPI) and reduce time to market? The container concept developed within the framework of the Copiride Project provides some answers.