- Email: [email protected]
DuPont Clean Technologies gets contracts to supply technology to Nigerian refinery
FOCUS The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalized around end-2017. About 280 Topsoe employees are transferred to Umicore. The contract value is DKR 900 M plus an earn-out. The agreement will entail an impairment loss in Topsoe's financial statements for the current financial year of approximately DKR 400 M before tax, but will have a positive cash effect from the sale proceeds.
ON
CATALYSTS
Evonik, Sinopec to build a process development lab in China Sinopec Beijing Research institute of Chemical Industry and Evonik Industries will jointly construct a process development laboratory in China for Evonik's organic solvent nanofiltration membrane technology.
Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 20 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.topsoe.com/) ã HaldorTopsoe A/S 2017.
Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 10 Jul 2017, 95 (28), 15 (Website: http://cen.acs.org/index.html) ã American Chemical Society 2017.
Haldor Topsoe to help HMEL meet BS-VI fuel specification on fast track
ExxonMobil & Synthetic Genomics: breakthrough in advanced chemical research on algae strain
Indian refinery company HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) has chosen Haldor Topsoe's diesel hydrotreatment and hydrogen generation technologies to meet its upgrading requirements. The revamped refinery in Bathinda, Punjab will meet the BS VI (equivalent to Euro VI) fuel specifications, when completed in 4Q 2019. Haldor Topsoe's bundled technology solution and the fast project implementation will make it possible for HMEL to meet the BS VI fuel specification deadline. This solution requires less investment than competing solutions along with shorter project implementation time, while providing optimal feed flexibility to meet processing objectives. The solution offers substantial project cost savings using a new diesel hydrotreater unit supplemented by revamp of the existing hydrogen generation facility with two of Topsoe's proprietary heat exchange reformers (HTER). The compact HTERs are always individually customized for each plant to provide capacity increases up to 30% with a very small footprint. The diesel hydrotreater unit will be optimized to take full advantage of Topsoe's HyBRIMTM TK-611 ultra-low sulfur diesel catalyst that deliver 25% improved activity for both nitrogen and sulfur removal and longer cycle lengths while processing complex feeds. Engineers India Limited (EIL) is engaged to provide EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management) services on the BS-VI Fuel Quality Project. EIL have considerable experience from the Indian hydrocarbon sector and carry vast experience in executing projects on a fast track basis.
Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 26 Jun 2017, (Haldor Topsoe,website: http://www.topsoe. com/) ã HaldorTopsoe A/S 2017.
DSM and Evonik select Nebraska for production of breakthrough omega-3 Evonik and Royal DSM will locate the commercialscale production facility for their omega-3 fatty acids from natural marine algae for animal nutrition in Blair, NE, US. DSM Nutritional Products and Evonik Nutrition & Care plan to invest around $200 M in the facility ($100 M by each party over circa 2 years). The initial annual production capacity will meet roughly 15% of the current total annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry. The facility is expected to come on stream in 2019. The establishment of the joint venture, to be named Veramaris and headquartered in The Netherlands, will be finalized subject to regulatory approvals.
Original Source: DSM, 15 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.dsm.com/) ã Koninklijke DSM NV 2017.
4
ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc. have announced a breakthrough in joint research into advanced biooil involving the modification of an algae strain that more than doubled its oil content without significantly inhibiting the strain's growth. Using advanced cell engineering technologies at Synthetic Genomics, the ExxonMobil-Synthetic Genomics research team modified an algae strain to enhance the algae's oil content from 20% to more than 40%. Results of the research were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Biotechnology. Researchers at Synthetic Genomics’ laboratory in La Jolla discovered a new process for increasing oil production by identifying a genetic switch that could be fine-tuned to regulate the conversion of carbon to oil in the algae species, Nannochloropsis gaditana. The team established a proof-of-concept approach that resulted in the algae doubling its lipid fraction of cellular carbon compared to the parent while sustaining growth.
Original Source: ExxonMobil, 2017. Found on SpecialChem Cosmetics and Personal Care Innovation and Solutions, 21 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.specialchem4cosmetics. com).
