Industry News
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ADNOC acquires six VLCCs
ADNOC Logistics and Services (ADNOC LandS), the shipping and maritime logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, announced the acquisition of six Very Large Crude Carriers.
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Refiner plans $4.5 B expansion by 2024
Indian Oil Corp will invest $4.46 billion to raise the capacity of its Panipat refinery by two-thirds to 500,000 bpd by September 2024.
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Shell aims to produce clean aviation fuel, naphtha
Royal Dutch Shell in Germany aims to produce aviation fuel and naphtha made from crops and renewable power and to increase to commercial scale an electrolysis plant that makes fossil-free hydrogen.
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Oil firm delays integrated complex restart, sees challenging year
Malaysia's Petronas delayed the launch of its Pengerang Integrated Complex until the second half of the year from the first, but dismissed rumours partner Saudi Aramco was looking to exit the $27 billion project.
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Drax scraps plan for new gas-fired power plant
DRAX has decided to abandon a controversial plan to build Europe’s biggest gas-fired power plant, in North Yorkshire, UK.
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Emission cuts in shipping to cause drop in demand for fossil fuels
Global demand for oil-based marine fuels is set to fall in the next three decades as stricter carbon emissions rules for the shipping industry kick in and alternative fuel use climbs, consultancy Wood Mackenzie stated in a report.
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Chinese refiners cool on crude purchases as oil futures rally
China's crude oil imports are set to slow in the second quarter after Brent prices hit a 13-month high, cooling demand and capping refiners' margins as they prepare to shut for planned maintenance, industry sources and analysts said.
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Oil mixed, U.S. crude hits highest since 2019 as refineries restart
Oil prices were mixed with U.S. crude edging up to its highest close since 2019 as Texas refineries restarted production after last week's freeze, while Brent eased on worries that four months of gains will prompt producers to boost output.
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Dow exec sees climate change as opportunity for petchem innovation
Dow Inc is adjusting its carbon footprint and product slate to adapt to climate change and tap evolving consumption trends tied to the global energy transition.
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Texas lawmakers investigate deadly power blackout
Executives credit the state's natural gas system as the biggest failure, noting that without better ties between gas producers, pipelines and power plants, the state could face future cold weather outages.
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Nigeria loses 200,000 barrels a day to theft, vandalism, state oil firm says
Nigeria is losing 200,000 barrels of crude oil a day because of theft and vandalism, the head of the state oil company said, underscoring how insecurity is causing vast financial losses for the West African country.
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Engineering regulator issues fresh guidance on sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY guidance for engineering professionals has been issued by the Engineering Council, the regulatory body for the UK engineering profession.
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Equinor and Engie announce hydrogen partnership
EQUINOR and Engie have announced a partnership for the development of low-carbon hydrogen.
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GSK to close two UK antibiotics manufacturing sites
GSK is closing two UK antibiotics manufacturing operations, in Barnard Castle and Ulverston.
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UK announces nuclear waste competition winners
FOURTEEN companies have won contracts in a £3.9m (US$5.5m) competition aimed at developing a waste toolkit that will contribute to meeting the aims of the nation’s nuclear sector deal.
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Winter storm ices USGC refining, petrochemical operations
US Gulf Coast refining and petrochemical operators are assessing gradual restarts of plants following days of freezing temperatures that led to unprecedented unplanned shutdowns of regional processing and production capacities.
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Consortium investigates Australian P2X industry
A RESEARCH consortium led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia is investigating the potential to grow a new power-to-X (P2X) industry to benefit a range of New South Wales (NSW) infrastructure. The industry could contribute to accelerating a hydrogen economy.
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CEMEX receives funding to develop carbon capture in cement industry
CEMEX has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a pilot carbon capture unit.
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Accelerating novel vaccine inactivation method
SEEKING to accelerate a novel method for producing inactivated vaccines to market and ensure competitivity, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation has partnered with a specialist machinery manufacturer and an information analysis company. The novel method could make vaccine production faster, safer, and cheaper.
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Rio Tinto launches sustainability label for aluminium industry
RIO Tinto has launched a sustainability label that will ensure transparency and traceability for the aluminium industry.
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Velocys signs agreement for commercial-scale biomass-to-jet fuel in Japan
VELOCYS has signed a collaboration agreement with Toyo Engineering to produce renewable fuels in Japan at commercial scale.
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New hydrogen hub in Australia gets funding
SWINBURNE University of Technology in Australia has received A$10m (US$7.8m) from the Victorian Government to build a new hydrogen hub.
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ExxonMobil creates low-carbon business
EXXONMOBIL has created a new business unit to commercialise its low-carbon portfolio, which it is calling Low Carbon Solutions (LCS).
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BioNTech secures deals for lipids needed in vaccine
BIONTECH has partnered with Merck and Evonik to expand lipid production for its Covid-19 vaccine.
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Howard Energy completes purchase of Javelina gas plant
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BP and Rosneft to collaborate on sustainability goals
BP and Rosneft have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to focus on their carbon management and sustainability activities.
