Industry News
-
North Huajin lets contracts for proposed Liaoning integrated complex
North Huajin Refining and Petrochemical Co. Ltd. has let contracts to Lummus to license process technologies for two new plants to be installed as part of its proposed integrated refining and petrochemical complex.
Read more... -
TechnipFMC to sell part of its stake in Technip Energies N.V.
TechnipFMC announced the launch of the placement of 16 million Technip Energies shares (the “Shares”), representing ca. 9% of Technip Energies’ issued and outstanding share capital, through a private placement by way of an accelerated bookbuild offering.
Read more... -
KBR awarded multiple technology contracts by PKN ORLEN
KBR has been awarded technology licensing contracts by PKN ORLEN for KBR's leading Solvent Deasphalting and Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking technologies as part of PKN's Bottom-of-the-Barrel project for its Plock Refinery in Poland.
Read more... -
Climate-related incidents need to be accounted for in process safety
ENVIRONMENTAL and scientific advisory groups have called on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take stronger action to protect workers and the public from chemical disasters exacerbated by climate change.
Read more... -
At least two killed in explosion at German chemical disposal site
AN EXPLOSION at a hazardous chemical disposal site in Germany has killed at least two people, with an additional five people considered missing. Another 31 workers were injured, three seriously, one of whom sustained life-threatening injuries.
Read more... -
Refiner posts higher profit on oil demand rebound
Valero Energy Corp said its adjusted profit rose in the second quarter from the previous three-month period, as fuel consumption improved with the easing of coronavirus-related travel restrictions.
Read more... -
Lummus and Chevron Lummus Global selected as lead process technology providers for key plants
Lummus Technology and Chevron Lummus Global announced multiple technology contracts from North Huajin Refining and Petrochemical Co., Ltd. for a grassroots refinery and petrochemical complex in Liaoning Province, China.
Read more... -
U.S. renewable diesel capacity could increase due to upcoming projects
U.S. production capacity for renewable diesel could increase significantly through 2024, based on several announcements for projects that either are currently under construction or could be in development soon.
Read more... -
KBC releases new version of process simulation technology
KBC released the Petro-SIM 7.2 process simulation software, which is at the core of KBC's process digital twin. This release expands simulation capabilities for renewable fuels.
Read more... -
Cleanup ongoing at Lyondell plant after chemical leak kills two
Cleanup was ongoing after a chemical leak killed two workers and injured 30 others at a LyondellBasell Industries plant in La Porte, Texas, marking one of the worst U.S. petrochemical accidents since a 2019 Texas blast prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.
Read more... -
Maire Tecnimont selected for two advanced polymer units
Maire Tecnimont S.p.A.'s Tecnimont S.p.A. has been awarded a contract by Repsol for the realization of a Polypropylene Unit and a linear Polyethylene Unit on an EPC Lump Sum Turn-Key basis.
Read more... -
hte tests different fibrous catalyst materials for Unifrax
hte – the high throughput experimentation company was chosen by Unifrax, a leading manufacturer of high-performance specialty materials, to test different catalytically functionalized high-temperature fibers.
Read more... -
Nouryon expands Kromasil facility
NOURYON is investing in its Kromasil manufacturing facility in Bohus, Sweden, to help meet increasing global demand from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries for high-performing products.
Read more... -
Airlines petition FERC for action on fuel shortages
A trade group representing major U.S. passenger and cargo airlines and others asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take emergency action to address fuel shortages at Reno-Tahoe Airport in Nevada through August.
Read more... -
IChemE launches new digitalisation journal
ICHEME has launched a new journal to publish new interdisciplinary research across chemical engineering and digital sciences and technologies.
Read more... -
Chemical engineers collaborate for ‘cookie-cutter’ oxygen units
THREE chemical engineers at different universities around the world are collaborating to develop “cookie-cutter” portable oxygen conversion units that can be easily assembled from locally-sourced equipment, to prevent “thousands” of Covid fatalities in India.
Read more... -
Large-scale green fuels hub planned for Western Australia
AN international consortium has announced plans to build a large-scale green fuels project in Western Australia that would use wind and solar power to meet hydrogen and ammonia demand.
Read more... -
Partnership to produce Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in South Africa
PFIZER and BioNTech have signed a letter of intent with South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac to produce the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Cape Town.
Read more... -
Siemens starts construction on German 'green' hydrogen plant
SIEMENS has started construction of an 8.75 MW “green” hydrogen plant in Germany, that is expected to serve as a model for the nation.
Read more... -
Humber and Teesside form East Coast Cluster
THE Humber and Teesside industrial clusters have formed the East Coast Cluster, a collaboration that could decarbonise half of the UK’s industrial cluster emissions.
Read more... -
Acorn CCS partners sign MoUs for carbon capture
THE partners in the UK’s Acorn CCS project have signed three new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for carbon capture collaborations.
Read more... -
Equity firm acquires specialty chemicals company
PLATINUM Equity, an investment firm, is to specialty chemicals company Solenis for US$5.25bn.
Read more... -
Partners to accelerate biofuels production cycle
TOTALENERGIES and Veolia have teamed up to accelerate the development of microalgae cultivation using CO2, with the long-term goal of producing biofuels.
Read more... -
Engineers’ report says proper building ventilation crucialto control Covid
THE Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), along with partners including IChemE, have released a report saying that improved ventilation in buildings and public spaces is crucial in controlling Covid-19.
Read more... -
IChemE invites Ashok Kumar Fellowship applications
ICHEME is inviting UK postgraduate students in chemical or process engineering to apply for the Ashok Kumar Fellowship, which would see them working alongside policymakers in Parliament.
