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Europe

Virent, Shell study finds biogasoline safe in vehicles

Virent successfully completed its first road fleet test, the company announced on Tuesday. Organized and executed by collaborator Shell, Virent’s biogasoline was found to cause no harm to vehicles in comparison to Shell’s baseline fuel.

CB&I to license, engineer delayed coking unit at Lukoil refinery in Russia

CB&I company Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract from Lukoil for the license and basic engineering of a grassroots delayed coking unit.

Novamont, Genomatica form Europe JV for bio-BDO

Genomatica and Novamont have signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture that is expected to lead to the first industrial plants in Europe producing butanediol (BDO) from renewable feedstocks.

Fluor wins deal from Chevron to expand oil pipeline in Kazakhstan, Russia

Fluor has been awarded a contract by Chevron Neftegaz - one of three project managers engaged by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium - for its recently-announced expansion project. Fluor will provide project services for the marine terminal and supervisory control and data system (SCADA) portions of the Caspian expansion project.

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.

Archer Daniels Midland to buy Polish biodiesel, rapeseed oil firm Elstar

Global agribusiness major Archer Daniels Midland expanded its oilseed processing, food manufacturing and biodiesel capabilities by agreeing to buy a majority share of Elstar Oils S.A. A Warsaw-listed company, Elstar is a leading Polish manufacturer of quality refined vegetable oils and fats for the food industry, and biodiesel for the energy market.

Hestya Energy to buy German refinery, related assets from ConocoPhillips

Hestya Energy B.V. has signed an agreement to purchase the Wilhelmshaven oil refinery, tank farm and marine terminal in Germany from an affiliate of ConocoPhillips. Hestya will then restart the refinery, which has been mothballed for about two years.

India's JBF plans new PET plant at BP Belgium site

India-based joint venture JBF RAK has entered into an agreement with BP to build a new 390,000 tpy polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production unit at BP’s petrochemical site in Geel, Belgium. The agreements provide JBF rights to build and operate this PET unit on BP’s existing petrochemicals complex in Geel, adjacent to BP’s world-class purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility.

Dow to produce stadium wrap for London Olympics

Olympic partner Dow Chemical will produce a sustainable, fabric wrap that will encircle London’s Olympic Stadium during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, home to several athletic events, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide - and will help the stadium become the visual centerpiece of the London 2012 Games, according to Olympic officials.

Dow to build plants for polyolefin encapsulant films in Thailand, Germany

Dow Chemical will build two new manufacturing plants in 2012 for its ENLIGHT polyolefin encapsulant films, with one in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, and another in Schkopau, Germany. Together, these sites will more than triple capacity for making specialty films used in photovoltaic modules, and will significantly expand Dow’s ability to supply encapsulant films worldwide, the company said.