CHEMICAL UPDATE
MAY 2015
McIlvaine Company
Evonik Starts Basic Engineering Work for New Precipitated Silica Production
Plant in US
PeroxyChem Breaks Ground On Hydrogen Peroxide Purification Plant in NY
Borealis and Agrifos to Set Up Ammonia Plant in Texas
Chevron Phillips Chemical Breaks Ground on Polyethlene Plant in Bartlesville, OK
AkzoNobel to Build €30 million Performance Coatings Facility in Thailand
Jacobs Awarded EPCM Contract by Huntsman for Singapore Polyetheramine Expansion
Selena Gets EBRD Loan to Expand Construction Chemical Business in Kazakhstan
Mexichem’s VESTOLIT Subsidiary to Increase Specialty PVC Capacity in German
Plant
Sasol
Performance Chemicals Expands Catalyst Carrier Production Capacity
Evonik Doubles Methacrylic Anhydride Capacity in Germany
Nippon Shokubai Plans Belgium Investment for
Superabsorbent Polymer
Jacobs Awarded Four-Year EPCM Contract by Sadara
Valspar to Buy Performance Coatings Businesses of Quest Specialty Chemicals
Ashland to Sell Industrial Biocides Assets to Troy
DSM
Dyneema Acquires Performance-Materials Company Cubic Tech
Solvay Completes Divestment of Refrigerant Activities in Germany to Daikin
Cargill Acquires Boulder-Based OPX Biotechnologies' Technology
Albemarle Unit Acquires Aluminum Finishing Chemical Business in Germany
Evonik Industries has commenced basic engineering for a new
precipitated silica production plant in the South East of the US. It will
produce precipitated silica for the rubber and tire industry.
The project, which is subject to the approval of the
relevant bodies, is expected to be completed in late 2017. It will provide
products from local production for the North American market.
The company said the demand for highly dispersible silica
is increasing due to North American economic dynamics, and an above-average
sales growth for tires with less rolling resistance.
Evonik Industries management member of the resource
efficiency segment Johannes Ohmer said: "We are going to continue expanding our
precipitated silica capacities, a global programme that we started five years
ago. The resource efficiency megatrend fuels the demand for our products.
"Interest in energy-saving tires is continuously growing in
North America. That's why we are planning to build the plant close to our
customers, the large tire manufacturers."
In addition to precipitated silica, Evonik also produces
AEROSIL fumed silica and matting agents, based on silica under the ACEMATT brand
name.
The company's worldwide annual capacity for precipitated
and fumed silica as well as matting agents is around 550,000 tonnes.
PeroxyChem held a groundbreaking ceremony
to commemorate its new hydrogen peroxide purification facility in Saratoga
Springs, N.Y.
A number of local and state officials
offered remarks at the event, including legislative aide to New York State
Senator Kathleen Marchione, LoAnn Sanders, deputy mayor Joseph Ogden, president
of the Saratoga Economic Development Counsel, Dennis Brobston and senior vice
president of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Dr. Thomas Caulfield.
"As an organization we are focusing our
resources on innovations in research and development (R&D), operations, new
products, applications and processes,” said Bruce Lerner, president and CEO,
PeroxyChem. “This new facility is a direct result of that pledge and underscores
our capabilities as a leading global manufacturer of peroxygens and adjacent
technologies. Customer and partner collaboration in the northeast region is an
important enabler of our continued growth in the electronics industry, allowing
us to better serve GLOBALFOUNDRIES and other customers in the region.”
The new facility will support the
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Fab 8 facility by supplying growing demand for ultra-high purity
hydrogen peroxide used in semiconductor manufacturing.
The Saratoga Springs facility is an
important part of the company’s overall vision as PeroxyChem expands
capabilities in the electronics market and is expected to be operational in
2016.
PeroxyChem is a global leader in peroxygen
and adjacent chemistries. The company employs approximately 600 people
throughout the world, with facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
The brownfield, hydrogen-based project is scheduled for mechanical completion
and start-up in early 2019
Borealis - the Austria-based manufacturer
of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilisers - and Agrifos Partners LLC, a
project development company, have reached a preliminary agreement to jointly
develop a world-scale ammonia project through Gulf Coast Ammonia LLC (GCA). The
plant will be located within an existing chemical site along the Texas Gulf
Coast. GCA is in final negotiations with a short list of strategic site owners
and expects to make a final site selection within the coming few months.
