When I was studying for my degrees in chemical engineering, I had the option to take several elective courses. Two that I chose were biochemical engineering and biomedical engineering. During the biomedical engineering course, I was fascinated with the ways…
Plant Watch NET Power breaks ground on clean-power demonstration plant March 10, 2016 — NET Power, LLC (Durham, N.C.; www.netpower.com) has broken ground on a first-of-a-kind 50-MW demonstration power plant in La Porte, Tex. NET Power’s zero-emission Allam Cycle technology burns natural…
KBR, Inc. (Houston; www.kbr.com) announced today it has been awarded a license and basic engineering design contract for the revamp of a Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) unit with the company's MAXOFIN technology. The project was awarded by a confidential client…
The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) edged higher by 0.2% in February, following a 0.5% gain in January, and a 0.4% gain in December, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council…
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), progressed further during the first quarter of 2016, rising 0.1 percent on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis in February after a…
Zymergen Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.; www.zymergen.com) and Arzeda (Seattle, Wash.; www.arzeda.com) announced a multi-year agreement to develop strains and processes to manufacture novel, high utility molecules and materials utilizing Arzeda’s pathway and enzyme design and Zymergen’s strain construction capabilities. “The development…
The annual value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) was calculated to be 556.8, down significantly from the annual value for 2014. The monthly preliminary value for the January 2016 CEPCI (the most recent available) continued to fall from…
Overall, industrial production decreased in February by 0.5%, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). However, a breakdown reveals mixed results, depending on industry sector. For example, although there…
Anellotech Inc. (Pearl River, N.Y.; www.anellotech.com), a sustainable technology company focused on producing cost-competitive renewable chemicals from non-food biomass, today announced that the company has received an additional $3 million equity investment from an unnamed and confidential multinational strategic investor…
The Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) rose 0.5% in January on a three-month-moving-average (3MMA) basis, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economics Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The January rise follows similar…