Xylogenics announces latest advancements in patented GX-1 yeast technology US-based Xylogenics announced on 27 Jun 2017 the release of a new strain design for its patented GX-1 yeast production and fermentation process. The efficiencies created by the newest strain design will have an immediate impact on industries that rely on microorganism technologies, most notably the ethanol industry wherein individual production plants are planning to invest upwards of $350 M/y on yeast technology advancements. Xylogenic's latest strain is currently applicable within the fuel ethanol industry and will soon be available to markets as varied as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, enzymes and a variety of bio-based chemical products such as flavours, fragrances, plastics, and solvents.
Original Source: BioSpace, 27 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.biospace.com) ã Biospace 2017.
agreed to award Shell exclusive development and licensing rights for SBI's biofuel technology. SBI has a proprietary process to transform greases, waste oils and sustainable vegetable oils into lower carbon drop-ins for jet fuel, gasoline and diesel. It uses a catalytic method to convert oil, fat or grease into renewable gasoline, jet fuel and diesel directly into petroleum fuels.
Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jun-6 Jul 2017, 291 (26), 6 (Website: http:// www.icis.com) ã Reed Business Information Limited 2017.
Honeywell UOP plans new centre in China for research, development & engineering Honeywell UOP plans to build a new research, development and engineering centre at Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China, to meet its growing engineering and technical service needs. During the first stage of the project, running through 2020, the company will build a 2500 sq m office, which will staff 150 people. A completion date was not given. Once completed, the centre will support Honeywell UOP's technology delivery and after-sales throughout the product lifecycle, from technical proposal, design and supply, to project commissioning, after-startup technical support and revamps, according to the general manager of Honeywell UOP China.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 5 Jun 2017, 55 (22), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
Anellotech successfully concludes first performance test at TCat-8 pilot plant Anellotech and IFPEN/Axens engineers have completed a successful continuous performance test of the TCat-8 pilot facility, which produces biobased aromatics from non-food sources. The TCat8 unit, located at South Hampton Resources’ site in Silsbee, TX, US was jointly designed by Anellotech and IFPEN to confirm the viability and suitability of the Bio-TCat process for scale-up. The performance test, done during commissioning activities, involved continuous injection of MinFree woody biomass feedstock and production of BTX (benzene-toluene-xylene) and other valuable chemical by-products. Additional tests are planned to complete the commissioning phase and then begin process development studies to acquire the needed data for commercial scale-up and design of the process. Additionally, Anellotech said it has received a $0.8 M equity investment from a new, confidential strategic partner. It has now raised a total of $3.2 M in equity and R&D funds since Oct 2016.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 5 Jun 2017, 55 (22), 4 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
Shell secures rights for renewable biofuels
DuPont Clean Technologies gets contracts to supply technology to Nigerian refinery
Canada's SBI BioEnergy and Shell subsidiary International Exploration and Production have
DuPont Clean Technologies has been awarded contracts from Dangote Oil Refinery Co for a
August 2017
FOCUS range of advanced proprietary equipment for a new world-scale refinery being built in Lekki, Nigeria. The refinery is expected to become the “largest” single-train refinery in the world and the complex will include a petrochemical plant, fertilizer unit and a subsea pipeline project. DuPont will be supplying proprietary equipment for a Stratco alkylation unit, MECS sulfuric acid regeneration plant, MECS DynaWave sulfur recovery unit tail gas scrubbing and Belco EDV fluid catalytic cracking unit stack scrubbing. Dangote's project involved a 650,000 barrels/d refinery, a 2 M tonnes/y polypropylene facility and a 1.6 M tonnes/y polyethylene plant. According to several recent local reports, the project is expected to cost $12 bn and begin production in 2019.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 19 Jun 2017, 55 (24), 2 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
NEW PLANTS Total’s biorefinery in La Mede, France makes good progress Total Group will start the operation at its biorefinery in La Mede, France in 2018 to serve the rising demand for biofuels in the country and Europe. The biorefinery project is estimated to cost around s275 M. It will have a total workforce of 250 people. It will manufacture 500,000 tonnes/y of biodiesel from hydrotreating vegetable oils (HVO), as well as 25,000 tonnes/y of biopropane and 25,000 tonnes/y of bionaphtha. Axens will provide the Vegan technology for the plant, which will use 650,000 tonnes/y of raw materials, 70% of which are vegetable oils primarily coming from palm but also sunflower, soya and rapeseed. Palm oil was chosen as the main raw material because of its availability as well as its efficiency of conversion to HVO compared to other vegetable oils. The unit will also utilize 30% of used oils (palm refining residues, frying oils, animal fats or residues from the paper industry). In addition to the biorefinery, the group will run other ancillary activities on the complex in La Mede. The facility will manufacture the hydrogen required for the new manufacturing facility through the maintenance of its reformer, resulting from its former activity of refining raw petroleum products. It will also include heavy truck additive manufacturing lines for the production of 50,000 cu m/y of AdBlue and 60,000 tonnes/y of aviation gasoline (AvGas), and a reprocessing unit for used oil. The complex will also include an 8 MW solar farm, providing 50% of its power requirements, as well as a 1.3 M cu m logistics and storage platform for refined products trading activities.
Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 22 Jun 2017, (0806), (Website: http://www. industrie.com/chimie) ã ETAI Information 2017.
Canada firms will construct two new biobased plants in Ontario Two new firms will build plants at the biobased chemicals hub in Sarnia, ON, CA by 2018. Start-up firm Origin Materials will construct a lignocellulosic biomass-derived p-xylene demonstration factory at the site, while S2G BioChem will establish a facility that will produce 2000 tonnes/y of sugar-based ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and xylitol from
August 2017
ON
CATALYSTS
sugar. The S2G project will be funded by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. Comet Biorefining also intends to launch a cellulosic dextrose unit at the site in 2018.
Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 3 Jul 2017, 95 (27), 12 (Website: http://cen.acs.org/index.html) ã American Chemical Society 2017.
Turkish biorefinery gets go-ahead Biokim Rafineri Isletmeleri Sanayi ve Ticaret (Biokim) will establish a 200,000 tonne/y biorefinery for ethylene oxide (EO) at the Adana Free Zone in Yumurtalik, Turkey. The facility is set for construction from 2Q 2017 until its completion and launch by late-2019 and 1Q 2020, respectively. The facility will incorporate Petron Scientech's ethanol-to-ethylene conversion technology, as well as Novomer's catalyst technology to utilize carbon monoxide in producing PPL from betapropiolactone.
Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 2329 Jun 2017, 291 (25), 29 (Website: http:// www.icis.com) ã Reed Business Information Limited 2017.
Indian firm inaugurates secondgeneration biofuels refinery Praj Industries Ltd launched on 7 May 2017 a demonstration-scale biorefinery that utilizes its Enfinity proprietary platform technology. Located near Pune, India, the plant can process various biomass feedstocks including agricultural waste to manufacture 1 M L/y of cellulosic ethanol.
of-the-art spray booth for electrostatic applications, a physical testing lab, and the 3-D robot, as well as process catalyst research and development laboratories. These facilities, occupying a combined floor space of 5000sq m, are designed to enable customer oriented R&D activities, and perform an accurate simulation of OEM paint shops. In addition to the new facilities for automotive coatings solutions, this investment also includes the new process catalyst R&D centre, focusing on the development of new process catalyst to meet specific needs in Asia. With strong research competencies in catalyst preparation, scaling up and performance evaluation, this R&D centre will further strengthen the collaboration with partners in the region, and provide support to BASF's world-scale process catalyst manufacturing site which is under construction in Caojing, Shanghai. The 3-D robot can simulate nearly any situation at a paint line anywhere in the world, which enables the new centre to optimize application processes and products. It can apply the automotive coatings not only on horizontal and vertical surfaces, but also on three-dimensional objects, for instance, car doors and bumpers.
Original Source: BASF, 2017. Found on SpecialChem Coatings and Inks Formulation, 9 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www. specialchem4coatings.com).
Dow completes construction in Freeport on 400,000 tonnes/y PE production facility
BASF and SINOPEC will expand the capacity of existing propionic acid production with an additional 30,000 tonnes/y at their state-of-the-art Verbund site, BASF-YPC Company Limited, a 50-50 joint venture in Nanjing, China. The expansion will go on stream in 2019. With this expansion, the annual propionic acid production capacity will increase to 69,000 tonnes at its Verbund site in Nanjing, China. BASF-YPC Company Limited will remain one of the leading producers for propionic acid in Asia.