The brownfield, hydrogen-based project is
scheduled for mechanical completion and start-up in early 2019. The site will
benefit from existing infrastructure and excellent logistics capabilities which
will allow product supply to a variety of long-term off-takers and customers.
The final agreement with Borealis, which
would be subject to its Supervisory Board approval, contemplates significant
equity participation by Borealis in the project. Borealis would also enter into
a long-term offtake agreement for approximately 40% of the ammonia produced by
the plant.
Markku Korvenranta, executive vice
president base chemicals, Borealis, said, "We have a clear strategy of expanding
our global nitrogen business. By participating in the development of,
construction of and offtake from a world-scale project in the US, Borealis is
able to secure long-term supplies of ammonia based on the attractive economics
of US natural gas. It also is a key step in the Borealis goal to sell 10 million
tonnes of nitrogen-based fertiliser products per year by 2020. Gulf Coast
Ammonia's project is all the more compelling because it builds on existing site
capabilities and assets along the US Gulf Coast."
GCA is a company formed by Agrifos
Partners LLC to develop a world-scale ammonia plant along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The project will utilise hydrogen and nitrogen feedstock, with pricing linked to
US natural gas indexes. Agrifos has extensive experience in acquiring,
developing and operating fertilizer production assets. The company expects to
make further announcements in the near future concerning additional product
offtake commitments, feedstock supply arrangements, permitting and construction
contracts.
Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. began breaking ground Tuesday
on a polyethylene pilot plant to be constructed at the company’s research and
development facility in the western area of the city.
A premier testing site for polyethylene research, the plant
is being built in Bartlesville on a campus that has been a hub of research and
development for decades. Company officials did not disclose how large the plant
will be or how much it will cost to construct. The pilot facility is expected to
open in 2017.
“This plant is designed to provide continual technical
advances that will find their way into the marketplace in years to come,”
Chevron Phillips Chemical spokeswoman Melanie Taplett said.
Key to the operations in the new facility will be Chevron
Phillips’ proprietary MarTECH loop slurry process production and MarTECH ADL
(advanced dual loop) technology, a proprietary dual loop process enabling
production of bimodal polyethylene resins for advanced applications.
The plain English translation is that the work at the plant
will allow Chevron Phillips to “continuously improve products, processes and
technologies that enhance the petrochemicals and plastics that are essential to
our quality of life,” according to Taplett.
Bartlesville is the only location where Chevron Phillips
Chemical is building this type of plant, at least for now. This corner of
northeast Oklahoma proved to be a logical location for the operation.
“Originally built in 1950 by Phillips Petroleum Co., our
Bartlesville location has a long history of research and technology in the
petrochemical and plastics industry,” Taplett said. “We have a strong core of
scientists, researchers and engineers focused on innovation and invention.”
Zeton, Inc., a Canadian-based corporation with expertise in
pilot projects, will provide engineering and construction services on the new
plant. Zachry Industrial Inc. will handle the on-site construction, including
installing production modules, Taplett said.
The plant will be operated by existing personnel in
Bartlesville, though about 60 new jobs will be created during construction, she
said.
AkzoNobel has announced plans to invest more than €30
million in a manufacturing facility in Thailand to support regional growth of
its Performance Coatings business.
The project, which is being supported by the Thailand Board
of Investment, involves constructing a 120,000m2 site within the Hemaraj Eastern
Seaboard Industrial Estate in Chonburi. Earmarked for an initial capacity of
45,000 tons per year, production is due to start in the third quarter of 2016.
The new plant will support several Performance Coatings
businesses, including Metal Coatings, Protective Coatings, Specialty Coatings
and Marine Coatings, as well certain products from the company`s Decorative
Paints business.
"By investing in this new facility we are supporting our
continued growth within Thailand, as well as making progress with our regional
business expansion strategy," explained AB Ghosh, Managing Director of
AkzoNobel`s Metal Coatings business. "A number of existing operations will be
consolidated into the new site, allowing us to achieve world class operational
standards."
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.;
www.jacobs.com) has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction
management (EPCM) contract for an expansion program at Huntsman Corp.’s
world-scale polyetheramine facility in Singapore. Company officials did not
disclose the contract value. The Jurong Island facility expansion is expected to
enable backward integration to produce polyethers from locally sourced
feedstocks.
Huntsman expects demand for polyetheramines to grow
significantly over the next decade, particularly in the Asia Pacific market.
