Plant Watch
Trelleborg Group to construct new production plant in North Carolina
July 16, 2024 — Trelleborg Group AB (Trelleborg, Sweden; www.trelleborg.com) is investing in a new production facility to expand its business for engineered coated fabrics in Rutherfordton, N.C. In total, Trelleborg is investing more than SEK 300 million (around $28 million) in the expanded facility. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, with production starting in early 2026.
BP granted funding for ‘green’ hydrogen project at Lingen Refinery
July 15, 2024 — Bp plc (London; www.bp.com) has been granted funding to support the development of a green hydrogen project next to the bp Lingen Refinery in Germany. The project aims to install a 100-MW electrolyzer capable of producing an average of 10,000–11,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of green hydrogen.
Evonik to expand sodium methylate production plant in Argentina
July 12, 2024 — Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has expanded sodium methylate production capacity at its Rosario plant in Argentina. The move is in response to growing demand for biofuels in the region and will see the annual capacity increase by 50%, from around 60,000 m.t./yr to 90,000 m.t./yr. Expanded production of high-performance sodium methylate catalysts aims to significantly increase biodiesel productivity.
Kemira expands ferric chloride capacity in Spain
July 9, 2024 — Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, Finland; www.kemira.com) is expanding its ferric chloride production capacity in Tarragona, Spain to enable production of specific biogas digestion products (BDP). Ferric chloride is also the most commonly used coagulant for phosphorus reduction in wastewater treatment. The capacity expansion is planned to begin operation sometime during 2026.
Eramet inaugurates direct lithium-extraction plant in Argentina
July 8, 2024 — Eramet Group (Paris, France; www.eramet.com) inaugurated and started commissioning work at its Centenario direct lithium-extraction (DLE) plant in Salta Province, Argentina, becoming what is said to be the first European company to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate at industrial scale. First production is expected in November 2024. Centenario Phase 1 is designed to extract and produce 24,000 m.t./yr of battery-grade lithium carbonate at full capacity.
AkzoNobel starts up new coatings production line in China
July 8, 2024 — AkzoNobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) announced that a newly updated and automated production line is up and running at the company’s Suzhou site in China, part of a €14-million investment designed to double the plant’s capacity for marine and protective coatings by 2025. The recent upgrade, which will already boost daily capacity by more than 40%, is scheduled to be followed by updates to three additional lines. This will result in the doubling of overall capacity before the end of next year.
PKN Orlen completes revamp project to double ethylene and propylene capacities
July 3, 2024 — PKN Orlen (Płock, Poland; www.orlen.pl) has completed the Olefin II revamping project, an investment which has allowed the company to double its ethylene and propylene streams. The modernized plants are capable of producing up to 700,000 m.t./yr of ethylene and up to 385,000 m.t./yr of propylene. The bulk of the output will be streamed to new plants operated by Basell Orlen Polyolefins and Anwil Wloclawek.
Trinseo opens PMMA depolymerization facility in Italy
July 1, 2024 — Trinseo plc (Berwyn, Pa.; www.trinseo.com) has opened its polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) depolymerization facility in Rho, Italy. Trinseo’s PMMA depolymerization facility utilizes an advanced continuous process to produce high-purity regenerated MMA from pre- and post-consumer acrylic materials.
Phillips 66 achieves full production rates of renewable fuel at Rodeo Complex
July 1, 2024 — Phillips 66, Inc. (Houston; www.phillips66.com) announced the full conversion of the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex, expanding to commercial-scale production. The Rodeo facility in the San Francisco Bay Area increased rates to approximately 50,000 bbl/d (800 million gal/yr), reaching the company’s goal of achieving full capacity by the second quarter of 2024.
Elkem to pilot CO2-free silicon production with support from Enova
July 1, 2024 — Elkem ASA (Oslo, Norway; www.elkem.com) plans to deploy a new concept for silicon production, which eliminates nearly all direct CO2 emissions. The concept involves capturing and recycling the carbon in the process offgas and reusing it in the production process. Enova SF (www.enova.no) has granted Elkem NOK 31 million (around $2.9 million) for a medium-scale pilot located in Kristiansand, Norway.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Aramco to acquire stake in APQ’s Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases
July 16, 2024 — Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; www.aramco.com) agreed to acquire a 50% interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Co. (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ), a joint venture (JV) between Air Products and Qudra Energy. The transaction will also include options for Aramco to offtake hydrogen and nitrogen.
Honeywell to acquire Air Products’ LNG business for $1.81 billion
July 10, 2024 — Honeywell International, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.honeywell.com) agreed to acquire Air Products’ (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) business for $1.81 billion. The acquired LNG business includes in-house design and manufacturing of coil-wound heat exchangers (CWHE) and related equipment. Air Products’ LNG Business has headquarters in Allentown, Pa. and a 390,000-ft2 manufacturing facility in Port Manatee, Fla.
TotalEnergies acquires used-oil regeneration specialist Tecoil
July 8, 2024 — TotalEnergies S.A. (Paris, France; www.totalenergies.com) acquired Tecoil, a Finnish company specialized in the production of re-refined base oils (RRBOs). RRBOs are used oils that are treated to give them properties comparable to virgin base oils. Tecoil currently operates a 50,000-m.t./yr facility for RRBOs in Hamina, Finland. Tecoil has developed its own circular network for collecting used lubricants in Europe to supply its plant.
Kemira announces acquisition of Norit’s reactivation business
July 2, 2024 — Kemira has agreed to purchase Norit’s U.K. activated-carbon reactivation business from Purton Carbons Ltd. This acquisition is the first step for Kemira in entering the market for micropollutants removal, as activated carbon is the most common technology to treat micropollutants in water-treatment applications. The scope of the agreement includes a reactivation facility in Purton, U.K.
Saint-Gobain to acquire Fosroc for over $1 billion
July 1, 2024 — Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France; www.saint-gobain.com) plans to acquire Fosroc, a privately owned construction chemicals firm for $1.025 billion (around €960 million). Headquartered in Dubai, Fosroc provides a wide range of products, including admixtures and additives for concrete and cement, adhesives and sealants, waterproofing, concrete-repair solutions and flooring.
DuPont to acquire contract manufacturer Donatelle Plastics
July 1, 2024 — DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) announced that it is acquiring Donatelle Plastics Inc. (New Brighton, Minn.), a contract manufacturer specializing in the design and production of medical components and devices. Dontelle will provide DuPont with expanded technologies, such as medical-device injection molding, liquid silicone-rubber processing, precision machining, device assembly and tool building. ■