Röhm Seals Functional Forms Deal with SABIC
German PMMA specialist Röhm has signed a final agreement to acquire SABIC’s Functional form business, which makes high-end polycarbonate film and sheet.
News
Lanxess Warns on Earnings as Buyout Talk Circles Covestro
Two former spinoffs from Bayer were competing for headlines on Jun. 19 and 20, as specialty chemicals company Lanxess issued a profit warning amid rumors that Middle East chemicals and energy behemoth Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) had made a takeover offer for engineering plastics producer Covestro.
Ecopapel: Biodegradable and Reusable Paper-based Food Packaging as an Alternative to Plastics
Colombia-based company Cali Food Papers started with new product line named Ecopapel that offers biodegradable, compostable and recyclable paper- and cardboard-based packaging for food.
Neste Spearheads Finnish Hydrogen Valley Plans
On behalf of the Finnish government, refiner Neste is spearheading the development of a so-called industrial hydrogen valley in the country’s Uusimaa region. Other participants in the recently begun exploratory studies include energy utilities Gasgrid Finland, Helen and Vantaa Energy.
Chemanol Acquires Stakes in Saudi Chemical Companies
Methanol Chemicals – known as Chemanol – a Saudi Arabian producer of methanol and derivatives, has signed agreements to acquire controlling stakes in two compatriot chemical companies.
Brenntag Buys Chinese Specialties Distributor Saifu
Brenntag is to acquire Chinese distributor Shanghai Saifu Chemical Development for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close later this year.
FTC Intervention in Amgen-Horizon Deal Stuns Biopharma
The US Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to potentially block the $27.8 merger of Amgen and Horizon Therapeutics is creating heightened concern in the international biopharma sector.
Solvay Details Business Split
Belgian chemical company Solvay is splitting up into two separate entities.
BASF Breaks ground for Zhanjiang PE Plant
BASF has broken ground for its new 50,000 t/y polyethylene plant due to go on stream at its integrated production site in Zhanjiang, China, in 2025. The new facility will be its first PE unit in the People’s Republic.
Shell Reviews Singapore, Europe Assets
Shell is reviewing operations in Singapore, with a view to repurposing, selling or decommissioning assets in Bukom and Jurong Island. The energy and chemicals giant will also “high-grade and right-size” its energy and chemicals parks in Europe, which could mean plant closures.
IMCD Boosts Singapore, Vietnam Presence with Brylchem Buy
IMCD has agreed to buy Brylchem Group, comprising Brylchem in Singapore and Chemipac and CMS Marketing Trading in Vietnam. Brylchem has roughly 50 employees and generated revenue of about €58 million last year. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Bayer Pays $6.9 Million to Settle Roundup Advertising Claims
Bayer has agreed to pay nearly $7 million to settle false advertising claims alleged by New York’s state attorney general. The state said the German agrochemicals and pharma group misled consumers by asserting that its Roundup herbicide is harmless and safer than soap or detergent.
Promosome Sues Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech
US biotech Promosome has filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Diego, California accusing Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech of infringing its intellectual patent rights relating to the mRNA technology used in their Covid-19 vaccines. Promosome is seeking a share of the royalties.
Samsung Biologics and Pfizer in Biosimilars Pact
South Korean CDMO Samsung Biologics has entered into a long-term manufacturing partnership with major drugmaker Pfizer.
Axens Partners on Kazakh PE Project
Axens has signed an agreement with KazMunayGas (KMG) to supply the process design package for its proprietary AlphaButol technology for producing high-purity 1-butene, which is required for producing PE. KMG has plans for a 1.2 million t/y PE plant in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.
Apollo’s Takeover of Univar Advances
Univar Solutions has reported that its proposed takeover by Apollo Global Management’s is making progress, with regulatory approvals now secured from the EU, the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and China. In addition, the Italian regulator has given its foreign direct investment approval.
Johnson Matthey Wins China BDO Contract
Johnson Matthey is providing its butanediol (BDO) technology to China’s Fujian Zhongjing Petrochemical, which plans to build three new plants in phases. The BDO will be used as feedstock for producing 600,000 t/y of biodegradable plastic polybutylene adipate terephthalate.
Solvay and Sapio Partner on Peroxide
Solvay is partnering with Italian gases group Sapio to develop green hydrogen peroxide at its site in Rosignano, Italy. A 756 t/y green hydrogen plant will be built by mid-2026, cutting CO2 emissions for peroxides-related operations at the site by 15%.