Polyetheramines are used as ingredients to improve the properties of many
products, including paint, adhesives and composites.
Jacobs is responsible for the detailed engineering and
design, procurement of major equipment and management of construction services.
Construction is expected to begin by mid-2015 and be completed in the second
half of 2016.
Upon making the announcement, Jacobs Group vice president
Kevin McMahon said, “Jacobs has a history of delivering successful projects for
Huntsman in Singapore, and we are delighted to continue working with them on
this project. We look forward to leveraging our globally recognized EPCM
experience to oversee this important expansion.”
Polish producer of construction chemicals
Selena has secured a €10m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) to support the company's further expansion in Kazakhstan.
Selena manufactures construction chemical
products for professional contractors and DIY users.
In Kazakhstan the company already has a
subsidiary, which will benefit from a €7m loan.
The proceeds of this portion of the EBRD
loan will re-finance the acquisition of a local production company and the
construction of a production plant. The remaining €3m will be provided as
working capital to the parent company.
"The EBRD loan will contribute to making
Kazakhstan more energy efficient, with the help of locally produced construction
materials."
The company is investing in Kazakhstan to
build upon its manufacturing capacity and expand its product offering in the
strategically important product group of insulation systems.
Currently, Selena is present on four
continents and has eight factories in Poland and seven abroad, with more than
70% of sales coming from international markets.
According to EBRD, the expansion to
fast-growing Asian markets has allowed the company to lessen its dependence on
European markets, including the Polish home market, which has been relatively
stagnant in recent years.
Selena Group CEO Jaroslaw Michniuk said:
"Kazakhstan is one of the key markets for Selena, and expanding the product
group of insulation systems is the direction we decided to take in our strategy
for 2016.
"We are operating in a highly unstable
economic environment, so it is crucial to have various tools at our disposal to
both boost our presence in the market of Kazakhstan, and improve the way we take
on the foreign exchange challenges that come with being a multinational
company."
VESTOLIT, a 100% subsidiary of Mexichem
(BMV:MEXCHEM) acquired in 2014, announced recently that it is moving forward to
expand its position as a leading producer of specialty Paste PVC.
VESTOLIT will build a new production line
with an annual capacity of 40,000 metric tons of Paste (Emulsion) PVC. The line
will combine the established leading polymerization technology with a newly
developed, energy efficient, drying technology. Furthermore, the facility in
Marl, Germany, will become the largest single site for Emulsion PVC; it is
already European's largest fully back integrated PVC site.
“We are pleased to support the continued
growth and development of Vestolit, as part of our global strategy to expand our
asset base and increase our focus on specialty products,” said Carlos Manrique,
President of Mexichem Chlor-Vinyl. “This new production line reinforces
Vestolit’s reputation as a provider of efficient technological solutions to an
expanding customer base.”
"By utilizing our cutting edge technology,
we will strengthen our market position in ultra-low viscous PVC and better serve
our customers’ needs. At the same time, we will be building on our technology
platform, which can effectively be replicated at other Mexichem sites around the
world," added Dr. Michael Träger, CEO of VESTOLIT.
VESTOLIT is Europe’s only manufacturer of
High Impact Suspension PVC (HIS-PVC) for weather-resistant windows and is
Europe’s second-largest producer of Paste PVC for floors and wallpapers, among
others. VESTOLIT also produces Chlor-alkali and its derivates used for a variety
of chemical and industrial applications and is vertically integrated in a single
site from salt through Specialty PVC. Vestolit is consolidated under Mexichem’s
Chlorine-Vinyl Chain.
Mexichem is a worldwide leader in plastic
pipes, and one of the largest chemical and petrochemical companies, with more
than 50 years of experience in LatAm.
Sasol recently announced that it has
expanded the production capacity of its alumina spheres plant in Brunsbüttel,
Germany to 4,000 tonnes per annum. Through the company's Performance Chemicals
Inorganics & Catalyst division, a leading global producer of inorganic
specialities, it produces high purity and ultra-high purity alumina that is used
in a range of catalytic and non-catalytic applications.
The expansion marks another step in the
company strengthening its position in the alumina market to meet growing market
demand for alumina-based shaped carrier materials for industrial catalytic and
non-catalytic applications. Due to physical and chemical properties, the shaped
carriers produced by Sasol's Performance Chemicals Inorganics & Catalyst
division are sought-after in fast-growing markets, such as the refinery catalyst
market.