Read more... -
Sanofi invests in mRNA vaccine centre
SANOFI will invest about €400m (US$472m) annually in a first-of-its-kind vaccines mRNA Center of Excellence, to help accelerate end-to-end vaccine R&D.
Read more... -
BEIS calls on UK Government to improve industrial policy
THE UK’s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) says Government has failed to set out its approach to industrial policy after scrapping the UK’s Industrial Strategy. In a published report, BEIS recommends next steps.
Read more... -
COP26 programme announced
THE COP26 Presidency Programme has been announced and will focus on different themes each day, ranging from zero-emissions transport to gender equality in climate action.
Read more... -
Shell starts up Europe’s largest PEM ‘green’ hydrogen electrolyser
SHELL has started operations at what it claims is Europe’s largest polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser, producing “green” hydrogen at its Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, in Germany.
Read more... -
IChemE allows free access to 25 new books
ICHEME members can now access 25 additional technical textbooks through Knovel, with titles added in 2021 including new publications on digitalisation, major hazard management, and clean energy.
Read more... -
Shell to sell interest in German joint-venture refinery
Vienna-based Alcmene GMBH has entered an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell PLC for the purchase of Shell Deutschland Oil GMBH’s 37.5% minority interest in PCK Raffinerie GMBH's refinery in Schwedt, Germany.
Read more... -
UK confirms plans to end coal power for electricity in 2024
THE UK Government has brought forward its deadline to end the use of coal for electricity by a year to 2024, although a new coking coal mine has yet to be ruled out.
Read more... -
Fire at Thailand chemicals facility
AN EXPLOSION and fire at a chemicals facility in Bangkok has killed one person and injured more than 60 others.
Read more... -
Rompetrol’s Petromidia refinery offline following fatal explosion, fire
Rompetrol Rafinare SA is investigating an early July explosion and subsequent fire at its 5-million tonne/year Petromidia refinery in Năvodari, Romania, on the Black Sea.
Read more... -
Deal made for decommissioning seven UK nuclear reactors
AN AGREEMENT has been made between the UK Government and EDF for the safe and efficient decommissioning of seven advanced gas cooled reactors (AGRs).
Read more... -
LEGO makes bricks from recycled plastic bottles
THE LEGO Group has developed a prototype LEGO brick using PET from recycled plastic bottles.
Read more... -
Johnson Matthey set targets to lower waste and improve safety on journey to net zero
JOHNSON MATTHEY has announced targets to heavily focus its sales and R&D spend in line with UN Sustainability Goals, and outlined interim targets to reduce waste and safety incidents on its way to being net zero.
Read more... -
Rio Tinto studies using hydrogen to make greener alumina
RIO TINTO is investigating the technical implications of using hydrogen feedstock instead of natural gas to reduce emissions from refining alumina.
Read more... -
Siemens and BioNTech commit to accelerate Covid-19 vaccine scale-out, starting in Singapore
SIEMENS and BioNTech say they will build a Covid-19 vaccine facility in Singapore, as part of efforts to rapidly expand worldwide production.
Read more... -
Three researchers awarded IChemE Andrew Fellowship
ICHEME has awarded three chemical engineering researchers the Andrew Fellowship to advance the field of catalysis.
Read more... -
CCC says UK policy is failing climate action
DESPITE historic climate commitments, the UK Government has been too slow to follow these with delivery. The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) said this as it announced progress reports appraising the “twin climate challenges” of cutting emissions to net zero and adapting to climate risks facing the country.
Read more... -
UKAEA to host first-of-its-kind fusion project
THE UK Atomic Energy Authority has entered into an agreement with General Fusion, that will see the Canada-based commercial fusion company build and operate its first-of-a-kind fusion demonstration plant (FDP) at the Culham campus in Oxforshire, UK.
Read more... -
Report makes recommendations on how to utilise nuclear in UK net zero strategy
A SENIOR leadership team at The University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute has released a position paper outlining key actions needed if nuclear power is to play a part in the UK’s ambition of being net zero by 2050.
Read more... -
Pilot project develops process to recycle single-use face masks
A COLLABORATION between research and industry is developing a closed loop process where single-use face masks can be recycled to produce new masks.
Read more... -
PBF Energy weighs renewables project at Louisiana refinery
PBF Energy Inc. is considering a major investment to implement a renewable diesel project at subsidiary Chalmette Refining LLC’s 185,000-b/d dual-train coking refinery in Chalmette, St. Bernard Parish, La., outside of New Orleans.
Read more... -
WHO announces first Covid vaccine technology transfer hub
The World Health Organization (WHO) and its COVAX partners are working with a South African consortium to establish its first Covid mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub.
Read more... -
Partners collaborate for sustainable lithium production
SCHLUMBERGER New Energy and Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA) have entered a collaborative agreement to validate and optimise a sustainable lithium production process that could support the rapidly-growing electric vehicle (EV) market.
Read more... -
Researchers receive £1.3m to develop low-carbon energy storage for buildings
THE University of Nottingham, UK has received £1.3m (US$1.8m) for a project to develop a novel, low-carbon energy storage system to supply cheap, on-demand heat for houses and buildings in UK neighbourhoods. The technology could help decarbonise the building sector, while also addressing issues of fuel poverty and pollution.
Read more... -
IChemE Fellow joins international carbon emissions panel
DATUK Sazali Hamzah, IChemE Fellow and CEO of Petronas Chemical Group, has been appointed to the advisory panel of C-THRU, an international carbon emissions research project.
Read more... -
Report says UK falling behind EU in clean steel development
A REPORT by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has found that UK clean steel development is lagging significantly behind the EU.
Read more...