Orion Opens Second Plant in China
Orion opens its first greenfield project – a carbon black plant in eastern China that will supply fast-growing demand in Asia.
News
AGC Expands Production Capacity for Agrochemicals and Pharmaceuticals in Japan
AGC Wakasa Chemicals, part of Japanese group AGC, has completed a new large-scale production line at its Kaminaka Plant in Fukui prefecture, Japan, as it expects demand for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals to grow steadily against a backdrop of population growth and improvement of living standards.
CEFIC Anounces EU Responsible Care Award Winners
The European Chemical Industry Council, CEFIC, announced 26 companies and national associations as the key initiatives featured in the 2023 European Responsible Care Awards Gallery.
Brenntag Supports Energy Sector with New US Site in Louisiana
German chemicals and ingredients distributor Brenntag has opened its new facility in Maurice, Louisiana, USA. Strategically positioned along the US Gulf Coast, the new site will be the primary operations hub for Coastal Chemical, a subsidiary of Brenntag, in addition to serving other areas in the region, the company said.
AkzoNobel to Build Facility for Bisphenol-Free Coatings in Spain
AkzoNobel is investing €32 million in a new plant at its Vilafranca site in Spain, which will produce bisphenol-free coatings for the metal packaging industry in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). AkzoNobel expects facility to be operational by mid-2025 and to create around 40 jobs.
Harmonization of Carbon Accounting Methodologies
The $5 trillion chemical industry plays a pivotal role in the global economy, serving as the foundation for countless sectors from paints to plastics that rely on its products and processes. With a rich history of innovation, chemical companies are well-positioned to lead the charge on decarbonization.
Air Liquide and Eneos Partner on Low-Carbon Hydrogen in Japan
French industrial gases group Air Liquide and Japanese energy company Eneos have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on accelerating the development of low-carbon hydrogen in Japan and contribute to the energy transition, covering the entire low-carbon hydrogen value chain.
OCI Global and Röhm Announce Production of MMA Using Bio-Ammonia
OCI Global, the world’s third largest nitrogen fertilizer and ammonia producer, is supplying Röhm, a leading manufacturer of methacrylates, with bio-ammonia for the production of methyl methacrylate (MMA), an important precursor for Plexiglas.
Merck to Relocate US Healthcare Headquarters to Boston
German chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences group Merck, which operates its Healthcare business as EMD Serono in the US and Canada, announced that it plans to move its US Healthcare headquarters, currently located in Rockland, Massachusetts, to Boston’s Seaport district.
Hexpol Buys US Thermoplastic Elastomer Compounder Star Thermoplastic
Sweden’s Hexpol has acquired the American thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers for $26.5 million from Thomas A. Dieschbourg, who founded the company in 1993 and will remain as its president.
Fujifilm Diosynth Announces New US Cell Culture Production Facility
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies unveiled its new $2 billion large-scale cell culture manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, US.
Evonik Launches ‘Circular Economy Program’
Evonik announced that it is significantly expanding its commitment to developing solutions for the circular economy, bundling its activities in the group-wide Circular Economy Program. From 2030, the German specialty chemicals company aims to generate at least €1 billion in additional sales per year from circular products and technologies.
Makabi Agritech - Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Food Production
The Croatian start-up Makabi has created a 3-in-1 encapsulation technology for plant protection and nutrition and controlled release of bioactive components.
Yara to Divest Fertilizer Business in Ivory Coast
Yara has decided to divest its fertilizer import and distribution subsidiary in Ivory Coast. The move follows a thorough analysis of the company’s operations, considering market dynamics, regulatory environment, and strategic growth opportunities.
Novo Nordisk to Invest €5.6 Billion in Expansion of API Production in Denmark
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk plans to invest more than 42 billion Danish kroner (about €5.6 billion) starting in 2023 to expand existing manufacturing facilities at the company’s Kalundborg, Denmark, site to meet future market demands.
Azelis to Acquire Agrochemicals Distributor Agspec Australia
Azelis has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Agspec Australia, a leading distributor of crop nutrition, crop protection and specialty agricultural products in Australia. Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024 and is subject to customary closing conditions, were not disclosed.
Olon to Nearly Double Production Capacity of Indian Site
Olon, an Italian CDMO and API producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), plans to invest €10 million in a multi-year expansion of its production site in Mahad, India.
