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Americas

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.

Sunoco to sell Ohio phenol plant for $106.5mn

US refiner Sunoco has agreed to sell its phenol manufacturing facility in Haverhill, Ohio, to Haverhill Chemicals, an affiliate of Goradia Capital LLC. Sunoco will sell the facility and the estimated value of the product inventory attributable to the facility for a combined price of approximately $106.5 million, it said.

BASF to raise global capacity for copper catalysts

BASF announced a new round of capital investment projects to increase its production capacity and further enhance its global manufacturing operations for copper and copper-chrome catalysts. These investments are aimed at improving catalyst manufacturing efficiency to meet increased global demand, the company said.

Momentive starts up new production line at Texas oilfield technology complex

The oilfield technology group (OTG) of Momentive Specialty Chemicals started up a new manufacturing production line at its facility in Brady, Texas, to provide additional resin-coated proppants to fracturing service companies and operators in the oil and gas industry.