Latest News: Business
Commercial-scale production of bio-based BDO announced
Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Co., (DT&L; Loudon, Tenn.; www.duponttateandlyle.com) announced the first successful commercial-scale production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) using a bio-based manufacturing process. BDO is an intermediate chemical used in a wide…
Metso strengthens its automation service capabilities in Thailand
Metso Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) has opened a new automation service center in Ratchaburi, Thailand. The service center supports Metso’s strategy to grow its Automation business globally and strengthens Metso’s service capabilities in Thailand. Metso has large installed base for…
Jacobs awarded contract for Luberef Yanbu refinery expansion
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com) was awarded a contract from Saudi Aramco Lubricating Oil Refining Co. (Luberef) to provide project management consulting (PMC) services for an expansion project at its lube oil refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Officials…
SensoTech opens subsidiary in the U.S.
The SensoTech GmbH (Magdeburg–Barleben, Germany; www.sensotech.com) extends its market presence in North America with a new U.S. subsidiary and thereby reinforces significantly its globally networked team of sales and service staff. As a subsidiary of the German SensoTech GmbH, SensoTech…
Neste Jacobs to deliver an isomerization unit to Neste Oil at Porvoo refinery
Neste Jacobs Oy (Porvoo, Finland; www.nestejacobs.com) will deliver engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services to construction of an isomerization unit at Neste Oil Porvoo petroleum refinery. The investment, valued at approximately €65 million, is intended to increase the output…
Wholesale chemistry sales rose in December in the U.S., ACC report says
Sales of chemical products at the wholesale level in the U.S. rose 1.2% to $10.3 billion in December 2012 according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau that was discussed in the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the…
Smaller, local transactions drive drive global chemicals M&A activity, PwC says
While merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global chemicals sector rose slightly in 2012 due to an increase in smaller acquisitions, continued uncertainty around the state of the global economy probably constrained growth and contributed to a decrease in…
Fluor construction-management project underway for new biotech facility in Georgia
Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.fluor.com) says it is currently performing early construction management services for Baxter International Inc.’s (Deerfield, Ill.; www.baxter.com) new biotechnology facility near Covington, Georgia, about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta. Mass excavation and earth works are underway…
KBR to provide Purifier technology package for ammonia/urea plant in Indonesia
KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) says it was selected by PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang, to provide licensing, engineering services and proprietary equipment for a new 2,000 metric tons (m.t.) per day ammonia and 2,750-m.t./d urea plant located in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.…
Air Liquide invests €65 million in the Port of Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second largest chemical and petrochemical basin in Europe. This industry has maintained its momentum, despite the crisis, across Western Europe, with dynamic players demonstrating sustained demand for industrial gases. In this context, AirLiquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) will…