Plant Watch Huntsman to increase ethylene carbonate production capacity June 14, 2021 — The Performance Products division of Huntsman Corp. (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.huntsman.com) is planning to significantly increase existing production capacity for ethylene carbonate at its Conroe, Texas facility…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 0.8% in June on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.3% gain in May. On a year-over-year (Y/Y)…
The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI), rose 4.6% in May following a 1.2% decline in April and a 3.4% drop in March, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). During May, chemical output rose in…
Key U.S. chemical industry metrics will be higher this year as important end-use markets and export customers recover from the pandemic-related recession, according to the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Mid-Year 2021 Chemical Industry Situation and Outlook. Chemical…
The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for April 2021 (most recent available) continues the string of sizeable monthly increases. In April, large upticks were observed in the Equipment, Buildings and Construction Labor subindices, while the Engineering…
U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes rose 0.7% in May and are now above the pre-winter storm levels of January, according to data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Activity remains off from pre-pandemic levels, ACC said. Of…
Plant Watch BASF to expand PGM recycling capacity in South Carolina May 12, 2021 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) is expanding its platinum group metals (PGM) refining facility in Seneca, S.C. New capital investments will increase refining capacity to…
Taking a modular approach to capital projects offers a pathway for companies to be proactive, rather than reactive, as they manage project risk in the time of COVID and potential similar disruptions in the future It has been more than…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 1.2% in May on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.0% increase in April. On a year-over-year (Y/Y)…