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 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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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 Biotechnologies unveiled its new $2 billion large-scale cell culture manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, US.
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.
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 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.
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 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, 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 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.
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).
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 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, 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 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.
US specialty chemical company Milliken is rebranding its healthcare business Milliken Healthcare Products to Ovik Health.
US specialty chemicals producer Ashland has announced that it will start a divestiture process for the company’s nutraceuticals business.
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 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.
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 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.
The Ghanian start-up Aquamet provides a sustainable and affordable solution to maximize fish farmers´ yield.
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 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 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, 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.”
LyondellBasell has acquired a 25% stake in Cyclyx International, a joint venture between Agilyx and ExxonMobil formed in December 2020. Cyclyx is working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics and aims at increasing the recyclability of plastics from 10% to 90%.
Arkema starts Sartomer UV/LED resin production at its Nansha, China facility, doubling capacity to fuel sustainable solutions for emerging Asian markets like advanced electronics and renewable energies.
Carbios announces that it has been granted the building permit and operating authorization for the world’s first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) biorecycling plant, allowing construction to start.