Sasol can meet its customers' increasing
demands due to its ability to control the physical and chemical properties of
its products. This includes tailoring the porosity of its spheres and producing
spheres doped with various elements at the request of the customer. A key
strength is that it can tailor make near-perfect spherical alumina spheres with
a narrow size distribution and low attrition that serves as effective carriers
for various industrial applications.
Sasol's Performance Chemicals division has
a wide range of shaped carrier materials for catalytic and non-catalytic
applications covering a range of products from extrudates and tablets to zeolite-doped
and customised metal-doped spheres. The company is well placed to add value to
its customers globally as its products have unique properties derived from
Sasol's proprietary production process and the high-purity alumina raw materials
used in production.
Hexcel welcomed guests to the site in
Roussillon, France where it will invest $250 million in the construction of a
carbon fiber plant. Hexcel presented plans for the new facility to local
dignitaries, customers, media representatives and Hexcel employees.
Hexcel’s new carbon fiber facility will
occupy a 37-acre site at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform in Roussillon
and will be comprised of both polymerization and carbonization lines. The plant
is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and
robust supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for carbon
fiber composites.
Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and
President, presided over the event with the support of André Vallini, French
Secretary of State for Territorial Reform and Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP and Head
of Programs. Mr. Stanage said, “Together with our capacity expansions in the
U.S., this new facility in France will strengthen our global supply chain by
adding precursor and additional carbon fiber capacity in Europe.”
Carbon fiber from the new plant will be
supplied to Hexcel customers including Airbus for the A350 XWB and Safran for
the CFM LEAP engine.
Construction of the new plant will begin
by September 2015 and is expected to employ 120 people when fully operational in
early 2018. Today Hexcel employs close to 1000 people in France.
The Roussillon facility is located close
to Hexcel’s weaving and prepreg manufacturing facilities near Lyon. Mr. Stanage
announced further investments totaling $22 million at these existing facilities
to include capacity expansions at Hexcel’s carbon fiber weaving plant at Les
Avenières, and an additional resin impregnation line in Dagneux, Montluel. These
additional investments are expected to create 100 more jobs by 2018.
Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP and Head of
Programs commented: “We are delighted by Hexcel's decision to build this new
carbon fiber plant in Europe. This significant investment will further secure
the A350 XWB production ramp-up and demonstrates the high level of Hexcel’s
commitment to the success of the A350 XWB program."
Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced
composites company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight,
high-performance structural materials, including carbon fibers, reinforcements,
prepregs, honeycomb, matrix systems, adhesives and composite structures, used in
commercial aerospace, space and defense and industrial applications such as wind
turbine blades.
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has
doubled its production capacities for Visiomer MAAH (methacrylic anhydride) at
its site in Worms, Germany.
Visiomer MAAH is an important building block in the
production of specialty methacrylates, which are used in concrete additives,
paints and colorants, electronics applications, and plastics.
In addition to MAAH, Evonik Industries produces and markets
a wide range of specialty methacrylates as well as MMA, GMAA, n-BMA, i-BMA, and
hydroxy methacrylates under the Visiomer brand.
Nippon Shokubai (Osaka, Japan; www.shokubai.co.jp) will
build a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) plant capable of making 100,000 metric tons
of the material per year at its European site in Antwerp, Belgium. Additionally,
a second plant, capable of making 100,000 tons of acrylic acid, a SAP feedstock,
will also be constructed at Antwerp. The company recently approved this plan.
The expansion will serve demand in Central and Eastern Europe.
After the SAP expansion at NSE’s existing plant site, NSE’s
total SAP capacity will be 160,000 m.t./yr.
Mechanical completion of the SAP/AA project, which is being
built at an existing NSE site, is scheduled for October 2017, with commercial
operations commencing in May 2018. The total investment in the projects is
approximately €350 million.
According to the company, SAP, one of its core businesses,
has shown steady growth thanks to the disposable diaper market. Nippon Shokubai
is also underway with a 50,000-ton-per-year investment in Himeji, Japan.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.;
www.jacobs.com) announced that it was awarded a four-year contract by Sadara
Chemical Company (Sadara) for engineering, procurement and construction
management (EPCM) services. The contract value was not disclosed.
Sadara is currently building the world’s largest chemical
complex to ever be constructed in a single phase, with 26 world-scale
manufacturing plants, in Jubail Industrial City II, Saudi Arabia.
