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AGAE Technologies Announces Production of Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant From a Full-Scale Manufacturing Plant in Asia

AGAE Technologies (Corvallis; Ore.; www.agaetech.com), a U.S.-based leader in rhamnolipid production and technology, with its partners, has officially opened the largest retrofitted manufacturing plant complex in Asia. This manufacturing complex, covering 41,000 square feet, has the capacity to produce over…

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy awards feedstock allocation for joint LyondellBasell/Sipchem project

Sipchem (Sahara International Petrochemical Company; Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia; www.sipchem.com) and LyondellBasell (LYB; Houston, Tex.; www.lyondellbasell.com) have been awarded a feedstock allocation from the Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia supporting a joint feasibility study for a world-scale mixed feed…

KBR Awarded PMC Contract to Oversee Development of Fertilizer Project in Angola

KBR (Houston, Tex.; www.kbr.com) announced Feb. 26 that it has been awarded a contract for Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services by AMUFERT to support the development of its fertilizer plant in Soyo, Angola. As part of this transformative $2 billion project, KBR…

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March 2025 Economic Indicators

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for December 2024 (most recent available) fell slightly compared to the previous month’s value. The final value for November 2024 was revised downwardly. The small decline in the December CEPCI…

Chemical manufacturers report rising cost pressures and weak demand, according to ACC data

Chemical manufacturer sentiment declined over the second half of 2024, according to the latest findings from the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Chemical Manufacturing Economic Sentiment Index (ESI). ACC’s index, based on companies’ assessment of their activity level…

U.S. chemical production rose in December 2024, ACC says

Chemical production was up in the U.S. in December, according to new data published today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) “U.S. chemical production continued to expand during the last month of 2024, up by 1.2%” said…

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Business News: February 2025

Plant Watch Messer to construct $70-million air-separation unit in Arkansas January 15, 2025 — Messer Group GmbH (Bad Soden, Germany; www.messergroup.com) has announced a strategic investment of over $70 million to construct a state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Berryville,…

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February 2025 Economic Indicators

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for November 2024 (most recent available) fell slightly compared to the October final value, which was itself downwardly revised. The small decline in the November CEPCI was a result of…

Lummus and Versalis announce partnership on phenolics technologies

Lummus Technology (Houston, Tex.; www.lummustechnology.com), a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, and Versalis (San Donato Milanese, Italy; www.versalis.eni.com), Eni's chemical company, announced a strategic partnership to license all of Versalis' technologies in the phenolics value chain.…

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Business News [January 2025]

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…