Dow Chemical said it has completed the construction phase of its new 400,000 tonnes/y Elite enhanced polyethylene (PE) unit in Freeport, TX, US. The new PE plant is the first of four new derivatives units currently underway at Dow's manufacturing sites in Texas and Louisiana, as part of the company's previously announced $6 bn expansion on the US Gulf Coast. Designed with Dow's proprietary Solution process technology, the PE plant now enters the commissioning and startup phase in sequence with the mid-2017 start-up of the company's 1.5 M tonnes/y world-scale ethylene cracker, on which construction was recently completed. The plant is expected to ramp up during 3Q 2017 and be fully operational in 4Q 2017. The other units include a 350,000 tonnes/y speciality low-density PE facility, expected to come online in coordination with the cracker; a 200,000 tonnes/y Nordel metallocene ethylene propylene diene monomer expansion, planned to start up in early 2018; a 320,000 tonnes/y high melt index speciality and conventional polyolefin elastomers plant, scheduled to come online in late 2018, as well as a 125,000 tonnes/y bi-modal gas phase debottleneck, also expected to come online later in 2018.
Original Source: Eurasian Chemical Market, 2 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.chemmarket. info/en/) ã Eurasian Chemical Market 20052017.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 12 Jun 2017, 55 (23), 1 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
BASF to build first regional application center in Asia-Pacific
Grace Technology selected by Hengli for new PP unit at Dalian complex
Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2017, 23 (7), 19 (Website: http://www. ethanolproducer.com/) ã BBI International 2017.
BASF and SINOPEC expand capacity for propionic acid in Nanjing, China
BASF has announced its investment to build its first regional automotive application centre in Asia-Pacific, to be located at the BASF Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Shanghai, China. Start of operations is planned for the end of 2018, pending relevant approvals by authorities. The s33.7 M investment will include an automotive application centre. It will be equipped with a state-
WR Grace & Co has been chosen by Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co to license its Unipol polypropylene (PP) process technology for a new PP plant at Hengli's complex in Dalian, China. The PP facility will produce a total of 450,000 tonnes/y of homopolymer, random copolymer and impact copolymer thermoplastic
5
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CATALYSTS
Evonik, Sinopec to build a process development lab in China Sinopec Beijing Research institute of Chemical Industry and Evonik Industries will jointly construct a process development laboratory in China for Evonik's organic solvent nanofiltration membrane technology.
Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 20 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.topsoe.com/) ã HaldorTopsoe A/S 2017.
Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 10 Jul 2017, 95 (28), 15 (Website: http://cen.acs.org/index.html) ã American Chemical Society 2017.
Haldor Topsoe to help HMEL meet BS-VI fuel specification on fast track
ExxonMobil & Synthetic Genomics: breakthrough in advanced chemical research on algae strain
Indian refinery company HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) has chosen Haldor Topsoe's diesel hydrotreatment and hydrogen generation technologies to meet its upgrading requirements. The revamped refinery in Bathinda, Punjab will meet the BS VI (equivalent to Euro VI) fuel specifications, when completed in 4Q 2019. Haldor Topsoe's bundled technology solution and the fast project implementation will make it possible for HMEL to meet the BS VI fuel specification deadline. This solution requires less investment than competing solutions along with shorter project implementation time, while providing optimal feed flexibility to meet processing objectives. The solution offers substantial project cost savings using a new diesel hydrotreater unit supplemented by revamp of the existing hydrogen generation facility with two of Topsoe's proprietary heat exchange reformers (HTER). The compact HTERs are always individually customized for each plant to provide capacity increases up to 30% with a very small footprint. The diesel hydrotreater unit will be optimized to take full advantage of Topsoe's HyBRIMTM TK-611 ultra-low sulfur diesel catalyst that deliver 25% improved activity for both nitrogen and sulfur removal and longer cycle lengths while processing complex feeds. Engineers India Limited (EIL) is engaged to provide EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management) services on the BS-VI Fuel Quality Project. EIL have considerable experience from the Indian hydrocarbon sector and carry vast experience in executing projects on a fast track basis.