In making the announcement, Jacobs Group vice president
Bassim Shebaro stated, “We are proud to deepen our relationship with Sadara,
which began in 2011. Since then, we have developed a strategic business
relationship built on value, trust, partnership and commitment.”
Established in October 2011, Sadara is a joint venture
developed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and The Dow Chemical
Company (Dow). With a total investment of about $20 billion, Sadara is building
a world-scale integrated chemical complex with 26 manufacturing plants and over
three million metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of capacity. Sadara’s
differentiated product portfolio, employing cutting-edge technologies, will add
downstream value chains to expand and transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s
existing chemicals landscape. Sadara will introduce many new products to Saudi
Arabia, including the first isocyanate and polyol (polyurethane) plants,
enabling many industries that either do not currently exist in the Kingdom or
only exist through imports of raw materials.
Automotive coatings manufacturer, Valspar
has signed an agreement to acquire Quest Specialty Chemicals' performance
coatings businesses for an undisclosed sum.
The business includes automotive refinish
and industrial coatings.
Under the terms of the definitive
agreement, Valspar will purchase an automotive refinish business including
smaller industrial products business from Quest. In 2014, the business reported
sales of approximately $190m.
The acquisition is expected to increase
Valspar's presence in automotive refinish, in addition to complementing its
existing business.
Quest Automotive Products deals in
formulating, manufacturing, and distributing advanced technology paints,
coatings systems, and accessories to refinishers, primarily in North America and
Europe.
"Our customers will benefit from expanded
distribution of a portfolio of preferred brands they know and trust, a broader
range of high-performance products and a stronger service network."
The company provides aerosol spray
products and coatings for industrial applications, primarily in North America,
under the Patriot, Raabe and Precision Color brands.
Valspar chairman and CEO Gary Hendrickson
said: "The acquisition strengthens Valspar's value proposition in automotive
refinish.
"Our customers will benefit from expanded
distribution of a portfolio of preferred brands they know and trust, a broader
range of high-performance products and a stronger service network."
Planned to be closed in Valspar's third
fiscal quarter, the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
Valspar provides a range of coating
products for the consumer market, and highly-engineered solutions for the
construction, industrial, packaging and transportation markets.
Ashland says that it has signed a
definitive agreement to sell the industrial biocides assets within the company’s
specialty ingredients business segment, to Troy Corp. (Florham Park, NJ), a
global leader in microbial control products and performance additives. Financial
terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Industrial biocides—which help control and
prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and other microorganisms in a wide range of
coatings, construction materials and energy products—accounted for about 2% of
specialty ingredients' sales for the 12 months ended 31 March 2015, Ashland
says. The company did not disclose the sales figure for the business segment
during that 12-month period. In the company's fiscal year ended 30 September
2014, the specialty ingredients business segment generated sales of about $2.5
billion.
Specialty Ingredients' lineup of
preservatives products, which is focused on consumer markets, is excluded from
the agreement with Troy and Ashland is committed to retaining and growing that
strategic business, the company says.
Industrial biocides is a non-core product
line and the divestment is expected to close within 60 days, subject to standard
closing conditions and completion of required employee information and
consultation processes, Ashland says.
“This divestiture reflects our continued
focus on driving growth within the higher-margin core businesses where we offer
greater value to our customers,” says Luis Fernandez-Moreno, Ashland senior V.P.
and president of Ashland's chemicals group. “As a smaller player within the
industrial biocides market, Ashland has lacked the critical mass needed to be
successful. Troy is better positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities
within this segment and we are committed to working with them to ensure a
seamless transition for our industrial biocides employees and customers,”
Fernandez-Moreno says.
Troy, which was founded in 1950, develops
and manufactures specialty materials that enhance the properties and performance
of its customers' products and processes, and helps manufacturers meet global
requirements for compliance and sustainability, Ashland says. Troy has sales
offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
“With the addition of Ashland's industrial
biocides business, Troy's portfolio of preservatives will be enhanced,
delivering even more value, performance, and sustainability to the marketplaces
served,” says W. Brian Smith, V.P. at Troy.
Ashland has recently divested several
non-core assets. Earlier this year, Ashland agreed to sell its Valvoline
car-care assets, including manufacturing and distribution facilities at
Hernando, MI, to Niteo Products, a newly formed affiliate of Highlander Partners
(Dallas), a private investment firm.
