Lanxess completes expansion of Rhenodiv production unit in India

Lanxess has successfully completed and put into operation the expansion of its Rhenodiv production line in Jhagadia, Gujarat on February 1, 2024, said the company.

With this new facility, the company’s Rhein Chemie business unit has significantly increased its production capabilities and will be able to meet the growing demand of the Indian Sub-continent and the Asian tire and rubber goods markets.

The new production line features state-of-the-art equipment and technology, allowing Lanxess to produce high-quality technology tire release agents more efficiently. The company has another such facility in Argentina as well.

The production of high-performance tires and molded elastomer products rely on the use of effective release agents. Process safety and low scrap rates are key for the efficient production of tires and molded elastomer articles. Rhenodiv release agents are strictly water-based, solvent-free and free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and therefore, environmentally friendly.

Commenting on the development, Matthias Zachert, CEO & Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess, said, “India is an important region for us and this strategic milestone reflects our commitment towards meeting the growing demands of our valued customers in the region. The new facility not only amplifies our production capacity but also showcases our faith in the immense potential of the Indian market."

We remind, LANXESS has launched a more sustainable solution for its plasticizer Mesamoll, said Specialchem. The phthalate-free, well-gelling and exceptionally saponification-resistant plasticizer can be applied to a wide range of polymers, such as PVC, PUR and rubber.

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Vietnam aims to produce 100,000-500,000 metric tons of hydrogen a year by 2030 as part of its energy transition efforts, according to the country's hydrogen development strategy adopted earlier this month, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The output would be raised to 10-20 million tons by 2050, including green hydrogen, according to a government document detailing the strategy reviewed by Reuters.

The production, distribution and usage of hydrogen will help "meet the country's national targets for climate change, green growth and to meet its net zero target by 2050," the document said.

Hydrogen is categorized 'green' when it is extracted from water using electrolysis powered by renewable energy and is seen as crucial to help decarbonize industry, though the technology is still expensive and at an early stage of development.

The hydrogen output will partly replace natural gas and coal at power plants by 2030, the document said, adding that hydrogen will also be used for transport and for fertilizer, steel and cement production. By 2050, hydrogen will be responsible for 10% of the country's electricity generation, it added.

Vietnam will mobilize both public and private funds for hydrogen production, including from green bond issuance and from Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a financing scheme made up of equity investments, grants and concessionary loans from members of Group of Seven (G7), multilateral banks and private lenders.

We remind, Ecolab, Inc. announced the grand opening of its new cutting-edge manufacturing plant in Ho Nai Industrial Park, near Ho Chi Minh City. This new facility demonstrates Ecolab’s continued commitment to supporting customers, innovation, and sustainability in Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia.

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Germany's BASF, opens new tab will slash another 1 billion euros (USD1.1 billion) in annual costs at its Ludwigshafen headquarters, citing weak demand and high energy costs in its home market, highlighting the country's economic troubles, said Reuters.

The annual cost savings will be reached by the end of 2026, affecting both production and administrative activities at its largest chemical complex, but it was set to shrink further beyond that, the German chemicals giant said in a statement on Friday.

It also predicted that group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for one-offs, would rebound to between 8 billion and 8.6 billion euros in 2024. Last year, it fell 29% to 7.67 billion.
After gains of as much as 4%, the stock was down 1.6% at 1301 GMT on market disappointment over a 2024 free cash flow guidance of 100 million to 600 million euros, down from 2.7 billion last year.

CEO Martin Brudermueller, who will quit in April to become non-executive chairman of carmaker Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), opens new tab, cited high competitiveness of the group outside of Germany under challenging conditions.

"On the other hand, the negative earnings at our Ludwigshafen site show the urgent need for further decisive actions here to enhance our competitiveness," he added.

An economic downcycle at home is weighing on volumes affecting speciality chemicals and more basic petrochemicals known as its upstream business, BASF said. This would lead to more job cuts that are being discussed with shop stewards.

The German government this week cut its 2024 economic growth projection to 0.2%, from 1.3% previously, amid weak global demand, geopolitical uncertainty and persistently high inflation.

