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Petrochemicals

Successful startup of Hainan Island methanol plant (China)

China Blue Chemical Co. Ltd. and Davy Process Technology have announced the successful startup, performance test and plant acceptance of a 2,500 mtpd methanol plant in Hainan Island, China. The plant which produces chemical grade methanol will supply both the domestic Chinese market and be available for export.

Dow Chemical closing two VCM plants

The Dow Chemical Co. will close two vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production units in 2011. Dow will shut down a production unit in Oyster Creek, Texas, in the first quarter of 2011. The closure of a second VCM unit, located in Plaquemine, Louisiana, was announced in 2009. The Louisiana plant will cease operations in the third quarter of 2011.

Specialty plastics unit to be built in Abu Dhabi

Borouge has awarded a contract worth $169 million to Hyundai Engineering and Construction of South Korea to build a cross-linkable polyethylene (XLPE) unit at its petrochemical plant in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

BP says emerging economies will lead energy growth to 2030

World energy growth over the next 20 years is expected to be dominated by emerging economies such as China, India, Russia and Brazil while improvements in energy efficiency measures are set to accelerate, according to BP’s latest projection of energy trends, the BP Energy Outlook 2030.

Rubber technology licensed in East Asia

FasTech Srl recently licensed its proprietary technology to manufacture high-cis polybutadiene rubber, based on the neodymium catalyst, to a petrochemical operator in East Asia. The license agreement includes engineering and other technical services.

Lummus Technology involved in Chinese phenol plant design

Lummus Technology has a contract with Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corporation (FCFC) for the license and engineering design of a grassroots cumene and phenol plant to be built in Ningbo, China.

Lummus Technology has heater contract in Russia

Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract by OAO Salavatnefteorgsyntez (SNOS) for the engineering, procurement and supply of materials for a third SRT VI cracking heater at its ethylene plant in Salavat, Russia.

Hyperion to supply simulator for ethylene plant in India

Hyperion Systems Engineering will supply the operator training simulator for an ethylene cracker and associated units, which form part of a polymer complex to be built in Dahej, India, that will manufacture 1.1 million tpy of ethylene, 400,000 tpy of propylene, 150,000 tpy of benzene and 115,000 tpy of butadiene.

Bayer Technology Services expanding activities in Russia

Bayer Technology Services (BTS) is participating in the growth of the Russian economy through its recently opened regional office in Moscow, Russia. In a close cooperation with ZAO Bayer, BTS is thus further expanding its presence in the emerging markets.

LANXESS invests €40 million in Krefeld-Uerdingen site

Specialty chemicals group LANXESS is strengthening its Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany, site by investing about €40 million in two major projects for its basic chemicals (BAC) business unit.