Late last year, Lion Copolymer (Geismar, LA) acquired Ashland's
styrene-butadiene rubber elastomers business, for an undisclosed amount. In
2014, Ashland and Clariant sold their foundry chemicals joint venture, ASK
Chemicals (Hilden, Germany), to investment funds affiliated with Rhône, a
London- and New York–based private equity investment firm. In August 2014,
Ashland completed the divestment of its water technologies business, a supplier
of water treatment and pulp and paper process chemicals, to private equity firm
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R; New York) for $1.8 billion. With these
divestments, Ashland aims to focus on the company's core specialty chemicals
business.
Royal DSM (Heerlen, the Netherlands;
www.dsm.com)’s DSM Dyneema brand has finalized the acquisition of Cubic Tech
Corp. This privately owned company, based in Mesa, Ariz., has specialized for
more than 23 years in the custom design, development and production of
innovative high performance ultra-lightweight flexible laminates and fabrics —
most of them based on Dyneema –brand ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMwPE).
Cubic Tech is focused on high-end solutions in applications as diverse as racing
yacht sails, equipment and apparel for sportswear, outdoor and future soldier
programs, as well as emergency medical equipment. Terms of the acquisition will
not be disclosed.
The acquisition of Cubic Tech reinforces
the position of Dyneema as one of the leading brands of ultra-high-performance
materials. It broadens DSM Dyneema’s product portfolio, provides it with
downstream knowledge complementary to its own in the processing of UHMwPE fiber,
tape and production of uni-directional (UD) fabrics, and enhances the company’s
innovation pipeline. The acquisition of Cubic Tech accelerates DSM Dyneema’s
entry into the performance apparel markets and will add important new revenue
streams and developments in existing markets as well as creating access to
several new applications.
Adding Cubic Tech to its portfolio also
strengthens DSM Dyneema’s commitment to be a leader in offering sustainable
solutions, enabling the replacement of traditional materials with new and
innovative products that are lighter, stronger, more durable, and which have
reduced environmental impact.
“The acquisition of Cubic Tech is an
important part of our strategy to create, and bring to market, products and
services that improve the quality of life while enabling our customers to
operate their businesses more successfully,” says Gerard de Reuver, CEO of DSM
Dyneema.
“Cubic Tech’s philosophy is very akin to
our own, with a fundamental belief in extremely lightweight and strong
constructions,” Jeff Turner, VP Strategy of DSM Dyneema, added.
Cubic Tech will be fully integrated into
DSM Dyneema and all employees of Cubic Tech are being invited to stay on after
the acquisition.
Solvay and Enirgi Chemicals have created a
50-50 joint venture to speed up the development and offering of sodium
bicarbonate based products and solutions to reduce airborne emissions from
industries in North America.
The new entity, SOLVAir Natural Solutions,
was formed in response to growing demand for air pollution control applications,
including flue gas treatments. Demand growth is driven by tightening North
American regulations and consent decrees requiring coal-fired power plants and
other industries to improve the air quality and limit acid gas emissions, such
as sulfur dioxide and trioxide (SOx) and hydrochloric acid (HCl).
The joint venture will source sodium
bicarbonate from Enirgi Chemicals and leverage Solvay know-how to further
develop the market. SOLVAir Natural Solutions will enhance the security of
supply of cost-efficient products and solutions, as well as high-quality
services, exclusively for flue gas treatments in the United States, Canada and
Mexico.
Solvay’s Soda Ash & Derivatives Global
Business Unit (GBU) is well-established in designing and implementing customized
and cost-efficient flue gas solutions. More than 450 industrial sites worldwide
use its SOLVAir® treatment to reduce emissions below regulated levels. “This
joint venture offers both the technological expertise and capacity to improve
the air quality at limited investments for our customers. It fits with Solvay’s
bicarbonate growth ambition in bringing innovative and sustainable solutions and
products to the market,” said Christophe Clemente, President of Solvay’s Soda
Ash & Derivatives GBU.
Enirgi Chemicals, through its Natural Soda
operations, owns and operates the world’s largest known deposit of naturally
occurring sodium bicarbonate and uses an environmentally friendly, low emission
extraction technology. “This agreement represents a natural step in the
expansion of our soda business and our goal of becoming a major supplier of soda
derivatives to the market,” said Ms. Sara Schaeffner, President and CEO of
Natural Soda, and Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing for Enirgi.
Solvay Soda Ash & Derivatives is a world
leader in its sector, producing soda ash serving the glass, detergent and
chemical markets and developing solutions based on sodium bicarbonate and trona
serving the healthcare, food, animal feed, and flue gas cleaning markets. SA&D
has 11 industrial sites worldwide, more than 3,700 employees and serves 90
countries.
