Axxom Software AG (Munich, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-541) has introduced a new technological approach that, for the first time, allows an end-to-end supply chain optimization of very large, multi-stage networks. Based on the so-called cost-scaling algorithms (CS-A), production companies can now plan…
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (Decatur, Ill.; edlinks.com/5827-542) plans to build the world’s first commercial plant to produce PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), which are high-performance plastics made from renewable resources, such as corn sugar. The plant, to be located at a major ADM…
BP (London; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-544) and Edison Mission Group, a subsidiary of Edison International (Rosemead, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5827-545), are planning a $1-billion, hydrogen-fueled power plant — said to be the first-of-a-kind — for generating electricity with minimal emissions of carbon dioxide. Detailed engineering…
While politicians and research institutes debate about a future hydrogen economy, plant contractors and industrial gas suppliers are working overtime to build bigger, more efficient hydrogen plants to meet the immediate demands. The fact is, there doesn’t seem…
A clear definition of what a project will include can go a long way in helping to reach the desired objective. Spending the time upfront to seek input from pertinent parties and to scope out the details can…
In the U.S. last year, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita powerfully demonstrated the ability of nature to disrupt companies’ operations and commitments. In a business context, the effects of such natural (or, for that matter, civil or social) disruptions can be…
Whether working on retrofits or new-plant construction, engineers involved with chemical-process projects nowadays are likely to find themselves under pressure to reach completion quickly, sometimes even at the cost of bypassing traditional procedures and project controls. The downside becomes a…
Last month, British Nuclear Fuels Plc. (BNFL; Daresbury, U.K.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5826-554) announced plans to sell Westinghouse Electric Co. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5826-555), the highest bidder, says BNFL. Others vieing for the U.S. nuclear-power-plant arm of BNFL included GE…
It is likely that in your work, you have crossed paths with a person you admire for a career involving excellence in chemical engineering. To perhaps bring that person recognition, nominate him or her for our 2006 Award for Personal…
The first two installments of this three-part series (CE, November 2005, pp. 40–45, and December, pp. 42–47) dealt mainly with the major methods for estimating the capital costs of pilot plants. This final installment begins with a look…