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AstraZeneca plans to expand European vaccine manufacturing
ASTRAZENECA has signed a deal with IDT Biologika to explore options to accelerate manufacturing of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in Europe.
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Shell lays out net-zero strategy
OIL and gas major Shell has set out a strategy for achieving net zero energy transformation by 2050, which it says will be powered by growth in its customer-facing businesses.
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Closure of Altona refinery fuels concerns about Australian manufacturing
EXXONMOBIL is closing its Altona refinery in Victoria, Australia. The decision comes hot on the heels of BP’s plans to shut the Kwinana refinery and has elevated concerns about fuel security and the future of downstream manufacturing in Australia.
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Elon Musk puts up US$100m prize for carbon removal tech
TECH billionaire Elon Musk is launching a US$100m prize for innovators who can remove CO2 from the atmosphere and oceans, in a bid to develop technologies capable of scaling massively to gigaton levels.
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UK offers £40m for manufacturers to plan and deploy greener technologies
THE UK Government is offering £40m (US$56m) in funding for energy-intensive companies to conduct feasibility and engineering studies, and deploy greener technologies.
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NRL lets contract for Numaligarh refinery expansion
Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. has let a contract to Lummus Technology LLC to deliver technology licensing for a new PFCC unit to be built as part of expansion of its 3-million tpy Numaligarh refinery
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Petrobras finds buyer for RLAM refinery
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IChemE releases special issue of LPB to mark Fukushima anniversary
ICHEME has released a special edition of Loss Prevention Bulletin (LPB) to mark the tenth anniversary of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
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Australia plans network of hydrogen clusters
A NETWORK of hydrogen technology clusters is to be established across Australia with the aim of creating a globally competitive hydrogen industry.
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Shangdong Yulong lets contract for integrated refining complex
Shandong Yulong Petrochemical has let a contract to UOP to provide a suite of technologies for new units at the aromatics complex of its integrated refining and petrochemical complex under construction in Yantai City, Shandong Province, China.
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IOC adding new processing unit at Haldia refinery
Indian Oil Corp.has broken ground on construction of a new processing unit to improve quality and production capacity of lubricant base oils at its recently expanded 8-million tonnes/year refinery in Haldia, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India.
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Survey finds UK engineering companies lack skills to meet net zero target
A SURVEY by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has found that 93% of engineering employers think that their staff don’t have the necessary skills to meet sustainability goals.
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CVR Energy advances alkylation unit revamp at Wynnewood refinery
CVR Energy Inc. has let a contract to KBR Inc. to provide a suite of additional services for the second phase of a proposed project to convert process technology of an existing hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit at a subsidiary refinery in Wynnewood, Okla.
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Parties reach US$7.02bn settlement for fatal Brazil dam collapse
MINING giant Vale and Brazilian authorities have agreed on a global settlement of about R$37.69bn (US$7.02bn) to repair the environmental and social damage that resulted from the fatal collapse of a Vale dam in 2019.
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New Kletz book compiles safety pioneer’s lessons for a new generation
ICHEME has published a new book showcasing the works of process safety pioneer Trevor Kletz.
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CureVac expands vaccine manufacturing with Bayer and GSK
CUREVAC, which is developing an mRNA vaccine for Covid-19, will boost its manufacturing capacity via new agreements with Bayer and GSK.
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New bacterium can improve wastewater treatment
A NEWLY-discovered bacterium strain could be used to remove nitrogen and phosphorous from sewage wastewater. The method is more environmentally friendly and cheaper than current wastewater treatment processes.
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What is causing AstraZeneca’s vaccine production woes?
WITH Covid-19 vaccine manufacture making headlines for all the wrong reasons, I spoke with experts from the pharmaceutical engineering sector to try and shed some light on the production challenges facing AstraZeneca.
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Court finds Shell liable for Nigerian oil spills
A DUTCH appeals court has ruled that Shell is responsible for the consequences of oil spills in two Nigerian villages from its subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). A decision regarding oil spills in a third village is yet to be made.
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LED pioneers win Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
FIVE engineers who helped develop LED lighting have won the 2021 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, in recognition of the technology’s contribution to reducing energy use.
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IChemE Fellows awarded 2021 Australia Day Honours
LAST week, chemical engineers and Fellows of IChemE Chris Fell and the late Graeme Paul were recognised with Australia Day Honours.
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Diamond Green Diesel to build new Port Arthur plant
Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLCis building a grassroots 470-million gal/year renewable diesel plant at Valero’s 395,000-b/d refinery in Port Arthur, Tex., about 90 miles east of Houston.
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Valneva starts manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine
VALNEVA has announced that it has started manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine as clinical trials are ongoing.
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Linde to build 24 MW electrolyser for green hydrogen
LINDE has announced that it will build a new 24 MW electrolyser for the production of green hydrogen at the Leuna Chemical Complex in Germany.
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