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Acta supplying catalysts for ethanol fuel cells
FOCUS received DARPA funding. Its Centia technology can use any lipid feedstock. Dynamic Fuels (a jv between Syntroleum and Tyson Foods) plans to build a 75 M gallon/y synthetic fuels plant which will use Syntroleum’s Biofining process. Tyson will provide the feedstock (animal fats, greases, and vegetable oils). The project will cost $150 M. It is scheduled to open at a site in south central US in 2010. The US has a potential biomass feedstock of 1.3 bn ton/y compared with 15 M ton/y of oils and fats. ICIS Chemical Business Americas, 9 Jul 2007 (Website: http://www.icbamericas.com)
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contribute £1.15 M to the project over three years. Fuel Cells Bulletin, July 2007, 5
COMPANY NEWS Acta supplying catalysts for ethanol fuel cells The Italian catalyst producer Acta is supplying platinum-free catalysts for use in fuel cells powered by methanol or ethanol. Fuel Cells Bulletin, July 2007, 10
Biofuels: coming to an engine near you Biofuels are currently manufactured using first-generation processes. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, and bioethanol from fermented plant-derived sugars. Biofuels can reduce emissions by around half those of fossil fuels. They can increase income from farms and lower dependence on imported fuel. But the process has limited sustainability and competes with the food sector. But ‘food versus fuel’ is not an issue in the UK, which had roughly 2 M tonnes of wheat surplus in 2005. This makes it possible to meet the requirement of the 2008 Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), which mandates 2.5% of biofuels in transport fuels. UK will have to grow more wheat but current surplus is enough to satisfy the 5% requirement of the 2010 RTFO without limiting food output. The situation is different in Malaysia where around 85% of crops go into food. But second-generation processes use biomass feedstocks such as straw, energy crops, and solid waste instead of food crops. Both first and second-generation processes could supply roughly 20% of road fuel. Crops, 14 Jul 2007, 18
UK consortium to develop catalysts for fuel cells A consortium of CMR Fuel Cells (see the Focus on Catalysts Guest Editorial, May 2007), Johnson Matthey, and Accelrys is to develop predictive methods for developing low-cost catalysts for use in compact mixed reactor fuel cells. The DTI is to
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Albemarle catalyzes 32% jump in profits: 2Q 2007 Albemarle saw its profits rise 32% to $57 M in 2Q 2007 even with sales dropping to $564 M (€411 M). Income from the company’s catalysts unit was up 10%, spurred by higher FCC catalysts margins and good performance in the polyolefins sector. The fine chemicals group also posted strong results. ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jul 2007 (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
Confidence man: Albemarle CEO Mark Rohr Albemarle achieved a triple increase in profits in 2006 over 2003 results. Mark Rohr, Albemarle’s President and CEO, is confident that he can double the company’s sales again by 2012. Albemarle acquired Akzo Nobel’s catalyst unit in 2004 for $763 M and DSM’s pharmaceuticals facility in South Haven, MI, USA, in 2005 for $26 M. Akzo’s acquisition bolstered the firm’s sales by $680 M/y, an increase of around 50%. Albemarle gives importance to its R&D pipeline, employing 500 people worldwide in R&D. The firm also increased its R&D budget by 45% since 2004. Rohr believes that, in the long run, Albemarle can achieve growth of 6-7%/y. Chemical and Engineering News, 30 Jul 2007, 85 (31), 34-36
KC dry beads to be provided by BASF As part of the takeover of Engelhard, BASF has merged Engelhard
Technologies GmbH with Engelhard Process Chemicals GmbH, a producer of KC drying beads, and renamed it BASF Catalysts Germany GmbH. In order to make deliveries more flexible and more customeroriented, BASF Catalyst has expanded the distribution of KC drying beads and has a new distribution partner for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the form of Barentz. Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 10 Aug 2007 (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)
BASF to fund catalysis research at Columbia BASF Catalysis Research in Iselin, NJ, has made a 3-year research commitment of $600,000 to the Earth and Environmental Engineering Department of Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science for graduate and postdoctoral studies into environmentallybenign technologies utilizing heterogeneous catalysts. Press release from: BASF Corporate Media Relations, Ludwigshaven, Germany. Website: http://media.basf.com (20 August 2007)
Codexis acquires biocatalytics Enzymes supplier BioCatalytics has been sold to private equity biotech firm Codexis. The deal follows Codexis’ purchase of Jülich Fine Chemicals in 2005. The enzyme business in the USA is forecast to reach $2.2 bn in 2010, fuelled by a surge in demand for sustainable fuels and cleaner and cost effective production in pharmaceuticals. Chemical and Engineering News, 23 Jul 2007, 85 (30), 17
