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Americas

GE acquires machine reliability firm Commtest

GE has announced the acquisition of Commtest, a provider and designer of machinery health information systems. GE Energy’s product line in Bently Nevada, a global leader in condition monitoring, will incorporate Commtest products into its portfolio and enhance an already robust lineup, it said.

US DOE grants $134mn to Abengoa for biorefinery

Abengoa subsidiary Abengoa Bioenergy has been selected by the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to receive a $133.9 million federal loan guarantee to build a commercial-scale biorefinery to produce renewable liquid fuel from plant fiber, or cellulosic biomass.

DCP begins construction of Sand Hills pipeline to transport NGLs to Gulf coast

The board of directors for DCP Midstream has approved the construction of the Sand Hills pipeline to provide new capacity for natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation from the Permian and Eagle Ford producing basins to market centers along the Gulf coast. Planning and field work for Sand Hills has been underway for several months and now construction activities will accelerate, the company said.

INEOS venture receives $75mn in US financing for Florida bio-refinery project

INEOS Bio announced that its joint-venture project, INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (INPB), has finalized $75 million in private financing utilizing the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan guarantee program for its new Indian River BioEnergy Center located in Florida.

Valero restarting Memphis refinery after recent fire

US refiner Valero is restarting units at its Memphis refinery in Tennessee, which was shut down on Aug. 5 due to a fire in a crude distillation unit. The restart will begin with one of the crude distillation units, FCC, and other key units, the company said.

KBR to expand DuPont offices at Delaware campus

KBR announced that its Building Group subsidiary has been awarded the second phase of a multi-phase expansion at DuPont’s Chestnut Run Plaza, the chemical major’s suburban campus in Wilmington, Del.

US invests $510m on military, commercial biofuels

President Barack Obama announced that the US Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.

Dow Corning starts production of monosilane gas for use as solar feedstock

Dow Corning said on Wednesday that it has begun production of high-purity monosilane gas - a key material used as an anti-reflective solar cell coating and as a feedstock for photovoltaics.

Praxair acquires Ohio gas distributor Weldco

The distribution subsidiary of industrial gases major Praxair has acquired Weldco, an independent distributor of industrial and specialty gases and ancillary welding equipment, supplies and services. With 23 employees and sales of $8 million, Weldco is considered a market leader in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is one of the top 20 welding markets in the US.

Air Products opens Calif. hydrogen fueling station using wastewater as feedstock

Air Products officially opened its newest California hydrogen fueling station, drawing its feedstock from a sustainable source. Air Products is pumping hydrogen into fuel cell vehicles that is generated from the municipal wastewater treatment plant at the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) in Fountain Valley.