Original Source: Haldor Topsoe, 26 Jun 2017, (Haldor Topsoe,website: http://www.topsoe. com/) ã HaldorTopsoe A/S 2017.
DSM and Evonik select Nebraska for production of breakthrough omega-3 Evonik and Royal DSM will locate the commercialscale production facility for their omega-3 fatty acids from natural marine algae for animal nutrition in Blair, NE, US. DSM Nutritional Products and Evonik Nutrition & Care plan to invest around $200 M in the facility ($100 M by each party over circa 2 years). The initial annual production capacity will meet roughly 15% of the current total annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry. The facility is expected to come on stream in 2019. The establishment of the joint venture, to be named Veramaris and headquartered in The Netherlands, will be finalized subject to regulatory approvals.
Original Source: DSM, 15 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.dsm.com/) ã Koninklijke DSM NV 2017.
4
ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc. have announced a breakthrough in joint research into advanced biooil involving the modification of an algae strain that more than doubled its oil content without significantly inhibiting the strain's growth. Using advanced cell engineering technologies at Synthetic Genomics, the ExxonMobil-Synthetic Genomics research team modified an algae strain to enhance the algae's oil content from 20% to more than 40%. Results of the research were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Biotechnology. Researchers at Synthetic Genomics’ laboratory in La Jolla discovered a new process for increasing oil production by identifying a genetic switch that could be fine-tuned to regulate the conversion of carbon to oil in the algae species, Nannochloropsis gaditana. The team established a proof-of-concept approach that resulted in the algae doubling its lipid fraction of cellular carbon compared to the parent while sustaining growth.
Original Source: ExxonMobil, 2017. Found on SpecialChem Cosmetics and Personal Care Innovation and Solutions, 21 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.specialchem4cosmetics. com).
Xylogenics announces latest advancements in patented GX-1 yeast technology US-based Xylogenics announced on 27 Jun 2017 the release of a new strain design for its patented GX-1 yeast production and fermentation process. The efficiencies created by the newest strain design will have an immediate impact on industries that rely on microorganism technologies, most notably the ethanol industry wherein individual production plants are planning to invest upwards of $350 M/y on yeast technology advancements. Xylogenic's latest strain is currently applicable within the fuel ethanol industry and will soon be available to markets as varied as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, enzymes and a variety of bio-based chemical products such as flavours, fragrances, plastics, and solvents.
Original Source: BioSpace, 27 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.biospace.com) ã Biospace 2017.
agreed to award Shell exclusive development and licensing rights for SBI's biofuel technology. SBI has a proprietary process to transform greases, waste oils and sustainable vegetable oils into lower carbon drop-ins for jet fuel, gasoline and diesel. It uses a catalytic method to convert oil, fat or grease into renewable gasoline, jet fuel and diesel directly into petroleum fuels.
Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 30 Jun-6 Jul 2017, 291 (26), 6 (Website: http:// www.icis.com) ã Reed Business Information Limited 2017.
Honeywell UOP plans new centre in China for research, development & engineering Honeywell UOP plans to build a new research, development and engineering centre at Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China, to meet its growing engineering and technical service needs. During the first stage of the project, running through 2020, the company will build a 2500 sq m office, which will staff 150 people. A completion date was not given. Once completed, the centre will support Honeywell UOP's technology delivery and after-sales throughout the product lifecycle, from technical proposal, design and supply, to project commissioning, after-startup technical support and revamps, according to the general manager of Honeywell UOP China.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 5 Jun 2017, 55 (22), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
Anellotech successfully concludes first performance test at TCat-8 pilot plant Anellotech and IFPEN/Axens engineers have completed a successful continuous performance test of the TCat-8 pilot facility, which produces biobased aromatics from non-food sources. The TCat8 unit, located at South Hampton Resources’ site in Silsbee, TX, US was jointly designed by Anellotech and IFPEN to confirm the viability and suitability of the Bio-TCat process for scale-up. The performance test, done during commissioning activities, involved continuous injection of MinFree woody biomass feedstock and production of BTX (benzene-toluene-xylene) and other valuable chemical by-products. Additional tests are planned to complete the commissioning phase and then begin process development studies to acquire the needed data for commercial scale-up and design of the process. Additionally, Anellotech said it has received a $0.8 M equity investment from a new, confidential strategic partner. It has now raised a total of $3.2 M in equity and R&D funds since Oct 2016.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 5 Jun 2017, 55 (22), 4 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
