Plant Watch
SK Energy to start commercial production of SAF
September 16, 2024 — SK Energy, a subsidiary of SK Innovation Co. (Seoul, South Korea; www.skinnovation.com), announced the completion of South Korea’s first dedicated production line for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The new facility leverages an advanced co-processing technology that integrates bio-based feedstocks with traditional oil processing, allowing simultaneous production of petroleum and low-carbon products. A dedicated 5-km pipeline is installed to feed feedstocks continuously into the manufacturing process, enabling continuous SAF production.
BASF inaugurates new plant for alkyl ethanolamines at its Antwerp site
September 12, 2024 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) has inaugurated a production plant for alkyl ethanolamines at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. This new investment will increase the company’s global annual production capacity for alkyl ethanolamines, including dimethyl ethanolamine and methyl diethanolamine, by nearly 30% to over 140,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr).
Nippon Shokubai to construct new plant for lithium-ion battery electrolyte
September 12, 2024 — Nippon Shokubai Ltd. (Osaka, Japan; www.shokubai.co.jp) is planning to build a new plant for lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), which is used as an electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries. The new plant, to be located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, will have a production capacity of 3,000 m.t./yr.
Evonik starts up new spray-drying facility for pharmaceutical products in Darmstadt
September 10, 2024 — Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) opened a new facility for drying aqueous polymer dispersions of the brand Eudragit at its site in Darmstadt. These polymers are polymethacrylates suitable for use in drug-delivery applications.
Nouryon significantly expands its sodium chlorate capacity in Brazil
September 10, 2024 — Nouryon (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.nouryon.com) has commenced operations at its new manufacturing site in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, which includes the production of hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate and chlorine dioxide. The new investment, designed in partnership with a long-term customer in Brazil, significantly increases Nouryon’s total sodium chlorate capacity available to the market and supports the growing pulp and paper industry in the region.
Lotte Energy completes new pilot plant for solid-state battery electrolytes
September 6, 2024 — Lotte Energy Materials (Seoul, South Korea; www.lotteenergymaterials.com) completed a pilot plant for the production of sulfide-based solid electrolytes, a key material for next-generation all-solid-state batteries, at its Iksan Plant 2 in Jeonbuk, South Korea. The pilot plant has a production capacity of 70 m.t./yr of solid electrolytes.
MOL Group starts production at green-hydrogen plant in Hungary
September 5, 2024 — MOL Group (Budapest, Hungary; www.molgroup.info) announced that a 10-MW green hydrogen plant, the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, has started production at MOL’s Százhalombatta refinery. The facility produces 1,600 m.t./yr of carbon-neutral green hydrogen, which is used for fuel production, reducing the Danube Refinery’s carbon dioxide emissions by around25,000 m.t./yr.
Evonik opens new plant for sustainable emollients at its Steinau, Germany site
September 4, 2024 — Evonik inaugurated its new production plant for cosmetic emollients at its site in Steinau, Germany. These esters are manufactured using an enzymatic process. The new plant will significantly increase Evonik’s production capacity, which will cater to the growing customer demand for sustainable cosmetic emollients.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Gevo acquires Red Trail Energy assets in North Dakota
September 16, 2024 — Gevo, Inc. (Englewood, Colo.; www.gevo.com) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the ethanol production plant and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) assets of Red Trail Energy, LLC in North Dakota for $210 million. The acquisition includes existing CCS assets with total sequestration capacity of 1 million m.t./yr, of which 160,000 m.t./yr are currently being utilized, as well as a low-carbon ethanol plant with 65 million gal/yr of capacity.
Methanex to acquire international methanol business from OCI Global
September 9, 2024 — Methanex Corp. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada; www.methanex.com) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire OCI Global’s (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.oci-global.com) international methanol business for $2.05 billion. The transaction includes OCI’s interest in two world-scale methanol facilities in Beaumont, Tex., one of which also produces ammonia. The transaction also includes a low-carbon methanol production and marketing business and a currently idled methanol facility in the Netherlands.
Adnoc acquires stake in ExxonMobil low-carbon H2 project
September 4, 2024 — ExxonMobil Corp. (Houston) and Adnoc (Abu Dhabi National Oil. Corp.; www.adnoc.ae) announced that Adnoc will acquire a 35% equity stake in ExxonMobil’s proposed low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Baytown, Tex., expected to be the world’s largest of its kind upon startup, capable of producing up to 1 billion ft3/d of low-carbon hydrogen. A final investment decision (FID) is expected in 2025 with anticipated startup in 2029.
Prayon acquires calcium-phosphate company in the U.S.
September 4, 2024 — Prayon S.A. (Engis, Belgium; www.prayon.com) has acquired the U.S.-based company Natural Enrichment Industries (NEI), a producer of calcium phosphate salts. The NEI production sites located in southern Illinois (Herrin and Sesser) complement the existing Prayon production plant of phosphate salts based in Augusta, Ga.
Indorama establishes JV to construct recycling plants in India
September 4, 2024 — Indorama Ventures Ltd. (IVL; Bangkok, Thailand; www.indoramaventures.com) and Dhunseri Ventures Ltd. have formed a joint venture (JV) with Varun Beverages Ltd., PepsiCo’s second-largest bottling company outside the U.S., to establish several new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling facilities in India. The joint venture has already begun the construction of two recycling facilities, planned for completion in 2025. The aim is to reach a combined capacity of 100,000 m.t./yr for recycled PET across all the facilities when completed.
PPG agrees to sell silicas business for $310 million
August 29, 2024 — PPG (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com) agreed to sell its silicas products business for approximately $310 million to Qemetica S.A. (Warsaw, Poland), a privately held manufacturer of soda ash, silicates and other specialty chemicals. The transaction includes PPG’s precipitated silicas manufacturing sites in Lake Charles, La. and Delfzijl, the Netherlands.
Air Products acquires hydrogen production assets in Uzbekistan
August 26, 2024 — Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) will acquire Saneg’s hydrogen production assets located at the Fergana Oil Refinery in Uzbekistan for $140 million. The acquisition includes a steam methane reforming unit capable of processing either 100% natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
LyondellBasell to acquire recycling technology firm APK AG
August 23, 2024 — LyondellBasell (LYB; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; www.lyondellbasell.com) announced that it entered into an agreement to acquire full ownership of APK AG, a recycling company in in Merseburg, Germany. APK offers a unique solvent-based recycling technology for low-density polyethylene (LDPE). ■
– Mary Page Bailey