Ludwigshafen would remain by far the group's largest production complex, but it would continue to shrink and shift from home-made to more imported basic chemicals coming from low-cost regions, said finance chief Dirk Elvermann, citing natural gas costs four to five times higher than in the United States.

A year ago, BASF laid out detailed plans to close sites, slash costs and shed about 2,600 jobs in Europe, affecting mainly Ludwigshafen.

In October, the company stepped up cost cuts further to around 1.1 billion euros annually from the end of 2026, having previously targeted a 1 billion euro reduction.

The standing of BASF's Ludwigshafen site, still the world's largest chemical complex run by a single company, has deteriorated over the years. Swapping cheaper Russian pipeline gas for shipped liquefied gas from the United States after Russia's attack on Ukraine has weakened its cost position further.

We remind, BASF is utilizing its extensive global expertise in chemical recycling, employing pyrolysis technology known as ChemCycling, to introduce International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus certified "Ccycled" materials sourced from the BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemicals facility located in Port Arthur, Texas, said the company. This facility operates as a joint venture between BASF and TotalEnergies, with a ownership split of 60/40 respectively, with TotalEnergies headquartered in France.

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MAIRE announces that NextChem, through its nitrogen technology licensor Stamicarbon, has been awarded a licensing and equipment supply contract for a state-of-the-art urea melt and granulation plant in Egypt for El-Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals (NCIC), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant is expected to have a production capacity of 1,050 tpy of urea and will be located in an area 100 km southeast of Cairo.

The Stamicarbon’s technology selected by NCIC plays a pivotal role for the urea melt and granulation plant, especially in terms of process optimization, operational safety, enhancing yield and minimizing energy consumption. NCIC is one of the key players in the chemical and fertilizer industry in Egypt, embracing cutting-edge nitrogen technologies able to ensure superior product quality.

Alessandro Bernini, MAIRE CEO, commented: "This award is evidence of the reliability of our value proposition in offering nitrogen-based technology solutions worldwide. We are proud to contribute to NCIC’s industrial development plans in the fertilizer sector, thus consolidating our market leadership in licensing urea technology in Africa.”

We remind, MAIRE announces that NEXTCHEM (Sustainable Technology Solutions), through its subsidiary NextChem Tech, has signed a contract with Paul Wurth S.A., a subsidiary of SMS group (‘Paul Wurth'), and Norsk e-Fuel AS for a licensing and engineering design package relating to NX CPO to be applied in the first industrial scale plant able to produce SAF from green hydrogen and biogenic CO2 in Mosjoen, Norway.

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Honeywell announced it is adding augmented reality to its Immersive Field Simulator (IFS), a platform that uses a digital twin of a physical facility to provide targeted, on-demand training for the industrial workforce, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company’s new Immersive Equipment Views, an iPad-exclusive iOS application, mixes real-life environments with digital features and content for meaningful and useful training outside a classroom. Industrial users, who still have the option of the full virtual and mixed reality solutions, can now choose to safely train employees on a tablet from anywhere in the field, without additional training facilities.

The use of augmented reality and automation to address workforce issues supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends: automation, the future of aviation and energy transition.

“As the industry works to recapture decades of lost experience with the retirement of a tenured workforce, Honeywell IFS provides a safe and interactive way to bring the mobile-first generation up to speed,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, President of Honeywell Process Solutions. “Honeywell is committed to adding value and efficiency to the workforce of our customers and the industry globally.”

With Honeywell Immersive Equipment Views added to the IFS offering, trainees are now able to troubleshoot and complete real-world tasks around a facility from an iPad. Additionally, users have access to detailed information about internal parts and components of equipment, QR code-based scanning of machinery and an education hub of models and content for more comprehensive learning.

We remind, Honeywell announced the availability of technologies and digital solutions to enable customers in Asia Pacific to produce renewable fuels from multiple sources of renewable feedstocks. Refiners are facing market changes as the drive toward sustainability accelerates to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is imperative for companies to adopt ready now technologies that can help them produce low-carbon, sustainable fuels while maximizing available resources, reducing waste, and meeting their sustainability goals.

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