LyondellBasell Signs PPAs for US Renewable Energy
LyondellBasell (LYB) has pledged to cover at least 50% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.
News
Yara Details Clean Ammonia Plans
Yara International has outlined an ambitious growth plan for its Clean Ammonia business, with “significant” investment decisions targeted over the next three years.
Sanofi Joins Pfizer in nonprofit Drug Distribution
Two globally oriented drugmakers, Pfizer and Sanofi, are making moves that some may interpret as attempts to allay the pharma industry‘s reputation for being “only in it for the money” but could potentially benefit poorer countries if all goes to plan.
Arkema Completes Permoseal Acquisition
Arkema has closed its acquisition of South Africa’s Permoseal, a move designed to strengthen and complete the portfolio of its adhesives subsidiary Bostik.
Azelis Continues Acquisition Spree with Buys in Lebanon, Turkey
Azelis is continuing its recent acquisition spree with agreements to buy two more companies in Lebanon and Turkey.
Trinseo and GMP Partner on PS Recycling
Trinseo and Dutch firm GMP Group are setting up a framework for an exclusive cooperation to further progress the circulatory of PS.
Lanxess Wraps up IFF Microbial Unit Buy
German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess has wrapped up its acquisition of International Flavors & Fragrances’s microbial control business unit, a year after announcing the $1.3 billion deal with the US company in August 2021.
Italmatch Boosts Oil & Gas Chemicals with Aubin Buy
Italian multinational specialty chemicals company Italmatch has acquired Aubin Group from investment firm BGF, its owner since October 2013. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Croda Wins US Backing for Lipid Systems Expansion
UK specialty chemical company Croda International will receive up to $75 million from the US government to expand its US capacity to produce ingredients for lipid systems used in novel therapeutic drugs, such as mRNA vaccines.
US Supreme Court Challenges EPA Role in Climate Rules
The mission of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under US president Joe Biden for the past 18 months has been to restore some of the Obama era anti-pollution regulations overturned by the former president Donald Trump.
Neste Buys European Rights to Alterra’s Liquefaction Technology
Neste has bought the European rights to Alterra Energy’s liquefaction technology.
Ineos Expanding PAO Unit at LaPorte
Ineos Oligomers is expanding its plant for High Viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO) at La Porte, Texas, in stages up to mid-2025.
Azelis Makes Another Move in India
Azelis has announced that it has agreed to buy a majority stake in Ashapura Aromas, a leading Indian distributor of flavor & fragrance ingredients.
Novartis Confirms 8,000 Global Jobs Will be Axed
Novartis has confirmed reports by Swiss daily newspaper Tages-Anzeiger that it plans to slash 8,000 jobs worldwide.
ExxonMobil and Shell Study China CCS Project
Energy and petrochemical giants ExxonMobil and Shell have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CNOOC and the Guangdong Provincial Development & Reform Commission in China to evaluate the potential for a world-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
Borealis Invests in Global Wire and Cable Assets
Borealis is investing about €200 million to upgrade and expand capacity for cross-linked PE (XLPE) and semiconductive compounds in Europe in order to meet future demand in wire and cable applications.
Novartis Pledges to Fight Tropical Diseases and Malaria
Swiss drugmaker Novartis has made a five-year financial commitment of $250 million to fight neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and malaria.
Solvay Progressing Fluorosurfactant Phase-out
Solvay is completely phasing out the use of fluorosurfactants across its global production platforms up to 2026. In its latest step, the Belgian chemical giant said it will be able to produce nearly 100% of its fluoropolymers without fluorosurfactants at its Spinetta Marengo, Italy, site by that date.
New Covid Shots Score Points against Omicron
Sanofi and GSK are touting their latecomer protein-based Covid-19 vaccine as a potential game changer in the fight against the Omicron variant.
Kemira Launches Growth Accelerator Unit
Finland’s Kemira has launched a new division, called its Growth Accelerator unit, to drive the company’s long-term growth for selected strategic initiatives.
Sharon McGuiness new ECHA Chief Executive
Sharon McGuinness has been appointed to a five-year term as the new executive director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the body that administrates the REACH chemicals legislation.
Merck Germany Doubles HPAPI Potential
The Life Science business segment of German pharmaceuticals, chemicals and life sciences group Merck has widened its US plant for high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) at Verona, near Madison, Wisconsin to 6,500 m2.
AkzoNobel Hikes China Paints Capacity
Dutch paints and coatings group AkzoNobel has invested an undisclosed sum in a new production line in China for water-based texture paints.
IMCD Expands in China with Welex Buy
IMCD China, part of Netherlands-headquartered multinational chemicals distributor IMCD, has agreed to take over specialty distribution company Welex, boosting its footprint in China.
BASF to Build Battery Recycling Plant at Schwarzheide
German chemical giant BASF has announced it will build a commercial scale battery recycling black mass plant in at its Schwarzheide, Germany, site, strengthening the location’s activities in production and recycling of cathode active materials (CAM).
US Supreme Court Won’t Hear Bayer’s Roundup Petition
After months of anticipation, the US Supreme Court has deflated Bayer’s hopes that the court’s conservative majority would vote to hear its appeal to overturn a $25 million appeals court verdict in favor of Edwin Hardeman.
Clariant Restructures Business, Leadership
Clariant is restructuring its business and leadership to position itself for long-term sustainable growth and implement a cultural transformation.
Qatar Awards first North Field Contracts
The emirate of Qatar has begun signing agreements with US and European energy majors for the country’s planned $30 billion expansion of its North Field, which is believed to harbor the world’s largest natural gas reserves. TotalEnergies is taking the top slot.
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.
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.