BP, ABF and DuPont unveil $400 M investment in UK biofuels A $400 M bioethanol plant is being planned by BP, Associated British Foods (ABF), and DuPont at BP’s chemical complex at Saltend Hull, UK. BP and British Sugar, an ABF subsidiary, will each hold 45% of the 420 M litre plant, while DuPont will own the rest. The wheat-based plant is due online in late 2009. Aker Kvaerner will provide front-end engineering and design. Chemical Engineering (New York), Jul 2007, 114 (7), 83
OCTOBER 2007
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contribute £1.15 M to the project over three years. Fuel Cells Bulletin, July 2007, 5
COMPANY NEWS Acta supplying catalysts for ethanol fuel cells The Italian catalyst producer Acta is supplying platinum-free catalysts for use in fuel cells powered by methanol or ethanol. Fuel Cells Bulletin, July 2007, 10
Biofuels: coming to an engine near you Biofuels are currently manufactured using first-generation processes. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, and bioethanol from fermented plant-derived sugars. Biofuels can reduce emissions by around half those of fossil fuels. They can increase income from farms and lower dependence on imported fuel. But the process has limited sustainability and competes with the food sector. But ‘food versus fuel’ is not an issue in the UK, which had roughly 2 M tonnes of wheat surplus in 2005. This makes it possible to meet the requirement of the 2008 Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), which mandates 2.5% of biofuels in transport fuels. UK will have to grow more wheat but current surplus is enough to satisfy the 5% requirement of the 2010 RTFO without limiting food output. The situation is different in Malaysia where around 85% of crops go into food. But second-generation processes use biomass feedstocks such as straw, energy crops, and solid waste instead of food crops. Both first and second-generation processes could supply roughly 20% of road fuel. Crops, 14 Jul 2007, 18
UK consortium to develop catalysts for fuel cells A consortium of CMR Fuel Cells (see the Focus on Catalysts Guest Editorial, May 2007), Johnson Matthey, and Accelrys is to develop predictive methods for developing low-cost catalysts for use in compact mixed reactor fuel cells. The DTI is to
2
Albemarle catalyzes 32% jump in profits: 2Q 2007 Albemarle saw its profits rise 32% to $57 M in 2Q 2007 even with sales dropping to $564 M (€411 M). Income from the company’s catalysts unit was up 10%, spurred by higher FCC catalysts margins and good performance in the polyolefins sector. The fine chemicals group also posted strong results. ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jul 2007 (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)
Confidence man: Albemarle CEO Mark Rohr Albemarle achieved a triple increase in profits in 2006 over 2003 results. Mark Rohr, Albemarle’s President and CEO, is confident that he can double the company’s sales again by 2012. Albemarle acquired Akzo Nobel’s catalyst unit in 2004 for $763 M and DSM’s pharmaceuticals facility in South Haven, MI, USA, in 2005 for $26 M. Akzo’s acquisition bolstered the firm’s sales by $680 M/y, an increase of around 50%. Albemarle gives importance to its R&D pipeline, employing 500 people worldwide in R&D. The firm also increased its R&D budget by 45% since 2004. Rohr believes that, in the long run, Albemarle can achieve growth of 6-7%/y. Chemical and Engineering News, 30 Jul 2007, 85 (31), 34-36
KC dry beads to be provided by BASF As part of the takeover of Engelhard, BASF has merged Engelhard
Technologies GmbH with Engelhard Process Chemicals GmbH, a producer of KC drying beads, and renamed it BASF Catalysts Germany GmbH. In order to make deliveries more flexible and more customeroriented, BASF Catalyst has expanded the distribution of KC drying beads and has a new distribution partner for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the form of Barentz. Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 10 Aug 2007 (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)
BASF to fund catalysis research at Columbia BASF Catalysis Research in Iselin, NJ, has made a 3-year research commitment of $600,000 to the Earth and Environmental Engineering Department of Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science for graduate and postdoctoral studies into environmentallybenign technologies utilizing heterogeneous catalysts. Press release from: BASF Corporate Media Relations, Ludwigshaven, Germany. Website: http://media.basf.com (20 August 2007)
Codexis acquires biocatalytics Enzymes supplier BioCatalytics has been sold to private equity biotech firm Codexis. The deal follows Codexis’ purchase of Jülich Fine Chemicals in 2005. The enzyme business in the USA is forecast to reach $2.2 bn in 2010, fuelled by a surge in demand for sustainable fuels and cleaner and cost effective production in pharmaceuticals. Chemical and Engineering News, 23 Jul 2007, 85 (30), 17
BP, ABF and DuPont unveil $400 M investment in UK biofuels A $400 M bioethanol plant is being planned by BP, Associated British Foods (ABF), and DuPont at BP’s chemical complex at Saltend Hull, UK. BP and British Sugar, an ABF subsidiary, will each hold 45% of the 420 M litre plant, while DuPont will own the rest. The wheat-based plant is due online in late 2009. Aker Kvaerner will provide front-end engineering and design. Chemical Engineering (New York), Jul 2007, 114 (7), 83
OCTOBER 2007