Plant Watch
Chevron upgrades Pasadena refinery to increase capacity and flexibility
December 11, 2024 — Chevron Corp. (Houston; www.chevron.com) has completed a retrofit of its petroleum refinery in Pasadena, Texas, which is expected to increase product flexibility and expand the processing capacity of lighter crude streams by nearly 15% to 125,000 barrels per day (bbl/d). The phased startup of the upgraded asset is expected to last through the first quarter of 2025.
PCC Group to build chlor-alkali facility at Chemours plant in Mississippi
December 11, 2024 — The Chemours Co. (Wilmington, Del.; www.chemours.com) announced that PCC Group SE (Duisburg, Germany; www.pcc.eu) plans to build and operate a chlor-alkali facility on the grounds of Chemours’ titanium dioxide plant in DeLisle, Mississippi. The new facility will have an annual nameplate capacity of up to 340,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) once the plant is operational. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026 with startup in 2028.
BASF starts up its expanded ammonium chloride plant in Ludwigshafen
December 11, 2024 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) has expanded the production capacity of ammonium chloride at its Ludwigshafen site, increasing capacity by 50% and improving product quality. Industrial applications for ammonium chloride include the production of batteries, galvanized metals and cleaning agents and process chemicals for the chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Yara begins production of renewable ammonia in Brazil
December 10, 2024 — Yara International ASA (Oslo, Norway; www.yara.com) said that it has become the first company in Brazil to produce ammonia from renewable biomethane made from sugarcane waste. Yara’s industrial complex in Cubatão, the largest consumer of natural gas in São Paulo and Brazil’s leading ammonia producer, is now fully equipped to operate with biomethane feedstock.
Production of CO2-based carbonates starts up in China
December 5, 2024 — Asahi Kasei Corp. (Tokyo; www.asahikasei.com) announced that Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical started commercial operation of a new carbonates plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China. The plant uses technology licensed from Asahi Kasei for the production of high-purity ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with CO2 as a main raw material. The plant has the capacity to use 54,000 m.t./yr of CO2 as feedstock. EC and DMC are essential materials for the production of lithium-ion battery electrolytes.
Fujifilm to expand production capacity for CMP slurries
December 5, 2024 — Fujifilm Corp. (Tokyo; www.fujifilm.com) will increase its production capacity of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries, which are advanced semiconductor materials, at its production site located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Fujifilm also operates CMP slurry production sites in the U.S., Taiwan and South Korea.
UBE to increase production capacity for high-purity nitric acid
December 2, 2024 — UBE Corp. (Tokyo; www.ube.com) announced plans to increase the production capacity of high-purity nitric acid at the UBE chemicals site in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The market for high-purity nitric acid, which is used for semiconductor cleaning and in the etching process, has been experiencing continuous growth in recent years. This expansion is expected to increase capacity by around 30% compared to current levels.
Air Liquide will build hydrogen production unit at TotalEnergies biorefinery site
November 27, 2024 — Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) recently announced a renewable-hydrogen production project at TotalEnergies’ (Courbevoie, France; www.totalenergies.com) La Mède site in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in France. The new site will have a capacity of 25,000 m.t./yr of renewable hydrogen produced from recycled biogenic byproducts from the TotalEnergies biorefinery, instead of using fossil-based hydrocarbons as feedstock. The renewable hydrogen will be used mainly by the biorefinery for the production of biofuels.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Dow to sell 40% stake in U.S. Gulf Coast infrastructure assets
December 11, 2024 — Dow (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a 40% equity stake in select U.S. Gulf Coast infrastructure assets to a fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management, a global infrastructure and energy asset manager. Dow expects to receive initial cash proceeds of approximately $2.4 billion from the transaction. This new partnership between Dow and Macquarie will create a specialist infrastructure provider to Dow and other industrial customers at its five locations in Texas and Louisiana.
Hexion acquires autonomous manufacturing firm Smartech
December 6, 2024 — Hexion Inc. (Columbus, Ohio; www.hexion.com) has acquired Smartech, a technology company specialized in autonomous manufacturing solutions that combine artificial intelligence, advanced control systems and process optimization algorithms. Smartech’s systems target the production of waxes, phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resin and more, and are expected to strengthen Hexion’s position in the adhesives, construction and building materials sectors.
Dow sells flexible packaging adhesives business to Arkema
December 5, 2024 — Dow has completed its previously announced sale of the company’s flexible-packaging laminating adhesives business, within Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment, for $150 million, to Arkema S.A. (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com). The sale includes five manufacturing sites in Italy, the U.S. and Mexico. The business includes solvent-based and solventless laminating adhesives and heat-seal coating product portfolios.
Ineos sells composites business for €1.7 billion
December 5, 2024 — Ineos Enterprises Ltd. (London; www.ineos.com) entered into an agreement for the sale of the Ineos Composites business to KPS Capital Partners, L.P. for an estimated consideration of around €1.7 billion at completion. The business has combined sales of more than €800 million per year and operates 17 facilities and 3 technology centers in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. Ineos Composites is a global manufacturer of unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins and gelcoats used in the production of plastic composites for a wide range of applications.
Corteva and bp plan JV for biofuel feedstocks
December 2, 2024 — Corteva Inc. (Indianapolis, Ind.; www.corteva.com) announced a collaboration with bp plc (London; www.bp.com) related to the companies’ intent to form a joint venture (JV) focused on crop-based biofuel feedstocks. The JV aims to progressively scale up volumes, reaching delivery of 1 million m.t./yr of biofuel feedstocks for SAF production by the mid-2030s. The two companies anticipate finalizing definitive agreements in 2025 with the target operational date for the JV later in the year.
Honeywell to sell PPE business for $1.3 billion
November 22, 2024 — Honeywell International, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.honeywell.com) agreed to sell its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business to Protective Industrial Products, Inc., a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, for $1.325 billion in an all-cash transaction. The PPE business, part of Honeywell’s Industrial Automation (IA) business portfolio, currently operates 20 manufacturing sites and 17 distribution sites across the U.S., Mexico, Europe, North Africa, Asia Pacific and China. ■
– Mary Page Bailey