PROCESS Worldwide brings to you the ‘Top 10 plant engineering projects of July 2026’ from all over the world. Right from Ucaneo inaugurating Germany's largest DAC facility to a US-Saudi consortium finalizing the site for a mega refinery and energy export corridor, find out all the projects making headlines here.
At a glance: Plant engineering projects from across the globe.
The inaugurations were attended by customers, partners, and employees, as well as state and local city representatives.
(Source: Endress+Hauser)
July 2 – Endress+Hauser opened two new facilities in the United States in June 2026. With these locations in Greenwood, Indiana, and Edgmont, Pennsylvania, the company is further expanding its presence in the country and strengthening its collaboration with regional sales and service representative partners. The inaugurations were attended by customers, partners, and employees, as well as state and local city representatives.
Greenwood: Expansion of the U.S. headquarters
Endress+Hauser invested approximately 44 million euros in the new facility in Greenwood, Indiana. The facility also houses the new headquarters of long-standing sales and service representative partner George E. Booth Co., as well as modern office and workspaces for sales, service, project, and solutions teams, and for the company’s central functions. The approximately 9,800-square-meter building brings together around 190 combined employees from both companies under one roof.
Edgmont: Expanding the presence in the Northeast
Together with its long-standing sales and service partner, Eastern Controls of PA, Endress+Hauser has also opened a new, approximately 8,200-square-meter facility in Edgmont, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia. At this location, approximately 90 employees from both companies support customers from various industries with process measurement technology and automation solutions, thereby contributing to further growth in the region.
Ucaneo Inaugurates Germany's Largest DAC Facility
Ucaneo's first-of-a-kind industrial plant in Berlin (Germany), with a nameplate capacity of 150 metric tons of CO₂ per year, is Germany's largest DAC facility.
(Source: Siemens)
July 9 – Siemens and German climate technology company Ucaneo have partnered to scale electrochemical Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology from industrial pilot to commercial scale – with Siemens deploying the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio as Ucaneo's preferred automation and digitalization partner. Together, the companies are creating a standardized and globally replicable automation platform that will enable rapid deployment by Ucaneo and its licensed operators worldwide.
By 2035, Ucaneo targets the annual capture of half a gigaton of CO₂ from the atmosphere, which is roughly equivalent to cancelling out the entire annual CO₂ emissions of Canada. The partnership addresses a growing industrial challenge: sectors from aviation to chemicals increasingly require access to sustainably sourced CO₂ as a feedstock – and large-scale Direct Air Capture offers a scalable solution, replacing fossil-derived carbon with CO₂ captured directly from the atmosphere.
Ucaneo has developed an electrochemical DAC process, inspired by the human lung, that removes CO₂ directly from ambient air and delivers high-purity CO₂ at over 99.9 percent purity. The resulting CO₂ can be permanently stored to generate certified negative emissions or used as a feedstock for climate-neutral products including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), methanol and food and beverage applications. The fully electrified process integrates directly with renewable energy sources and responds flexibly to grid conditions and power market prices.
Ucaneo's first-of-a-kind industrial plant in Berlin (Germany), with a nameplate capacity of 150 metric tons of CO₂ per year, is Germany's largest DAC facility. The facility was officially inaugured on July 2 in Berlin. Part of the captured CO₂ will be permanently stored in geological formations, making the facility Germany's first verified Direct Air Capture project combined with geological storage. This makes Ucaneo the first company in Germany — and one of few globally — to permanently store CO₂ captured through Direct Air Capture. A follow-on commercial plant with approximately ten times the capacity is already in the development stages starting construction next year.
CRI Delivers World’s Largest E-Methanol Reactor in China
CRI Project Manager John Milner and Fu Hui – Methanol Project Director of the Technology Team (CNTY) after successful erection of the e-methanol reactor on site.
(Source: CRI)
July 9 – Carbon Recycling International (CRI) has recently delivered the largest of its kind e-methanol reactor for the Liaoyuan E-Methanol Project in Jilin Province, China. Delivery and successful installation of CRI’s proprietary methanol converter reactor is a major construction milestone. The project continues to progress according to plan toward commissioning and start-up later this year.
The Liaoyuan project is being developed by CRI's client Tianying Group (CNTY) and once commissioned will become the largest e-methanol facilities in operation globally. The first phase has a production capacity of approximately 170,000 tonnes of renewable methanol annually from green hydrogen and captured biogenic carbon dioxide, supporting the growing demand for low-carbon fuels in shipping, chemicals, and other sectors seeking practical and scalable pathways to decarbonization.
