CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
BASF Corporation | August 05, 2022
BASF has announced it will produce more 2-Pyrrolidone and N-Octyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NOP) at its Geismar, Louisiana, Verbund site. The production is anticipated to be on-stream in the second half of 2022 and will ensure a global supply of HEP and NOP.
"Our customers want to continue to grow in the ink, automotive and agricultural markets and will need increasing quantities for the foreseeable future. We can accompany these growth plans thanks to our double-digit-million-dollar investment by BASF in Geismar.”
Erika Peterman, Senior Vice President, Chemical Intermediates, North America
“It became clear that our facility in Geismar would make a perfect fit for increased production of HEP and NOP in the region,” explained Stefanie Demming, Vice President, Operations & Technology, Chemical Intermediates, North America. “We are pleased to take on a global supply role in North America.”
N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-2-Pyrrolidone (HEP) is a versatile chemical intermediate. It proves essential as (co)-solvent for the production of crop protection agents, electronic, coating and inkjet formulations.
N-Octyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NOP) is a versatile chemical intermediate used particularly as a solvent and low-foaming surfactant. Among other things, NOP is used as a solvent in the production of crop protection active ingredients, it is also used as a wetting agent in dishwashing detergents as well as various automotive applications.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the US affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,700 employees in North America and had sales of $25.9 billion in 2021.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts in the U.S. Further.
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Johnson Matthey | August 04, 2022
On 2nd August 2022, A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Sinopec Capital and Johnson Matthey China signals the start of active dialogues to explore joint possibilities across green and blue hydrogen, fuel cells, decarbonisation technologies and circular economy business in China.
Mr ZHOU Meiyun, Deputy Chairman and General Manager of Sinopec Capital, said: "Sinopec has made its long term development strategic goal and dedicated to become a No.1 hydrogen company in China and a leading clean energy company in the world. Sinopec is committed to develop and use various carbon reduction technologies including energy conservation and reduction, green energy replacement, and CCUS technologies and makes full efforts to reach the carbon neutralization target before 2060. We wish to have a deep collaboration with Johnson Matthey in carbon reduction and green energy fields to fully support achieving China's national strategic goal of 30/60 carbon peak/carbon neutralization."
"Johnson Matthey has a long heritage in China. We are China's leading auto catalyst producer, one of the largest platinum group metals refiners, a leading player across syngas and hydrogen fuel cells, and the first commercial scale MEA producer in China. Some of the world's biggest companies already rely on our technologies, and we are very excited to explore how we can work with Sinopec to expand our businesses whilst creating and scaling the low carbon solutions that help China achieve the carbon neutrality by 2060."
Dr Mark Su, Johnson Matthey's China President
Sinopec is the largest oil and petrochemical products supplier and the second largest oil and gas producer in China. It is also the largest refining company and the second largest chemical company in the world. Sinopec Capital is a fully owned subsidiary of Sinopec Group launched in 2018 with RMB10bn initial paid-in registered capital. The company makes strategic equity investment activities on new energy, new material, energy conservation and environmental protection, advanced manufacturing, big data and artificial intelligence to support Sinopec Group transforming from a traditional energy provider to a leading clean energy company in the world.
Johnson Matthey is a global leader in sustainable technologies that enable a cleaner and healthier world. Its technologies have a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, energy, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet's natural resources. It is a world leading hydrogen technologies player, with technologies supporting the development and production of green and blue hydrogen and fuel cells. Its China business started in 1993, growing to a top 50 company in Shanghai. It has 6 state-of-the art manufacturing facilities, proudly delivering over 120 million auto catalysts over the last 2 decades. It is the leading membrane electrode assembly (MEA) producer in China, and produced the MEAs for hydrogen fuel cell shuttle buses showcased in the Beijing Winter Olympic 2022.
About JM
Johnson Matthey is a global leader in sustainable technologies that enable a cleaner and healthier world. With over 200 years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs, we improve the performance, function and safety of our customers' products. Our science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, energy, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet's natural resources. Today about 15,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us.
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Energy Systems Group | August 03, 2022
PVS Chemicals, Inc. is partnering with Energy Systems Group, LLC a leading sustainable energy solutions provider and wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., to significantly improve sustainability at its sulfuric acid plant, located in Chicago, Illinois, by capturing waste steam to generate 2.6 MW of renewable electricity through a steam turbine generator in the new onsite Waste Heat to Power (WHP) Plant. The $14.2 million project, signed in June 2022, will create electricity from waste steam to generate renewable energy that is expected to cover approximately 95% of all plant electricity needs. The project should also eliminate over 12,700 tons of CO2 emissions per year, lessen utility interruptions from voltage trips, and reduce purchased water and chemical consumption.
PVS delivers sustainable chemical product solutions for its suppliers and customers. This project provides a substantial, measurable improvement to the sustainability of the Chicago production facility through generation of electricity from waste steam, which displaces electricity currently produced via fossil fuels. As a result of completing the WHP project, nearly 95% of all electricity consumed at the site is expected to be from an eligible “renewable” resource as defined by State of Illinois legislation. This generated energy also ensures that reliable, high quality sulfuric acid production continues so the plant can consistently meet production targets and demand.
Steam is generated as a result of the exothermic reaction utilized to produce sulfuric acid. Currently, a significant portion of this steam has no beneficial use. The WHP project will instead use the wasted steam to generate power. Using this steam to generate power onsite avoids the purchase of electricity from the grid, which has a high carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. In total, PVS expects to reduce its carbon footprint related to electricity by more than 12,700 tons of CO2 per year or a 115% reduction against the current carbon footprint associated with electric power. This expected GHG reduction is equivalent to any of the following
1,452 home annual energy consumption
2,484 cars driving for one year
1,402,157,854 cell phone charges
529,292 mature trees in a forest (almost 30 times the carbon sequestration of Central Park, NYC which contains 18,000 trees)
“This commitment in Chicago is a great example of our approach to business,” said Tim Nicholson, Chief Operating Officer of PVS. “The new installation will take thousands of tons of CO2 out of the air while simultaneously making the facility sustainable for the long term.”
“ESG applauds PVS for their dedication and passion to a cleaner, more sustainable environment. We are truly honored to be a strategic business partner of PVS and provide them with a unique, creative approach to the development and construction of this environmentally beneficial project.”
Jarrett Simon, Vice President of ESG, Public Sector and Sustainable Infrastructure
About PVS Chemicals, Inc.
PVS Chemicals, Inc., founded in Detroit in 1945, has more than 1,400 employees worldwide and has 17 manufacturing plants and several distribution facilities across the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. What PVS provides touches everyone in some unique way. That’s why at PVS, Chemistry For Daily Life™ isn’t just a tagline, it’s a promise. PVS is a global manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of high- quality chemicals and provides reliable transportation services to its suppliers and customers. PVS provides sustainable solutions around the world to diverse industries that include electronics, manufacturing, steel, agricultural, fine chemicals, metal finishing, water treatment and food processing. PVS is committed to 100% customer satisfaction and creating a circular economy to maximize the use and reuse of our planet’s resources.
About Energy Systems Group, LLC
ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP®, a wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., is a leading sustainable energy solutions provider that specializes in energy efficiency, sustainability, resiliency, and infrastructure improvement solutions in the government, education, healthcare, commercial, and industrial sectors. ESG also offers a full range of sustainable infrastructure solutions including waste-to-energy, distributed generation, and renewable energy.
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