Europe
HP Impact: European refiners’ safety performance in 2010
European oil company association CONCAWE started compiling statistical data on safety performance for the European downstream oil industry 17 years ago. The group recently released its safety report f..
HP Construction: Europe
A subsidiary of Foster Wheeler AG’s Global Engineering and Construction Group has a contract with Aibel AS to provide detailed design engineering services to support Aibel, which has been appoint..
Siemens JV opens compressor plant in Russia
The RusTurboMash joint venture of Siemens Energy and Iskra-Avigaz has opened a new compressor manufacturing plant in the Russian city of Perm. Siemens holds a 51% stake in the joint venture and Iskra-Avigaz the rest. The combined investment of the two companies is €60 million.
Braskem closes on deal for Dow polypropylene unit
Dow Chemical said on Friday that it closed on the $340 million sale of its global polypropylene (PP) business to Brazil-based Braskem. In addition to the transaction, which was first announced in July, the two companies said they would continue to evaluate potential future collaborations.
European process safety guru says 'macho culture' creates more accidents
Trevor Kletz, one of the world’s most revered experts on process safety, has cited industry’s ‘macho culture’ as one of the main causes of recent accidents. Kletz, who spent almost forty years at ICI before forging a second career as an author on process safety and loss prevention, says that while there has been no deliberate decision to spend less on safety, many senior managers have taken their eye off the ball and that a macho approach to ‘get stuck in’ has been the underlying cause of recent incidents.
EuroChem buys Belgium fertilizer assets of BASF
BASF has signed a contract with Moscow-based EuroChem to sell its fertilizer activities in Antwerp, Belgium. BASF also plans to sell its 50% share of the PEC-Rhin joint venture in Ottmarsheim, France, to EuroChem, it said. The total transaction value is expected to be approximately €700 million.
LyondellBasell to close 105,000 bpd France refinery
LyondellBasell will shut down operations at its 105,000 bpd refinery in Berre, France, after failing to find a buyer for the facility. As a result, refinery operator Compagnie Petrochimique de Berre (CPB) will soon begin work on a project to cease refinery operations, the company said.
Huntsman may close Swiss textile chemicals plant
Huntsman said that its textile effects (TE) division plans to implement a significant restructuring, including the possible closure of its production facilities and business support offices in Basel, Switzerland. The planned restructuring and the possible closures could affect approximately 600 positions in Basel, with potentially 500 job losses and 100 positions moving to other sites across the organization, to build capability closer to customers.
Celanese opens German engineered polymer plant
US-based specialty chemicals firm Celanese has opened its polyoxymethylene (POM) production facility in Frankfurt Hoechst Industrial Park in Germany. With a nameplate capacity of 140,000 tpy, Celanese’s new POM plant will be the world’s largest and strengthens the company’s Ticona engineering polymers business, including its global operations and advanced technical capabilities, the company said.
Netherlands opens first LNG terminal in Rotterdam
The Netherlands on Friday opened its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Maasvlakte near Rotterdam, proceeding with plans to become a regional gas distribution hub.
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