MUNICH, GERMANY: The Linde Group will be managing the gas supply infrastructure of Sibur at its Dzerzhinsk site in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia, also building and operating two new air separation units (ASUs). Both companies signed a long-term contract to this effect. Linde will invest €70 million in the ASUs. The new on-site plants are set to come on stream at the end of 2015....
COVINGTON, US/HELSINKI, FINLAND: Ashland Inc and UPM have entered into a cooperative agreement to develop and commercialize products containing UPM’s Biofibrils technology. UPM and Ashland will jointly study the use of biofibrils in a wide range of industrial application opportunities. The collaboration marks a milestone for two companies with extensive expertise in cellulose technology. UPM has pursued research and development of biofibrils technology for several years and has a large po ...
MUNICH, GERMANY: The Linde Group will be managing the gas supply infrastructure of Sibur at its Dzerzhinsk site in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia, also building and operating two new air separation units (ASUs). Both companies signed a long-term contract to this effect. Linde will invest €70 million in the ASUs. The new on-site plants are set to come on stream at the end of 2015. Linde will assume responsibility for Sibur’s four ASUs in Dzerzhinsk and modernise these plants in ...
OSLO, NORWAY: Yara International ASA is postponing the planned expansion project at its production plant in Belle Plaine, Canada. Yara views the Belle Plaine site as an optimal location for a future North American nitrogen expansion, but will spend more time evaluating construction cost development and other key project parameters. “We are not ready to initiate a Belle Plaine expansion today, primarily due to recent increases in construction cost both in Canada and North America generally ...
REDWOOD CITY, US/TORTONA, ITALY: Codexis and Chemtex have successfully scaled-up the production of CodeXol detergent alcohols using cellulosic sugars. The scale-up was achieved at a 1,500 litre demonstration facility at Chemtex’s R&D complex in Tortona, Italy and is a key milestone in the ongoing effort initiated by the two companies to develop a fully integrated biomass to detergent alcohols technology. “This scale-up of CodeXol detergent alcohols represents what we believe is ...
MUTTENZ, SWITZERLAND: Clariant has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Wison Engineering Ltd and a subsidiary in Foster Wheeler’s Global Engineering and Construction Group, to equip a pilot plant for demonstration of Foster Wheeler’s VESTA substitute natural gas (SNG) technology with catalysts of Clariant. The pilot plant will be constructed in China and is planned to go on-stream during 2013. The agreement also sets out a framework for a long-term cooperation to deliver a ...
QUINCY, US/LONDON, UK: Myriant Corporation and Johnson Matthey - Davy Technologies (JM Davy), announced the successful production of bio-butanediol (BDO) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) made from Myriant’s bio-succinic acid. The qualification work was conducted at JM Davy’s facility at Teesside, England using bio-succinic acid supplied by Myriant and the JM Davy BDO/THF process. Combining the efficiencies of Myriant’s bio-succinic acid process and the JM Davy BDO/THF process, the bi ...
PARIS, FRANCE: Technip was awarded by Forest BtL Oy a contract, worth approximately €5 million, for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a new second generation biomass-to-liquid (BTL) plant to be built on Ajos island, Finland. This plant will produce approximately 140,000 tonne of biodiesel and naphtha from wood and by-products from the wood-processing industry. This feedstock has many advantages as it is not used for human food, it does not jeopardize the existing local biomass ...
ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS/MINNEAPOLIS, US: IMCD is distributing BioAmber’s biobased succinic acid in Benelux, France, Iberia, Germany, Poland, South East Europe, Switzerland and the United Kingdom & Ireland, targeting customers in the resins and coatings market. Being a global leader in the sales, marketing and distribution of speciality chemicals, IMCD has a strong commitment to sustainability, with the reduction of CO2 emissions one of its top corporate priorities. IMCD has worked o ...
PARIS, FRANCE: Air Liquide has signed an agreement to acquire Voltaix Inc, a US based electronics material company. The acquisition is expected to close later this summer, pending applicable regulatory approvals. The acquisition of Voltaix contributes to accelerate the introduction of a broader portfolio of new high-tech materials to semiconductor manufacturers and therefore enables the increase in computing power and connectivity. “Air Liquide and Voltaix share a culture of innovation. J ...
HELSINKI, FINLAND: UPM and Renmatix Inc have entered into a non-exclusive joint development agreement in the area of biochemicals. Both companies will further develop Renmatix’s water-based Plantrose process to convert woody biomass into low-cost sugar intermediates for subsequent downstream processing into biochemicals. Offering cost-competitive bio-alternatives for select petrochemicals on an industrial scale is the long term goal of this initiative. “We believe this pioneering ap ...