Shell secures rights for renewable biofuels
DuPont Clean Technologies gets contracts to supply technology to Nigerian refinery
Canada's SBI BioEnergy and Shell subsidiary International Exploration and Production have
DuPont Clean Technologies has been awarded contracts from Dangote Oil Refinery Co for a
August 2017
FOCUS range of advanced proprietary equipment for a new world-scale refinery being built in Lekki, Nigeria. The refinery is expected to become the “largest” single-train refinery in the world and the complex will include a petrochemical plant, fertilizer unit and a subsea pipeline project. DuPont will be supplying proprietary equipment for a Stratco alkylation unit, MECS sulfuric acid regeneration plant, MECS DynaWave sulfur recovery unit tail gas scrubbing and Belco EDV fluid catalytic cracking unit stack scrubbing. Dangote's project involved a 650,000 barrels/d refinery, a 2 M tonnes/y polypropylene facility and a 1.6 M tonnes/y polyethylene plant. According to several recent local reports, the project is expected to cost $12 bn and begin production in 2019.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 19 Jun 2017, 55 (24), 2 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
NEW PLANTS Total’s biorefinery in La Mede, France makes good progress Total Group will start the operation at its biorefinery in La Mede, France in 2018 to serve the rising demand for biofuels in the country and Europe. The biorefinery project is estimated to cost around s275 M. It will have a total workforce of 250 people. It will manufacture 500,000 tonnes/y of biodiesel from hydrotreating vegetable oils (HVO), as well as 25,000 tonnes/y of biopropane and 25,000 tonnes/y of bionaphtha. Axens will provide the Vegan technology for the plant, which will use 650,000 tonnes/y of raw materials, 70% of which are vegetable oils primarily coming from palm but also sunflower, soya and rapeseed. Palm oil was chosen as the main raw material because of its availability as well as its efficiency of conversion to HVO compared to other vegetable oils. The unit will also utilize 30% of used oils (palm refining residues, frying oils, animal fats or residues from the paper industry). In addition to the biorefinery, the group will run other ancillary activities on the complex in La Mede. The facility will manufacture the hydrogen required for the new manufacturing facility through the maintenance of its reformer, resulting from its former activity of refining raw petroleum products. It will also include heavy truck additive manufacturing lines for the production of 50,000 cu m/y of AdBlue and 60,000 tonnes/y of aviation gasoline (AvGas), and a reprocessing unit for used oil. The complex will also include an 8 MW solar farm, providing 50% of its power requirements, as well as a 1.3 M cu m logistics and storage platform for refined products trading activities.
Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 22 Jun 2017, (0806), (Website: http://www. industrie.com/chimie) ã ETAI Information 2017.
Canada firms will construct two new biobased plants in Ontario Two new firms will build plants at the biobased chemicals hub in Sarnia, ON, CA by 2018. Start-up firm Origin Materials will construct a lignocellulosic biomass-derived p-xylene demonstration factory at the site, while S2G BioChem will establish a facility that will produce 2000 tonnes/y of sugar-based ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and xylitol from
August 2017
ON
CATALYSTS
sugar. The S2G project will be funded by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. Comet Biorefining also intends to launch a cellulosic dextrose unit at the site in 2018.
Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 3 Jul 2017, 95 (27), 12 (Website: http://cen.acs.org/index.html) ã American Chemical Society 2017.
Turkish biorefinery gets go-ahead Biokim Rafineri Isletmeleri Sanayi ve Ticaret (Biokim) will establish a 200,000 tonne/y biorefinery for ethylene oxide (EO) at the Adana Free Zone in Yumurtalik, Turkey. The facility is set for construction from 2Q 2017 until its completion and launch by late-2019 and 1Q 2020, respectively. The facility will incorporate Petron Scientech's ethanol-to-ethylene conversion technology, as well as Novomer's catalyst technology to utilize carbon monoxide in producing PPL from betapropiolactone.
Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 2329 Jun 2017, 291 (25), 29 (Website: http:// www.icis.com) ã Reed Business Information Limited 2017.
Indian firm inaugurates secondgeneration biofuels refinery Praj Industries Ltd launched on 7 May 2017 a demonstration-scale biorefinery that utilizes its Enfinity proprietary platform technology. Located near Pune, India, the plant can process various biomass feedstocks including agricultural waste to manufacture 1 M L/y of cellulosic ethanol.
of-the-art spray booth for electrostatic applications, a physical testing lab, and the 3-D robot, as well as process catalyst research and development laboratories. These facilities, occupying a combined floor space of 5000sq m, are designed to enable customer oriented R&D activities, and perform an accurate simulation of OEM paint shops. In addition to the new facilities for automotive coatings solutions, this investment also includes the new process catalyst R&D centre, focusing on the development of new process catalyst to meet specific needs in Asia. With strong research competencies in catalyst preparation, scaling up and performance evaluation, this R&D centre will further strengthen the collaboration with partners in the region, and provide support to BASF's world-scale process catalyst manufacturing site which is under construction in Caojing, Shanghai. The 3-D robot can simulate nearly any situation at a paint line anywhere in the world, which enables the new centre to optimize application processes and products. It can apply the automotive coatings not only on horizontal and vertical surfaces, but also on three-dimensional objects, for instance, car doors and bumpers.
Original Source: BASF, 2017. Found on SpecialChem Coatings and Inks Formulation, 9 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www. specialchem4coatings.com).
Dow completes construction in Freeport on 400,000 tonnes/y PE production facility
BASF and SINOPEC will expand the capacity of existing propionic acid production with an additional 30,000 tonnes/y at their state-of-the-art Verbund site, BASF-YPC Company Limited, a 50-50 joint venture in Nanjing, China. The expansion will go on stream in 2019. With this expansion, the annual propionic acid production capacity will increase to 69,000 tonnes at its Verbund site in Nanjing, China. BASF-YPC Company Limited will remain one of the leading producers for propionic acid in Asia.
Dow Chemical said it has completed the construction phase of its new 400,000 tonnes/y Elite enhanced polyethylene (PE) unit in Freeport, TX, US. The new PE plant is the first of four new derivatives units currently underway at Dow's manufacturing sites in Texas and Louisiana, as part of the company's previously announced $6 bn expansion on the US Gulf Coast. Designed with Dow's proprietary Solution process technology, the PE plant now enters the commissioning and startup phase in sequence with the mid-2017 start-up of the company's 1.5 M tonnes/y world-scale ethylene cracker, on which construction was recently completed. The plant is expected to ramp up during 3Q 2017 and be fully operational in 4Q 2017. The other units include a 350,000 tonnes/y speciality low-density PE facility, expected to come online in coordination with the cracker; a 200,000 tonnes/y Nordel metallocene ethylene propylene diene monomer expansion, planned to start up in early 2018; a 320,000 tonnes/y high melt index speciality and conventional polyolefin elastomers plant, scheduled to come online in late 2018, as well as a 125,000 tonnes/y bi-modal gas phase debottleneck, also expected to come online later in 2018.
Original Source: Eurasian Chemical Market, 2 Jun 2017, (Website: http://www.chemmarket. info/en/) ã Eurasian Chemical Market 20052017.
Original Source: PetroChemical News, 12 Jun 2017, 55 (23), 1 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) ã William F. Bland Co. 2017.
BASF to build first regional application center in Asia-Pacific
Grace Technology selected by Hengli for new PP unit at Dalian complex
Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2017, 23 (7), 19 (Website: http://www. ethanolproducer.com/) ã BBI International 2017.
BASF and SINOPEC expand capacity for propionic acid in Nanjing, China
BASF has announced its investment to build its first regional automotive application centre in Asia-Pacific, to be located at the BASF Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Shanghai, China. Start of operations is planned for the end of 2018, pending relevant approvals by authorities. The s33.7 M investment will include an automotive application centre. It will be equipped with a state-
WR Grace & Co has been chosen by Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co to license its Unipol polypropylene (PP) process technology for a new PP plant at Hengli's complex in Dalian, China. The PP facility will produce a total of 450,000 tonnes/y of homopolymer, random copolymer and impact copolymer thermoplastic
5