MAN Diesel & Turbo announced that it has commissioned eight type 18 V48/60 engines in the new Planta MAN 140 power plant in Los Brasiles, Nicaragua and handed them over to the operator, Alba Generación. The company is also responsible for engineering and delivery of the engines and equipment, steel structure, piping and electrics.

Lyondell Basell’s 2.4 billion dollar facility has surpassed 20 % completion and on completion is expected to produce 470,000 metric tonnes of propylene oxide and 1 million metric tonnes of tertiary butyl alcohol annually.

Clariant’s Catalysts business aims to expand its presence in the APAC region in order to boost engineering services for the company’s customers in the region. With the opening of the new office in Indonesia the company now has a total of 16 global offices.

Cronus Fertilizers has concluded a $1.5 billion EPC contract for the construction of a fertilizer plant. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2015.

Rejuvenation treatment for a chemical senior–Bayer has shaken up TDI production with a gas phase phosgenation process. Now the chemicals giant puts its second large plant on-stream – in Europe, of all places.

Farabi Petrochemicals’ new biodegradable detergents production in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, shall use Honeywell UOP catalysts and adsorbents technologies. The American technology specialist will also provide engineering design and other services.

The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Air Products Qudra have entered into a MOU to create the mega facilities. The move is in line with the Royal Commission’s strategy to promote direct investments, diversify and enhance the Kingdom’s economy.

Refinery modernizes safety systems in just two weeks and assures plant availability for the future—In September 2014, the German refinery Heide Refinery used two weeks of planned downtime at its pyrolysis plant to migrate to new safety systems. The technology selection emphasized plant availability and a high level of investment security, while extensive preliminary testing guaranteed a smooth changeover.

With the Middle East becoming a major hub and manufacturing location, more and more companies aim to establish a presence in the Arabian world. German KSB recently announced the opening of a subsidiary headquarter in Dubai/UAE.

Valves play an important role when it comes to process safety: Unauthorized access or accidental operation can quickly lead to catastrophic results. However, both these scenarios are easily prevented - with tamper–proof valve heads.