MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik, the German specialty chemicals company,has reached all self-imposed environmental goals two years ahead of schedule, according to the company's Corporate Responsibility Report 2012.
The document states that Evonik reduced its specific (i.e. production output-related) energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in the time from 2004 to 2012. During the same period, specific production waste fell by 23% and specific water consumption by 31%. Original plans had called for the Group to reduce all three values by 20% by the year 2014.
Overall, Evonik invested some EUR39 million in improved environmental protection in the past year, with operating expenses for environmental protection totaling EUR251 million.
We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, in June, 2013, Evonik launched its Composites Project House, based primarily in Marl, with a branch in Darmstadt, to develop new materials and system solutions for the lightweight construction sector. This is Evonik’s tenth project house. Among the topics addressed will be automotive and aviation applications and applications in the domain of renewable energies.
Evonik, the industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around EUR13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.6 billion. The international rating agency Moody's has upgraded the credit rating of Evonik Industries AG from Baa3 with a positive outlook to Baa2 with a positive outlook. The rating agency quotes, among other things, the robust operational performance.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman Corp, the U.S. chemicals producer founded by Jon Huntsman Sr., is considering an offer for Rockwood Holdings Inc. titanium-dioxide pigments business, said Bloomberg.
Such a deal would create a titanium-dioxide maker with about 15% of global capacity, vying with Cristal Global as the world’s second-largest, after market leader DuPont Co. Salt Lake City-based Huntsman had USD1.44 billion in pigment sales last year while Rockwood had USD889 million in revenue from titanium dioxide. Also known by its chemical formula Ti02, the chemical is used as a whitener in paint and toothpaste.
Nahla Azmy, a Rockwood spokeswoman, declined to comment on the status of the company’s efforts to separate the TiO2 unit. She reiterated that the company plans to sell or spin off the unit tax-free to shareholders by year-end. Gary Chapman, a Huntsman spokesman, declined to comment.
Huntsman Chief Executive Officer Peter Huntsman said in April that his company wants "to be part of any consolidations in this industry."
Huntsman may face competition from rival U.S. TiO2 producer Tronox Ltd. (TROX), whose Chairman and CEO Tom Casey said in February his company was considering buying assets from Rockwood.
As MRC wrote earlier, Moody's Investors Service has lifted its outlook on Huntsman Corp., noting improvements across the chemical maker's main product lines. Moody's backed Huntsman's corporate family rating at Ba3, three notches into junk territory. The outlook was raised to positive, from stable.
Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Our operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant International Ltd, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and Wilmar International Limited, a leading Asian agribusiness group, have received the relevant merger clearances for the establishment of their 50-50 joint venture called "the global amines company", which is now in operation, reported Clariant on its site.
The global amines company will be the global platform for production and sales of fatty amines and selected amines derivatives. The joint venture will be headquartered in Singapore with global sales, distribution and production affiliates.
The joint venture has its own production capacities for amines in Germany and China, contributed by Clariant and Wilmar respectively, as well as access to amines capacities in Brazil and Mexico. For amine derivatives, the global amines company has access to around a dozen multi-purpose-plants of Clariant all around the globe. Leveraging on the global reach and the individual strengths of Wilmar and Clariant, the global amines company will seek significant growth opportunities – in particular, in the markets of industrial care, home care and personal care.
Leveraging on their track record of technical and commercial reliability, both partners are dedicated to position the global amines company as a new leading player in the amines and amine derivatives market.
As MRC wrote previously, Clariant has recently introduced AddWorks, its new brand for polymer additives solutions. It consists of: AddWorks, application oriented solutions specifically designed by segments of the plastics industry
AddWorks LXR, a new range of polymer additives designed to provide particular effects in a wide variety of applications. AddWorks are developed by matching the needs of companies engineering technologies for polymerization, polymer producers, compounders, and even converters.
Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC