Neste, Covestro and SK Geo Centric Partner on PU Feedstock
A collaboration between Neste, Covestro and SK Geo Centric aims to use renewable raw materials to produce MDI – a key feedstock for polyurethane production.
News
Azelis Takes Majority Share of ROCSA Colombia
Azelis has agreed to acquire a majority stake in ROCSA Colombia, a specialty chemical distributor serving the life sciences and industrial chemical markets in South America.
Bayer Wins Fourth Roundup Appeal as EPA Zooms in
Bayer has won its fourth consecutive appeal of a US court case previously decided in favor of a plaintiff who claimed that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Wacker has Ambitious Plans for Norwegian Site
With an eye to expanding production capacity for silicon metal, Germany’s Wacker Chemie has launched a feasibility study to carry out a capacity upgrade at its site in Holla, Norway.
Pfizer Invests in Valneva, Updates Lyme Vaccine Venture
Pfizer is to invest $95 million and take an equity share of 8.1% in in Valneva in order to further support development of a vaccine for Lyme disease.
Ineos Mulls Acetic acid Unit in US
Ineos Acetyls has launched a feasibility study to explore building a world scale plant for acetic acid and derivatives on the US Gulf coast.
Shell and Dow Start Demo E-Cracker Unit
Shell and Dow have started up an experimental unit to electrically heat steam cracker furnaces in the Netherlands.
Unilever and Genomatica Partner on Plant-based Ingredients
Consumer goods giant Unilever and biotech specialist Genomatica are to jointly invest $120 million in a new venture to commercialize plant-based alternatives to feedstocks such as palm oil and fossil fuels used in cleansers for home care, beauty and personal care products.
Expansion at SK Biotek API Plant to Cost $35 Miilion
South Korean CDMO SK Pharmteco (SKTP) said it will spend $35 million on the initial phase of a planned expansion at the Dublin, Ireland, API site the conglomerate acquired from Bristol Myers Squibb in 2017. Prior to that, SK had been a BMS supplier for around a decade.
BASF Shanshan Expanding Battery Materials Output
BASF Shanshan Battery Materials (BSBM), a 51:49 joint venture of the German chemical giant and China’s Hunan Shanshan Energy, is expanding its battery materials capacity in China’s Changsha, Hunan Province, and Shuizuishan, Ningxia Province, to meet the fast-growing local and global demands of the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
Perstorp Starts Switch to Sustainable Polyols
Swedish chemical producer Perstorp is making strides toward its sustainability goals following its mid-May announcement that it will be acquired by Malaysian petrochemicals giant Petronas Group (PCG) for €1.54 billion.
CF Fertilisers Restructures in UK, Closes Ince Plant
CF Fertilisers is restructuring its UK operations to position the business for long-term profitability and sustainability, enabling it to continue supplying fertilizer, carbon dioxide and other industrial products.
Supreme Court Quiet on Bayer’s Roundup Petition
Despite the expectations of many, given the broad coverage in media of all types – and the case’s mention on the docket for Jun. 13 – the US Supreme Court has remained silent on whether or not it will hear Bayer’s petition on packaging labels for Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide.
Curia and Replicate Bioscience Link on sRNA
Research-oriented CDMO Curia, formerly known as AMRI, has agreed to cooperate with Replicate Bioscience, a company searching for ways to prevent drug resistance in cancer and to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders and other diseases using self-replicating RNA (srRNA).
New PAO Plant for CPChem in Belgium
Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) is planning to build a new polyalphaolefins (PAO) plant in Beringen, Belgium, to meet growing demand. The “significant investment” will see the company’s PAO capacity in Belgium double to 120,000 t/y when it starts up in 2024.
Pfizer to Spend $120 Million on US Paxlovid Buildup
Pfizer will invest $120 million at its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to support US production of its Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) oral antiviral treatment for Covid-19. The company said the money will fund an expansion of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and registered starting materials (RSMs) used to produce the treatment and make it one of the world’s largest producers of APIs.
Oqema Boosts German Presence with ACC Beku Buy
Chemicals distributor Oqema has strengthened its market position in Germany with the acquisition of ACC Beku, a specialty chemicals distributors that manufactures and bottles hardeners, lacquers and other “everyday” products. ACC Bekku now operates as an independent subsidiary of Oqema under the name Oqemiqs.
Samsung Biologics in $81 Million Deal with Novartis
In the their first-ever collaboration, South Korea’s Samsung Biologics and Switzerland’s Novartis have inked an initial $81 million contract manufacturing and development deal, Samsung said in a regulatory filing.
CordenPharma Lifts xRNA Capability in Italy
German CDMO CordenPharma, a specialist in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), excipients, drug products and packaging services (APIs), is investing more than €10 million in a new lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation, development and production area at its sterile injectable facility in Caponago, Italy.
Vopak Accelerates Investments in New Energies and Sustainable Feedstocks
Multinational tank storage operator Vopak will invest a total of €2 billion to expand its new energies, sustainable feedstocks, and industrial and gas terminals portfolio by 2030. The company also intends to improve the performance of its portfolio, targeting an operating cash return of at least 10% by 2025.
DSM to Buy Brazil’s Prodap
DSM has entered into an agreement to buy Prodap, a Brazilian animal nutrition and technology company. The deal remains subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in 2022. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Brenntag Expands Saudi Presence with Al-Azzaz Venture
Leading chemicals and ingredients distributor Brenntag is partnering Al-Azzaz Chemicals, a Saudi Arabian specialty chemicals distributor, in a 75:25 joint venture. Brenntag’s alliance in Saudi is represented through Trychem FZCO, its majority-owned joint venture based in the United Arab Emirates.
Eni to Lead Qatar LNG Consortium?
State-backed Italian energy group Eni has reportedly been tapped by the government of Qatar to lead a consortium of five global energy groups to stem the near $30 billion expansion of the North Field, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Nuaxovid
In a vote of 21 in favor with one abstention, the US Food and Drug Administration’s advisory panel has recommended that the FDA approve Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine Nuaxovid for emergency use. If the health agency agrees, it would be the fourth such shot available in the US, joining the mRNA products of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna and the viral vector shot of Johnson & Johnson’s pharma subsidiary Janssen.
Repsol Builds Iberia’s First UHMWPE Plant
Repsol has announced plans to invest €105 million to build a plant for ultra-high molecular weight PE (UHMWPE) at its Puertollano complex in Spain. The company said the facility will be the first in Iberia for the “super polymer”.
EU Parliament Rejects Commission’s ETS Revamp Plan
The European Parliament was at the center of political disagreement and disappointment on Jun. 8 as a plenary vote on one of three key climate laws failed, and the proposals were sent back to committees. Finger-pointing and name-calling across the aisles followed, according to recordings from the session.
KBR Invests in Plastics Recycling Firm
US science, technology and engineering group KBR is investing a further $100 million in chemical recycling firm Mura Technology. The move takes KBR’s aggregate investment in Mura to 18.5%.
Evonik Invests $220 Million in US Lipids Facility
German specialty chemicals producer Evonik has announced it will build a new, highly flexible, global-scale US production facility for pharmaceutical lipids at the Tippecanoe site in Lafayette, Indiana.
Lilly Invests $2.1 Billion in New Indiana Facilities
US drugmaker Eli Lilly has announced plans to invest $2.1 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint by setting up two new sites in Boone County, Indiana. The facilities will expand Lilly’s network for active ingredients and new therapeutic modalities, such as genetic medicines, while also supporting increasing demand for its products.
Milliken Invests in Coating Additives Lab
US plastics additives and colorants manufacturer Milliken said it has made a “significant investment” in the coating additives laboratory it acquired in the early 2021 takeover of Borchers Americas.
Sumitomo Chemical to Sell Nufarm Stake
Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has decided to sell its stake in Australian agrochemicals company Nufarm. Sumitomo’s holding represents 15.9% of Nufarm’s outstanding shares.
FDA Greenlights GSK’s MMR Vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has greenlit GSK’s Priorix-branded GSK’s mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) for people 12 months and older. It is only the second such shot to be licensed for US distribution in more than 50 years. Merck & Co’s MMR-II vaccine was approved by the FDA for the pediatric application in 1971.
AkzoNobel Boosts African Presence with Kansai Paint Buy
AkzoNobel has agreed to buy Kansai Paint’s activities in Africa, strengthening its footprint in the region. The sale is expected to close in 2023, subject to regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Johnson Matthey Closes Sale of Health Business
Johnson Matthey has completed the sale of its Health business to US-based private equity firm Altaris Capital Partners for £325 million. As part of the transaction, Johnson Matthey has retained a stake of approximately 30% in the business, which has been rebranded as Veranova.
Pfizer to Quit GSK Consumer JV with Cash Windfall
Pfizer is set to start divesting its 32% stake in Haleon, the consumer health joint venture with GSK, when the British pharma completes the company’s spinoff and Haleon begins trading on the London Stock Exchange on July 18.