Date: 08.12.2025
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The methanol converter reactor forms the core of CRI's proprietary Emissions-to-Liquids (ETL) technology. Designed and supplied by CRI, the reactor is where renewable hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide are converted into renewable methanol through the company's proven industrial-scale process. It has been specifically designed and constructed with operational flexibility as a key feature and represents the third generation of CRI’s e-methanol reactor design.
The successful installation represents a significant construction milestone and marks the transition to the final stages of project execution. Manufacturing, transporting, and installing equipment of this scale requires close coordination between engineering, fabrication, logistics, and construction teams across multiple countries. The successful completion of this milestone reflects the strong collaboration between the project partners, demonstrating continued progress towards plant commissioning.
Evonik to Modernize Drug Substance Manufacturing Site in USA
Evonik’s Tippecanoe Laboratories in Lafayette, Indiana, manufactures intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and excipients for the pharmaceutical industry.
(Source: Evonik)
July 14 – Evonik is making a significant investment to strengthen manufacturing capabilities at its Tippecanoe Labs site in Lafayette, Indiana. The site is home to one of the world’s largest facilities for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the industry’s biggest high-potency API operation, and a major employer in the Greater Lafayette region.
Over the next five years, Evonik will invest 100 million dollars to modernize key equipment - including large reactors and other critical systems - enhancing reliability, enabling greater automation, and improving ergonomics and efficiency. This upgrade positions Evonik to meet the rapidly growing demand for U.S.-based drug substance contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services.
Evonik is balancing its global asset footprint across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a particular emphasis on North America for its drug substance CDMO business.
Andritz, RAG Austria to Develop Austria’s Largest Green Hydrogen Plant
Andritz and RAG Austria have officially marked the start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony for Austria’s largest green hydrogen plant.
(Source: (c) Karin Lohberger Photography)
July 14 – Andritz and RAG Austria, a leading energy storage company, have officially marked the start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony for Austria’s largest green hydrogen plant. The 12.5 MW facility will help store surplus renewable energy generated in the summer for use during periods of high energy demand, particularly in winter, thereby enhancing energy security, supporting the continued expansion of renewable energy and providing green hydrogen for industrial needs.
Andritz will deliver the plant on an EPC basis, taking full responsibility for project execution and commissioning. Scheduled to start operation in the end of 2026, the facility will produce around 17 million m³ (more than 1,500 tons) of green hydrogen annually using solar power as its primary renewable energy source. Upon commissioning, it will be the largest green hydrogen facility in Austria.
The project addresses one of the central challenges of the energy transition: storing renewable energy when it is abundant for use when demand is highest, while ensuring a continuous and reliable supply of indigenous green hydrogen for industry. By converting surplus solar power generated in summer into green hydrogen, the plant will enable RAG Austria to create large-scale seasonal energy storage, making renewable energy available for electricity and heat production in winter.
Syensqo Breaks Ground at Maryland Manufacturing Site in USA
Syensqo has broken ground on a manufacturing expansion at its Havre de Grace, Maryland, site, adding over 30 % capacity through a multi-million-dollar investment in the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint.
(Source: Syensqo)
July 16 – Syensqo has broken ground on a manufacturing expansion at its Havre de Grace, Maryland, site, adding over 30 % capacity through a multi-million-dollar investment in the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint. The expansion further strengthens Syensqo's global manufacturing network and its ability to support the growing aerospace market with advanced material solutions. The investment reinforces the company’s commitment to supplying high-performance structural adhesives and surfacing products for commercial aerospace, defense, propulsion, space, advanced air mobility and automotive customers.
“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone for our Havre de Grace site and for Syensqo’s continued growth in composite materials. This investment will strengthen supply reliability, improve efficiency and support our ability to meet growing customer demand for adhesive, bonding and primer materials. It follows and complements our previous capacity increase in Wrexham UK,” shares Rodrigo Elizondo, President, Syensqo Composite Materials.
Air Products to Develop ASUs to Support Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturer
Air Products has recently announced that Air Products San Fu has been awarded a long-term agreement to support a semiconductor manufacturer’s expansion in Taiwan.
(Source: Unsplash)
July 23 – Air Products has recently announced that Air Products San Fu has been awarded a long-term agreement to support a semiconductor manufacturer’s expansion in Taiwan. The project will supply multiple new semiconductor fabs and back-end packaging facilities, supporting growing demand driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
Air Products San Fu will build, own, and operate four large state-of-the-art air separation units and bulk gas supply systems with new underground pipeline systems. The company will supply a range of industrial gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and helium to support the customer’s semiconductor operations.
The new underground pipeline systems will be connected to Air Products’ existing pipeline network in Taiwan, further enhancing supply reliability, operational efficiency, and resilience.
