BASF is all set to create its new subsidiary for renewable energy activities next year. The new business aims at supplying BASF’s sites in Europe with electricity from renewable energies and will also act as a global consulting firm for its Group companies in the field of renewable energies.

PKN Orlen and Orlen Południe have teamed up to build a new second-generation bioethanol plant at the Jedlicze refinery in Poland. Claimed to be the first project of this kind in Poland and the second in Europe, the plant is expected to produce 25 thousand tons of bioethanol annually and is in line with the company’s ambitions of reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

PROCESS Worldwide brings to you the ‘Top 10 plant engineering projects of December 2021’ from all over the world. Right from MOL Group and DCM Shriram digitalizing its plant operations to one of the world’s largest polymer production plants set for completion, find out all the projects making headlines here.

BASF’S new project organization ‘Net Zero Accelerator’ aims to accelerate its cross-company activities in the fields of low-CO2 technologies, circular economy and renewable energies in order to reduce its CO2 emissions by 25 % by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050. The new unit will be led by Dr. Lars Kissau who will report directly to the CEO and make sure that the emission reduction projects are implemented over the next few years.

Nobian has become the first company in Germany to supply certified green hydrogen from chlor-alkali electrolysis. The produced green hydrogen complies with the leading TÜV Süd CMS 70 Standard and can produce up to 2,700 tons of green hydrogen annually at the firm’s Bitterfeld site in Germany.

Chevron’s mammoth budget for next year includes spending 12.6 billion dollars in upstream operations including 6.4 billion dollars for its U.S. upstream operations and another 6.2 billion dollars for international operations. Another 2.3 billion dollars will be spent on its domestic and global downstream operations.

The German chemical industry association 'Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V.' (VCI) has reported that production in the German chemical pharmaceutical industry rose by 4.5 % compared to the previous year, and turnover increased by 15.5 % to approximately 247 billion dollars (220 billion euros) due to the significant increase in producer prices (+ 8.5 %). The VCI also predicts that production is expected to increase by 2 % and the turnover by 5 % to 260 billion dollars (231 billion euros) in 2022.

Wood has secured an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services contract for expanding and improving Renewable Energy Group’s (REG) renewable diesel biorefinery in Geismar, Louisiana, USA. On completion, the project is expected to produce 340 million gallons of renewable diesel.

Under a MOU signed between McDermott and Shell, both the companies will jointly explore opportunities for reducing, and eliminating, emissions from construction via the use of low carbon fuels, renewable power, digital solutions and decarbonizing marine construction vessels.

Under its updated ESG strategy for 2025, Sibur intends to make at least one of its facility carbon-neutral by 2025. It also plans to facilitate recycling of at least 100 kt of polymer waste every year as part of its own investment projects and joint projects with partners.