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Gevo contracts Koch Project Solutions for FEED and project management services

Gevo, Inc. (Englewood, Colo.) announced that it has engaged Koch Project Solutions, LLC to provide front end engineering, design (FEED) and project execution management services for the expansion projects that Gevo is in the process of financing with Citigroup Global…

Ascend Performance Materials acquires French plastics compounder Eurostar

Ascend Performance Materials (Houston) has purchased Eurostar Engineering Plastics, a France-based compounder with a broad portfolio of flame-retardant engineered plastics and expertise in halogen-free formulations. “Eurostar’s experience in compounded polyamides fits well within our own portfolio and manufacturing capabilities,” said…

Neste acquires stake in chemical recycler Alterra Energy

Neste (Espoo, Finland; www.neste.com) announced that it has acquired a minority stake in Alterra Energy, an innovative chemical recycling technology company. Neste’s equity investment supports Alterra Energy’s expansion. The collaboration between the companies will include joint technology development and global…

Yara divests fertilizer business stake in Libya

Yara International ASA (Oslo, Norway) has entered into an agreement with Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) and the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) on 31 December 2020 to divest its full ownership interest in the Libyan Norwegian Fertiliser Company (LIFECO). Yara’s…

Saipem-Clough JV wins EPC contract for Perdaman urea project in Western Australia

Saipem S.p.A. (San Donato Milanese, Italy), leading an equally shared joint venture with Clough, has reached the EPC agreement with Perdaman Chemical and Fertilizers Pty Ltd for the development of the Burrup Urea Project. It consists of a Urea Fertilizer…

Recently Published Books for the CPI: January 2021

The following is a list of recently published books of potential interest for CPI professionals   Digital Transformation for the Process Industries: A Roadmap. By Osvaldo Bascur and PJ O’Rourke, CRC Press, 2021, 320 pages, $130.00. Data Science in Chemistry:…

The 2021 Kirkpatrick Award: Call for nominations

Since 1933, Chemical Engineering has honored noteworthy chemical engineering technologies that have advanced to the commercialization phase. These technologies generally seek to develop new processes or improve current ones, often with targets of better efficiency, new or improved products and…

Thermal and visible videoscope for underground utility vaults

The new FLIR VS290-32 (photo) is said to be an industry-first videoscope that combines thermal imaging and a visible camera designed for safer and more efficient inspections of hard-to-reach areas. The VS290-32 is the company’s first industrial-grade, electrical safety-rated, flexible…

Technology Profile: Dimethyl Ether Production from Natural Gas and Carbon Dioxide

This column is based on “Dimethyl Ether Production from Natural Gas and CO2 (Direct Method) – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/dimethyl-ether-production-cost. Dimethyl ether (DME) is the simplest aliphatic ether, containing only two…

Preventing Electrostatic Explosions and Fires

There are many occasions in chemical processing plants where electrostatic charge generation and accumulation can occur, potentially leading to fires and explosions. Engineers must understand these hazards and how to mitigate them We are all familiar with the electrostatic shocks…