Chemical Engineering July 2014 - 69

Economic Indicators
Business neWs
Plant Watch
Ineos licenses HDPE process
technology in Turkmenistan
June 10, 2014 - Ineos Technologies (Rolle,
Switzerland; www.ineos.com) has licensed
its Innovene S process technology for the
Turkmengas petrochemical complex in the
Balkan Region of Turkmenistan. The new
complex will produce 386,000 metric tons
per year (m.t./yr) of high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) alongside a 50,000-m.t./yr
Ineos carbon-black compounding line.
Umicore to construct catalyst
manufacturing plant in Poland
June 10, 2014 - Umicore N.V. (Brussels, Belgium;
www.umicore.com) has announced
the construction of a production facility in
Nowa Ruda, Poland, for emission-control
catalysts used in cars and trucks. With an investment
of around €40 million, completion
of the plant is planned for early 2016.
Altana doubles U.S. production
capacity for additives
June 6, 2014 - Altana AG (Wesel, Germany;
www.altana.com) has opened a new additives
manufacturing plant, expanding
production capacity at a facility located in
Wallingford, Conn. for its additives subsidiary
BYK USA Inc. This expansion more than doubles
BYK's U.S. additives production capacity
and represents a $50 million investment
from Altana.
Wacker plans capacity expansion for
dispersible polymer powders
June 2, 2014 - Wacker Chemie AG (Munich,
Germany; www.wacker.com) is investing
around €20 million to expand its production
capacity for dispersible polymer powders
by building a new 50,000-m.t./yr spray dryer
at its Burghausen, Germany site. The facility is
scheduled for completion in early 2015.
Topsøe lays foundation for integrated
methanol and ammonia plant in Russia
June 2, 2014 - A foundation-laying ceremony
was held in Russia for petrochemical
company Shchekinoazot's new methanol
and ammonia co-production plant. The
new plant will be the first ever in the world using
Haldor Topsøe A/S's (Lyngby, Denmark;
www.topsoe.com) IMAP (Integrated Methanol
and Ammonia Production) technology.
The plant's capacity will be 1,350 m.t./day
of methanol and 415 m.t./d of ammonia.
Startup is planned for 2017.
Dow awards Fluor EPC contract for Saudi
RO-membrane manufacturing facility
May 28, 2014 - The Dow Chemical Company
(Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) has
awarded Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.fluor.
com) the engineering, procurement and
construction contract for its reverse osmosis
(RO) manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia.
The facility will manufacture RO elements for
water purification. This is Dow's first facility of its
kind built outside the U.S., and completion is
expected by the end of 2015.
BASF to build new PAG lubricants
plant in Ludwigshafen
May 26, 2014 - BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany;
www.basf.com) has announced the
construction of a new plant for polyalkylene
glycol (PAG)-based lubricants at its Ludwigshafen
site. The facility will begin operations
by early 2016 and produce both PAG lubricant
base stocks and formulated blends.
Jacobs awarded contract for
chlorine dioxide plant in Indonesia
May 23, 2014 - Jacobs Engineering Group
Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.; www.jacobs.com)
was awarded a contract by P.T. OKI Pulp
and Paper Mills (Jakarta, Indonesia) for the
design and supply of an integrated chlorine
dioxide plant for its pulp mill project in South
Sumatra, Indonesia. With commissioning
scheduled in 2016, the plant is anticipated
to produce 172 m.t./d of chlorine dioxide.
Evonik begins production at
isophorone facilities in China
May 19, 2014 - Evonik Industries AG (Essen,
Germany; www.evonik.com) has
commenced production at an integrated
complex for isophorone and isophorone
diamine in Shanghai, China. The company
has invested over €100 million in the facilities,
which will have a total production capacity
of 50,000 m.t./yr, serving customers in the
coatings and paint, construction, adhesives,
and composite industries in Asia.
Mergers and acquisitions
A. Schulman acquires Specialty Plastics
business from Ferro
June 4, 2014 - A. Schulman, Inc. (Akron,
Ohio; www.aschulman.com) agreed to
purchase a selected majority of the assets
of the Specialty Plastics business segment
from Ferro Corp. (Mayfield Heights, Ohio;
www.ferro.com), which develops specialty
compounds, colors and coatings.
Westlake acquires German
PVC producer Vinnolit
May 28, 2014 - Westlake Chemical Corp.
(Houston; www.westlake.com) has agreed
to acquire polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturer
Vinnolit Holdings GmbH for €490
million. The acquisition includes Vinnolit's
operations in Germany and the U.K., comprising
a combined production capacity
of 780,000 m.t./yr of PVC, 665,000 m.t./yr of
vinyl chloride monomer and 475,000 m.t./yr
of membrane-grade caustic soda.
Sabic and SK Global form
polyethylene joint venture
May 27, 2014 - Saudi Basic Industries Corp.
(SABIC; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.
com) and SK Global Chemical (Seoul, South
Korea; www.skglobalchemical.com), have
signed a 50-50 joint venture (JV) agreement
for a total investment of $595 million to manufacture
a range of polyethylene (PE) products.
The Singapore-based JV is expected to
operate a series of manufacturing plants, the
first of which is in Ulsan, South Korea, with a PE
production capacity of 230,000 m.t./yr.
Sika to acquire Swiss adhesives
manufacturer Klebag
May 23, 2014 - Sika AG (Baar, Switzerland;
www.sika.com) is acquiring the business
of Klebag Chemie AG, a manufacturer of
adhesives for the sealing, bonding and flooring
markets. Last year, Klebag generated net
sales of CHF 12 million (around $13.4 million).
Ineos and Doeflex plan merger
for S-PVC businesses
May 23, 2014 - The Compounding division
of Ineos Technologies and Doeflex
Compounding (Wiltshite, U.K.; www.doeflex.
co.uk) have announced the intention to
merge their S-PVC (suspension polyvinyl
chloride) compounding businesses. The
combined business would be managed by
an integrated team from both entities.
Mitsui Chemicals to sell
organic acids business to Fuso
May 16, 2014 - Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI;
Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) has announced
that it will transfer its organic acids
business to Fuso Chemical Co. (Osaka,
Japan; www.fusokk.co.jp). The sale includes
production capacity at the Kashima Works
facility in Kamisu City, Japan, consisting of
32,000 m.t./yr maleic anhydride and 15,000
m.t./yr fumaric acid. ■
Mary Page Bailey
For additional news as it develops, please visit www.che.com
July 2014; VOL. 121; NO. 7
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http://www.dow.com http://www.westlake.com http://www.fluor http://www.ineos.com http://www.sabic http://www.basf.com http://www.umicore.com http://www.skglobalchemical.com http://www.jacobs.com http://www.altana.com http://www.sika.com http://www.evonik.com http://www.wacker.com http://www.doeflex http://www.co.uk http://www.mitsuichem.com http://www.aschulman.com http://www.fusokk.co.jp http://www.topsoe.com http://www.ferro.com http://www.che.com http://www.Che.Com

Chemical Engineering July 2014

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