Arkema to Extend Thierry Le Hénaff’s Contract as Chairman and CEO
Arkema board of directors has unanimously expressed its confidence in the company’s chairman and CEO Thierry Le Hénaff to execute the strategy announced during Arkema’s capital markets day on Sep. 27 and proposed the renewal of his term of office for four years at the company’s next annual shareholders meeting in May 2024.
Elixir and K+S to Produce and Distribute Fertilizer MAP
Serbian agrochemicals producer Elixir Group and German minerals producer K+S have signed a cooperation agreement for the production and distribution of crystalline water-soluble fertilizer mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP).
EFPIA: New EU Rules May Rush Pharma Innovation Decline
According to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), a major revision of pharmaceutical regulations as proposed by the European Commission in April this year could shrink Europe's share of global research and development by a third to 21% by 2040, resulting in a loss of investment of €2 billion ($2.15 billion) a year.
Air Products to Build Europe’s Largest Blue Hydrogen Plant
Air Products unveiled plans for a carbon capture facility at its Rotterdam plant, intending to generate "blue" hydrogen for ExxonMobil's refinery and other clients. Anticipated to become Europe's largest upon its scheduled completion in 2026, this initiative will play a pivotal role in substantially reducing carbon dioxide emissions in Rotterdam, aligning with the Dutch climate objectives.
Noramco Acquires Drug Product Business Unit from Cambrex
Noramco, a US producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), has completed the acquisition of the Cambrex drug product business unit previously known as Halo Pharmaceuticals. Financial details were not disclosed.
DKSH to Acquire Scientific Instruments Distributor Bio-Strategy
DKSH has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Bio-Strategy, said to be the largest independent distributor of scientific instruments in Australia and New Zealand, with a focus primarily on life sciences, medical & healthcare and environment & agriculture.
Milliken Rebrands Healthcare Business as Ovik Health
US specialty chemical company Milliken is rebranding its healthcare business Milliken Healthcare Products to Ovik Health.
Ashland Restructures and Plans to Sell Nutraceuticals Business
US specialty chemicals producer Ashland has announced that it will start a divestiture process for the company’s nutraceuticals business.
Solvay Names the Executive Leadership Team for New Entity Syensqo
Solvay announced the future executive leadership team, effective upon completion of the planned separation of Solvay into two companies – Solvay and Syensqo – which is expected to be completed in December.
DMC Opens New Lab in North Carolina
DMC Biotechnologies announced a new 880 square meter (9,500 square foot) metabolic engineering and fermentation facility in North Carolina, to support a team of scientists advancing DMC products and active collaborations.
AstraZeneca Invests $245 Million in French Biotech Cellectis
Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca entered into a collaboration and investment agreement with Cellectis, a French clinical-stage biotechnology company, to accelerate the development of therapeutics across oncology, immunology and rare diseases.
Asahi Kasei to Increase Lithium-Ion Battery Separator Coating Capacity
Asahi Kasei will invest in new coating equipment for Hipore lithium-ion battery separators in its US, Japan, and South Korea facilities, starting in the first half of fiscal year 2026. The increased capacity will provide coated separators for batteries powering up to 1.7 million electric vehicles.
Aquamet: Innovative Approach for Sustainable Aquaculture
The Ghanian start-up Aquamet provides a sustainable and affordable solution to maximize fish farmers´ yield.
Aragen to Invest $30 Million in a New Indian Bio-Manufacturing Site
Aragen, an India, Hyderabad-headquartered contract research development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) for small molecules and biologics, plans to set up a new biologics manufacturing facility in Bangalore, India.
Nouryon Begins Full-Scale Production at Expancel
Nouryon launched full-scale production at its new Expancel expandable microspheres plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA, enhancing service for specialty additives customers in North America across various industries. This complements existing facilities in Sweden, China, and Brazil.
Clariant to Acquire Lucas Meyer Cosmetics
Clariant today announced that it has agreed to acquire Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, a provider of high-value ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industry, from International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) for a total cash consideration of €765 million ($810 million).
CEFIC Calls for “EU Industrial Deal” on Clean Energy Supply
CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, together with other associations representing Europe’s clean technology industries and their key material suppliers, sent a joint letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen ahead of last week’s European Council summit. They jointly expressed their support of von der Leyen's commitment that "the future of our clean tech industry must be made in Europe.”
