Chinese petrochemical company Sinopec has developed a new process to convert crude oil directly into chemicals. The new "Crude Oil to Chemicals" (COTC) process is a major technological breakthrough. China is thus becoming the global technology leader in catalytic cracking of crude oil.

China wants to accelerate the concentration of its petrochemical industry into five industrial clusters. The ‘big five’ are listed in the People's Republic's just published new five-year plan. The China Market Insider Report presents them in detail.

The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, and the threat of future pandemics created by novel viruses is very real. There is a growing need to supply a global market with innovative medicines at a profitable cost. So pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers have to react quickly, while maintaining due levels of diligence and social responsibility. To meet this demand, we at Ima Group operate in highly specialized pharmaceutical divisions, focusing on specific processing and packaging areas, in order to provide our customers real added value based on two main criteria.

Gea will develop the new pharma technology center for freeze dryers in Elsdorf, Germany which is expected to boost growth and innovation in the vital pharma sector. The company is building a second ‘Factory of the Future’ which is based on modular and digital production structures.

With an aim to achieve a 90 % reduction in CO2 emissions, Nutrien is assessing its existing Geismar, Louisiana site in the USA to develop the mega clean ammonia production facility. If approved, the 2-billion-dollar facility is expected to offer an annual production capacity of 1.2 million metric tons of clean ammonia.

Air Products has entered into an investment agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC to acquire, own and operate a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in Uzbekistan. The plant is claimed to be one of the most advanced energy plants in the world and currently produces 1.5 million tonnes per year of high value-add synthetic fuels for domestic use and export.

Maire Tecnimont’s license company Stamicarbon has been selected as the licensor for the first urea production facility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under the terms of the contract, the company will deliver the Process Design Package for the Front-End Engineering and Design for a 4000 mtpd melt and granulation plant.

SEA Vision Group has developed a new AI-based lipstick inspection system. Through the automation of processes still largely carried out by humans, this solution aims to improve the packaging of a product currently considered one of the world’s bestselling cosmetics.

In the production of chemical compounds, the success of each individual reaction depends on numerous parameters. It is not always possible, even for experienced chemists, to predict whether a reaction will take place and how well it will work. In order to remedy this situation, chemists and computer scientists from the University of Münster have now developed a tool based on artificial intelligence. The study has been published in the journal ‘Chem’.

Fluor has been awarded a front-end engineering and design contract by Swedish sodium-ion battery maker Altris for the world’s first industrial-scale sodium-ion battery production facility in Sandviken, Sweden. Feed completion is scheduled for early 2024.