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CEPCI annual value for 2022 sets a new high for second straight year

The value of the 2022 Chemical Engineering Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) exceeded the previous year’s value by a significant margin. The rise in the 2022 CEPCI echoes the large increase observed for the 2021 annual CEPCI value, and places the…

U.S. chemical production trended higher in February, ACC says

The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) rose by 0.7% in February, following declines of 2.4% in December and 0.6% in January, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). “February marked a slight rebound and rise…

LG Chem Supplies Reverse Osmosis Membranes to the Largest Salt Lake Lithium Extraction Project in China

LG Chem Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea) supplied reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to China’s largest salt-lake lithium extraction project. The company has shipped more than 10,000 RO membranes to the Guoan lithium extraction project led by CITIC Group, China’s largest state-owned…

Canatu increases CNT film production capacity

Carbon nanomaterial developer Canatu Oy (Vantaa, Finland) has upgraded its carbon nanotube (CNT) film manufacturing to meet the rising demand for ADAS heater products in the automotive industry. Canatu has improved its step-and-repeat (SAR) CNT film production line by adding…

2023 CEPCI updates: January (prelim.) and December 2022 (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for January 2023 (most recent available) declined from the previous month’s value, continuing a series of seven consecutive monthly decreases in the CEPCI overall value. In addition, the final value…

BASF breaks ground on acrylic acid complex at Zhanjiang Verbund site in China

BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) has broken ground on a new production complex at its Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China, that includes plants for glacial acrylic acid (GAA), butyl acrylate (BA) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA). Planned to come on stream by…

Driving change through funding

The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which was passed into law last August, directs federal funding to a variety of sectors in the forms of grants, loans and tax incentives for corporations, and to a lesser extent to…

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Business News: March 2023

Plant Watch Arlanxeo starts up new polybutadiene production line in Brazil February 14, 2023 — Arlanxeo B.V. (Maastricht, the Netherlands; www.arlanxeo.com) opened a new polybutadiene production line in Brazil. The new production line supplements Arlanxeo’s existing production capacity in Brazil…

Covestro to build its largest TPU site in China

Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany) will build its largest thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) site in Zhuhai, China. With an overall investment in the low three-digit-million euro range, it will also be the company’s largest investment in its TPU business. TPUs are a…

2022 CEPCI updates: December (prelim.) and November (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for December 2022 (most recent available) fell compared to the previous month’s value. The current decrease is the sixth consecutive monthly decline, following a long string of increases between November…