Business & Economics
Roche and Genentech agree to combine the two organizations
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Roche; Basel, Switzerland; www.rochemengonline.com) and Genentech, Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.; www.genentech.com) announced today that they signed a merger agreement under which Roche will acquire the outstanding publicly held interest in Genentech for $95.00 per share in…
Foster Wheeler wins contract for Paradip Refinery in India
Foster Wheeler AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.fwc.com) announced that subsidiaries in its Global Engineering and Construction Group, Foster Wheeler Energy Limited and Foster Wheeler (G.B.) Limited, have been awarded a contract by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for a grassroots petroleum…
Clariant to launch new production facility in China
Specialty chemical company, Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com), is building a surfactants plant in Zhenjiang, Eastern China to help meet the needs of the country’s growing demand. The new facility is scheduled for production in the middle of 2009. The new…
SolVin starts new production facility Diofan PVDC latex
SolVin (www.solvinpvc.com), a joint venture of Solvay S.A.(Brussels, Belgium; www.solvay.com) and BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com), announces the successful startup of new production capacity for Diofan polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) latex at its Tavaux, France, plant. Diofan PVDC latex is a…
Dow starts up a new SSBR plant in Europe
Dow Europe GmbH (Horgen, Switzerland; www.dow.com) announced today the start up of a new Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SSBR) plant in Schkopau, Germany. The new facility includes a capacity rights agreement with JSR Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.jsr.co.jp). Dow owns and…
Shell and Codexis expand collaboration on biofuels
Royal Dutch Shell plc (The Hauge, Netherlands; www.shell.com) and Codexis, Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.; www.codexis.com) have announced an expanded agreement to develop better biocatalysts that could accelerate commercialization of next generation biofuels. Shell also increased its equity stake in Codexis…
PSE and Hyperion sign Saudi gPROMS agency agreement
Process Systems Enterprise (PSE; London, England; www.psenterprise.com), providers of the gPROMS advanced process modeling system and related services to the process industries, and Hyperion Systems Engineering Ltd. (Nicosia, Cyprus; www.hyperion.com.cy) the leading independent simulation-solutions supplier, today announced the appointment of…
Progress towards an integrated petrochemical complex in Kazakhstan
LyondellBasell Industries (Rotterdam, Netherlands; www. Lyondellbasell.com), a partner with SAT &Co. and KMGEP of Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Ltd. (KPI), today reaffirmed its ongoing participation in the development and construction, of an integrated petrochemical complex and a gas separation unit (GSU)…
Hoerbiger acquires Tritech Compression
Hoerbiger Holding AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.hoerbiger.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% ownership of Tritech Compression, Inc. (Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada). Effective, March 2, 2009, the oil field equipment supply and maintenance service company will operate as business…
BASF/Dow’s HPPO plant in Antwerp completes startup phase
The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) announced today that the world’s largest commercial-scale propylene oxide (PO) plant and the first based on the innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology jointly developed by BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com)…