Axens Launches France’s First Advanced Bioethanol-Based SAF Production Unit
With a planned capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, the facility—currently in the process of site selection in France—is expected to start operations in 2030.
(Source: Pixabay)
July 23 – Axens announces the launch of the Era project (Ethanol to Refuel Aviation), France’s first industrial-scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production unit based on advanced bioethanol. With a planned capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, the facility—currently in the process of site selection in France—is expected to start operations in 2030.
The Era project further strengthens Axens’ industrial commitment to the transition toward low-carbon mobility, alongside the Nacre project (an advanced bioethanol production facility at the Lacq site, which has obtained its construction permit) and the Macaron project (a battery materials production facility in Valenciennes, for which a construction permit application has recently been submitted).
Era Project: An Industrial Milestone for the Development of a French SAF Industry
The growing demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from the aviation sector requires the expansion of production beyond current SAF pathways based on used cooking oils and animal fats (the so-called Hefa route). The Era project will help meet this need by broadening access to new SAF sources derived from biomass residues, representing an important step toward strengthening the energy sovereignty of French and European air transport.
Currently in the engineering phase, the project will be carried out by a dedicated project company named Safiris and is targeted to begin production in 2030. It will leverage the Jetanol technology developed by Axens and Ifpen, which has been proven in various petrochemical applications and optimized to maximize SAF yields. The facility’s capacity has been set at 50,000 tonnes per year of SAF production, using advanced ethanol sourced from European feedstocks.
US-Saudi Consortium to Finalize Site for Mega Refinery and Energy Export Corridor
Left to right: Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice Chair of Patel Family Office; Marc W. Gunderson, Founder of MWG Enterprises; and Abdulmalik Alqahtani, Group Chief Executive Officer of AHQ Group.
(Source: Mera Oil)
July 30 – MWG Enterprises, the Fort Worth-based energy development company; Patel Family Office, the third-generation global family office; and PWS, an associate company of one of Saudi Arabia’s longest-established industrial groups AHQ Group, have together launched Mera Oil, a US-Saudi private consortium, and entered the final stage of selecting a host for their planned 5-billion-dollar integrated refinery and energy export corridor.
After three years of evaluating locations across the Gulf, the Mera Oil consortium has narrowed the site selection process to three GCC locations outside the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions with the candidate locations have progressed over the past two years and are approaching a decision point, with a preferred host expected to be confirmed by the end of 2026.
While discussions with the three shortlisted locations have reached an advanced stage, the consortium remains open to a decisively superior proposition from another qualifying GCC jurisdiction capable of meeting the project’s route-resilience, infrastructure and development timetable requirements before a final host is selected.
The planned development centres on a 200,000-barrel-per-day integrated refinery linked to deepwater port infrastructure, large-scale storage of crude and refined products, and marine export facilities. Located outside the Strait of Hormuz, the project is designed to provide a route-resilient export platform with direct access to international shipping routes.
Moreover, the project is intended to establish a long-term industrial base that would strengthen manufacturing, logistics, technical capability and energy security in the region.
The Phase One capital programme of up to 5 billion dollars is intended to establish a future-ready energy complex incorporating energy-efficient refining technologies and advanced emissions-control systems. Sustainable aviation fuel co-processing and carbon-management capabilities are also being evaluated as potential future components of the project design.
A pre-feasibility study covering refinery configuration, product slate, preliminary capital requirements, logistics and phased execution has reached an advanced stage. Once a host jurisdiction is confirmed, the project is expected to move into final site diligence and engineering design, with mechanical completion of Phase One targeted for the end of 2029, followed by commissioning and commercial operations.
Air Liquide to Develop New Industrial Gas Production Facility in Idaho, USA
This new investment will support the significant increase of the customer’s production capacity, further establishing Air Liquide as a premier, long-term partner to the semiconductor industry.
(Source: Air Liquide)
July 31 – Air Liquide has recently announced an investment of over 150 million dollars to build, own and operate a new industrial gas production facility in Idaho to support the site expansion of a global leader in semiconductor memory chips. Building on a renewed partnership, this new investment will support the significant increase of the customer’s production capacity, further establishing Air Liquide as a premier, long-term partner to the semiconductor industry.
Scheduled to begin operations in 2028, Air Liquide’s state-of-the-art production unit will deliver large volumes of ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen and argon, essential for manufacturing advanced memory chips. This expansion is notably intended to meet the surging demand for AI in the U.S. and global markets.
Air Liquide is playing a crucial role in supporting the reshoring of advanced semiconductor manufacturing by supplying essential ultra-pure gases and critical materials. This new investment in Idaho builds on the Group’s ongoing expansion of its footprint across major U.S. semiconductor hubs, such as Arizona, Indiana, Virginia, Texas and upstate New York.