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U.S. chemical production ends 2020 on a high note, ACC says

The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI), rose 1.2% in December, following a 0.6% gain in November and a 1.2% increase in October, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). During December, chemical output grew in…

Diamond Green Diesel to proceed with construction of renewable diesel plant

Darling Ingredients Inc. (Irving, Tex.; www.darlingii.com) and Valero Energy Corp. (San Antonio, Tex.; www.valero.com) jointly announced today that their 50/50 joint venture, Diamond Green Diesel (DGD), has received approval from both companies' boards of directors to proceed with the construction…

Chemical Activity Barometer rises in January, ACC says

The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 1.5% in January on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.3% increase in December. On a year-over-year (Y/Y)…

SABIC and Plastic Energy to begin construction on plastic recycling facility in the Netherlands

In a development toward a circular economy for plastics, SABIC (Jubail, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) and Plastic Energy Ltd. (London, U.K.; www.plasticenergy.com) are set to commence construction on the first commercial unit to produce its flagship certified circular polymers, part of…

2020 CEPCI Updates: November (prelim.) and October (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top) for November 2020 (the most recent available) increased compared to the previous month’s value. The increase for November is the second consecutive monthly increase, and this month’s rise is…

Recently Published Books for the CPI: January 2021

The following is a list of recently published books of potential interest for CPI professionals   Digital Transformation for the Process Industries: A Roadmap. By Osvaldo Bascur and PJ O’Rourke, CRC Press, 2021, 320 pages, $130.00. Data Science in Chemistry:…

The 2021 Kirkpatrick Award: Call for nominations

Since 1933, Chemical Engineering has honored noteworthy chemical engineering technologies that have advanced to the commercialization phase. These technologies generally seek to develop new processes or improve current ones, often with targets of better efficiency, new or improved products and…

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Business News: January 2021

Plant Watch LG Chem to run Wuxi cathode-materials plant on 100% renewable power December 14, 2020 — LG Chem Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea; www.lgchem.com) concluded an agreement related to the supply of 140 GWh of renewable energy for its cathode-materials…

Chemical Activity Barometer climbs in December, ACC says

The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), rose 1.1% in December on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, unchanged from November and October. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis,…