Chemical Engineering August 2014 - 71

Economic Indicators
Business neWs
Plant Watch
ExxonMobil invests in new delayed
coker unit at Belgium refinery
July 7, 2014 - An affiliate of ExxonMobil
(Irving, Tex., www.exxonmobil.com), Esso
Belgium, a division of ExxonMobil Petroleum
& Chemical B.V.B.A., plans to install a new
delayed coker unit at its Antwerp, Belgium
petroleum refinery. The investment for this refinery
upgrade totals more than $2 billion.
Five-member consortium plans
new MDI plant in Shanghai
July 1, 2014 - BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany;
www.basf.com), Huntsman Corp.,
Shanghai Hua Yi (Group) Co., Shanghai
Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co. and Sinopec
Group Assets Management Corp. formed
a consotrium to construct a new plant
at Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co. in
Caojing, China. The facility will have production
capacity of 240,000 metric tons
per year (m.t./yr) of crude MDI (diphenylmethane
diisocyanate). With the new plant,
the total MDI capacity at this site will double
to 480,000 m.t./yr. The facility is expected to
start up in 2017.
Kuraray to expand U.S. facilities for
polyvinyl alcohol production
June 27, 2014 - Kuraray Co. (Tokyo, Japan;
www.kuraray.co.jp) will expand its production
facilities for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in
the U.S. at its wholly owned subsidiary MonoSol,
LLC. Kuraray will establish a new factory
in Portage, Ind. for PVA film production. The
first phase of construction requires an investment
of around $25 million, with operations
targeted for startup in January 2016.
Topsøe to establish catalyst
manufacturing facility in Brazil
June 26, 2014 - Haldor Topsøe A/S (Lyngby,
Denmark; www.topsoe.com) is currently in
the process of establishing a production facility
in Brazil. The facility will focus on manufacturing
catalysts that remove nitrogen oxides,
particulate matter and hydrocarbons
from the engine exhaust of diesel vehicles.
Foster Wheeler awarded contract for
steam-reformer heater in Russia
June 25, 2014 - A subsidiary of Foster Wheeler
AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.fwc.com) has
been awarded a contract by Glencore Oil
Projects AG for a steam-reformer heater
for hydrogen production for the Orsknefteorgsyntez
Refinery at Orsk, Russia. Foster
Wheeler's scope of work is scheduled to be
completed in the second quarter of 2015.
Oxea completes specialty esters
plant in Nanjing
June 23, 2014 - Oxea GmbH (Oberhausen,
Germany; www.oxea-chemicals.com) says
that its specialty esters plant in Nanjing, China,
is now mechanically complete. The new
plant, Oxea's first production site in Asia, is
currently in the commissioning and startup
phase. It will boost Oxea's global production
capacity for specialty esters by 40%.
Asahi Kasei will construct manufacturing
plant for new optical polymer
June 19, 2014 - Asahi Kasei Chemicals
Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp)
has developed as a new optical polymer
called AZP. Manufacturing facilities for AZP
will be constructed at the company's plant
in Chiba, Japan, with startup scheduled for
early 2015. Anticipated applications for AZP
are in high-performance displays and various
optical components.
Versalis/Novamont joint venture Matrìca
inaugurates biorefinery in Italy
June 17, 2014 -Matrìca S.p.A (Porto Torres,
Italy; www.matrica.it), the 50/50 joint venture
(JV) between Versalis and Novamont, has
inaugurated its first biorefinery complex, located
in Porto Torres, Italy. Consisting of three
plants, the complex will convert vegetable
oils into monomers and intermediates for a
variety of industries, producing a total of approximately
70,000 m.t./yr of bio-products.
Chevron Phillips starts up new on-purpose
hexene production plant
June 13, 2014 - Chevron Phillips Chemical
Co. LP (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.
com) has announced the successful commissioning
and startup of what is said to be
the world's largest on-purpose 1-hexene
plant. Located at the Cedar Bayou Chemical
Complex in Baytown, Tex., the 1-hexene
unit is capable of producing 250,000 m.t./yr.
Mergers and acquisitions
Kemira to acquire paper chemicals
business from AkzoNobel
July 8, 2014 - Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, Finland;
www.kemira.com) has reached a preliminary
agreement to acquire AkzoNobel's
global paper chemicals business, valued at
€153 million. The closing of the transaction is
expected in the first quarter of 2015.
Washington Penn to purchase assets of
ExxonMobil's PP compounding business
July 8, 2014 - Washington Penn Plastic Co.
has concluded an agreement with ExxonMobil
Chemical Co. (EMC; Houston; www.
exxonmobilchemical.com) to purchase
and license assets of EMC's North American
specialty compounded polypropylene (PP)
products business, following EMC's decision
to cease production of those products in
North America.
GE enhances wastewater-treatment
portfolio with acquisition of Monsal
July 7, 2014 - GE Power & Water
(Schenectady, N.Y.; www.gepower.com)
has agreed to acquire Monsal (Mansfield,
U.K.; www.monsal.com), a private company
specializing in water, waste, anaerobic digestion
and integrated biogas-to-energy technologies.
This acquisition will enhance GE's
wastewater-treatment product offerings.
Ineos to acquire BASF's share in
Styrolution for €1.1 billion
June 30, 2014 - Ineos (Rolle, Switzerland,
www.ineos.com) will acquire BASF's 50%
share in Styrolution, a JV between the companies.
The purchase price to be paid by
Ineos is €1.1 billion. Completion of the deal is
expected in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Solvay and Ineos to create chlorovinyls
producer JV, called Inovyn
June 26, 2014 - Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium;
www.solvay.com) and Ineos will create
a JV for chlorovinyls, to be named Inovyn
and headquartered in London, U.K. The JV is
expected to be effective by year-end 2014.
H.B. Fuller to acquire Tonsan Adhesive
for $230 million
June 26, 2014 - H.B. Fuller Co. (St. Paul,
Minn.; www.hbfuller.com) has signed an
agreement to purchase Tonsan Adhesive,
Inc. for $230 million. Tonsan, with current annual
revenue of around $100 million, is said
to be the largest independent engineeringadhesives
provider in China.
Yara to acquire Borealis' stake in
French urea plant
June 17, 2014 - Yara International ASA
(Oslo, Norway; www.yara.com) will acquire
Borealis' 52.15% ownership in a urea plant
in Le Havre, France. With this purchase, Yara
gains access to an additional 160,000 m.t/
yr of urea production capacity. ■
Mary Page Bailey
For additional news as it develops, please visit www.che.com
August 2014; VOL. 121; NO. 8
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Chemical Engineering August 2014

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