Activist Investors Continue to Pressure Brenntag
Activist investors continue to pile pressure on Brenntag. Both Engine and PrimeStone have openly rejected Brenntag’s proposed two new supervisory board members – Richard Ridinger and Sujatha Chandrasekaran – who are up for election at Brenntag’s annual meeting on Jun. 15.
EUROAPI to Invest €50 Million at Budapest
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient maker EuroAPI said it plans to invest €50 million in a new state-of-the-art production plant at its fully integrated Budapest site.
Thyssenkrupp Uhde and Johnson Matthey Win Ammonia Nod
German engineering contractor Thyssenkrupp Uhde and the UK’s Johnson Matthey are supplying a new cartridge for an ammonia plant in Turkey to significantly reduce pressure in the synthesis loop while maintaining the nameplate capacity of 1,200 t/d. Delivery is planned for 2024.
WuXi Biologics Hikes Capacity in Germany
Chinese CDMO WuXi Biologics plans to expand capacity in Germany in response to rising demand. The company will install a second filling line at Leverkusen and expects to double capacity from 12,000 liters to 24,000 liters at its drug substance facility in Wuppertal.
Out-of-Court PFAS Settlement for DuPont and Ex-units
DuPont and former group units Chemours and Corteva have agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle out of court US claims that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) discharged from their plants contaminated waterways that supply a majority of US public water systems.
FDA Allows Oncology Drug Imports amid Shortage
To boost supply of the injectable chemotherapy drug cisplatin – the US is facing a shortage of oncology treatments – the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will temporarily allow imports of 50-milligram vials from Chinese manufacturer Qilu Pha. Canada’s Apotex would distribute.
BASF Expanding APGs at two Production Sites
To meet growing global demand, BASF is expanding output of global alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) at Bangpakong, Thailand, and Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The group also produces the mild surfactants at Düsseldorf, Germany, and Jinshan, China. In North America, it is sole manufacturer.
Novo Nordisk in Talks to Take Majority Stake in Biocorp
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is in exclusive talks to take a controlling stake in Biocorp, a French company specializing in developing and producing delivery systems and medical devices, for about €154 million.
LyondellBasell, Technip and CPChem Sign e-Cracking MOU
LyondellBasell, Technip Energies and Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to design, build and operate a demonstration unit using Technip’s electric steam cracking furnace technology.
Moderna to Build New Plant in Massachusetts
After building up manufacturing footholds outside the US, including in Australia, Kenya, South Korea, Canada and the UK, vaccine specialist Moderna is planning to build a new plant closer to its home base in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Chemours Sells Glycolic Acid Business to PureTech Scientific
Chemours has agreed to sell its glycolic acid business to PureTech Scientific for $137 million cash. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approval and other usual conditions.
3M Ramps Up Biopharma Filtration Capabilities
Science and technology group 3M has announced plans to invest $146 million to expand its biopharma filtration capabilities at manufacturing facilities in Europe. The company did not disclose the facilities’ locations.
Olon Builds Second Plant for Ultra-Potent Compounds
Italian API producer Olon has started building a second facility at its Rodano site in Milan that will be entirely dedicated to producing ultra-potent compounds.
Merck Invests in Scottish Biosafety Unit
Germany’s Merck is investing €35 million in biosafety testing at its Glasgow and Stirling sites in Scotland. When completed – no date has been given – the company said the expansion will create nearly 500 jobs, lifting the workforce headcount across the two sites to more than 1,200.
PPG Spends $44 Million on Plant Upgrades
PPG has announced plans to spend $44 million on upgrading five of its powder coatings plants in the US, Mexico and Brazil, to meet growing customer demand for more sustainable products. All the projects are scheduled to be finished by the fourth quarter of this year.
Germany’s Messer to Buy Out Investor CVC
Toward bringing global operations under sole family control for the first time since selling the bulk to Hoechst 1965, German industrial gases producer Messer is buying out investor CVC. To finance the plan, the company will sell a stake to Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
Lonza Acquires ADC Specialist Synaffix
Swiss CDMO Lonza has acquired Dutch-based Synaffix, a biotech focused on ADC development. The deal comprises an initial cash injection of €100 million and up to €60 million in additional performance-based considerations. Synaffix will continue to operate under its existing name.