As an international chemical group, Solvay
assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and
value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities
where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying
from energy and the environment to automotive and aerospace or electricity and
electronics, with one goal: to raise the performance of its clients and improve
society's quality of life. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about
26,000 people in 52 countries and generated 10.2 billion euros in net sales in
2014. Solvay SA SOLB.BE) is listed on Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg:
SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR). Follow
us on twitter @SolvayGroup
Enirgi Chemicals is a division of Enirgi
Group Corporation, a global, diversified industrial and chemicals company that
owns and operates a portfolio of world-class assets and operations located
around the world. Part of Enirgi
Chemicals, Natural Soda owns the world’s largest known deposit of naturally
occurring sodium bicarbonate and is one of the largest producers in North
America for the food and beverage, agriculture, industrial, pharmaceutical and
specialty markets. Located in northwestern Colorado, Natural Soda currently
produces nine grades of sodium bicarbonate using low cost, environmentally
responsible solution mining technology to ensure the protection of the
environment while adhering to stringent health and safety practices that also
ensure the well-being of our workforce. Natural Soda exports product to nearly
20 countries across six continents and, with the commissioning of its next
expansion in 2016, will become the world’s largest stand-alone sodium
bicarbonate production operation and a major supplier of soda derivatives to
global markets.
Solvay has completed the sale of its
German-based refrigerant activities and pharma propellants to Daikin, as its
Special Chem Global Business Unit (GBU) is refocusing its activities on
selective high value-added segments in the growing automotive and electronics
markets.
The divestment entails all of Special
Chem’s businesses on its site in Frankfurt and the transfer of about 75
employees to Daikin.
Special Chem is the newly created GBU
which groups Solvay’s GBUs Special Chemicals, Rare Earth Systems as well as the
Fluorine Business of the Aroma Performance GBU.
This combination enhances the GBU's innovation power and its position in
fluor specialties, high purity electronic chemicals and auto-catalysts.
Special Chem is headquartered in Seoul,
South Korea, with € 850 million in sales and 3,100 employees worldwide.
Cargill has acquired Boulder-based OPX
Biotechnologies' proprietary fermentation-based processes and systems, the
company announced Wednesday.
These are used to produce bio-based
chemicals from sugars for use in non-food applications such as lubricants,
detergents, plastics, agrichemicals and personal care products. Terms of the
deal were not disclosed.
"Our customers that make products in any
of these categories will benefit from this technology acquisition because it
will enable us to produce more and better solutions for them than they can get
from any other company," said Cargill Corn Milling vice president Brian Silvey
in a press release. "It will also make bio-based products with extensive
functionality more readily available than ingredients produced using
petroleum-based or tropical oils."
Minnesota-based Cargill is already a large
supplier of carbohydrates and other biotech offerings. This acquisition further
expands its presence in commercial fermentation products outside of food and
feed.
OPXBIO will support the transition to
Cargill over the coming months.
"This sale of OPXBIO's technology to
Cargill demonstrates the great progress OPXBIO has made towards product
commercialization," said Mike Rosenberg, CEO of OPXBIO. "Cargill has all the
right capabilities and experience to deliver products produced from OPXBIO's
technology to customers."
Chemetall, a unit of specialy chemicals maker Albemarle
Corp. in Baton Rouge, has acquired the aluminum finish business of Chemal GmbH &
Co. KG, based in Hamm, Germany.
Chemal GmbH specializes in research and development of
surface finishing chemicals for aluminum and its alloys. Chemetall said the
acquisition will bolster its portfolio in the aluminum finishing industry.
“Consisting of advanced pretreatment and anodizing
technologies, Chemetall is one of the few players globally positioned with a
comprehensive product range for the aluminium finishing industry,” said Joris
Merckx, president of Chemetall. “This transaction will expand our expertise in
this market and, combined with strong technical services offered by our
wholly-owned subsidiaries around the world, will enable us to further expand our
presence in a key market.”
“Our customers expect us to deliver a full portfolio of
solutions to meet upcoming environmental legislation and achieve process cost
savings,” said Martin Ings, global segment manager, aluminium finishing.
McIlvaine Company
Northfield, IL 60093-2743
Tel: 847-784-0012; Fax: 847-784-0061
E-mail: editor@mcilvainecompany.com
Website: www.mcilvainecompany.com