Operational Changes and Investments news (page 9)

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  6 July 2026

  Avantium spins out Volta into Carbeau, secures €35.2m

  Spin-out backed by strategic and financial investors to scale an electrochemical CO₂-to-chemicals platform targeting glycolic acid and compostable PLGA.
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  5 July 2026

  MoCI and QatarEnergy to govern hydrocarbon resource allocation and expand Mesaieed medium industries area

  Establish joint governance to evaluate and allocate natural gas, power and related resources to downstream industrial projects and create a medium-industries zone in Mesaieed.
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  3 July 2026

  EnviTec Biogas AG suspends 2025 dividend while shifting to biomethane

  AGM approves no dividend for 2025 to preserve financial flexibility; EEG support for ~16 MW and ~€100m investment plan to expand biomethane production by 2031.
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  3 July 2026

  Petrobras starts operations at Pre‑Salt Technology Center in Itajubá (UNIFEI)

  Semi‑industrial plant reproduces high pressures, temperatures and high CO₂ of pre‑salt; R$300 million R&D investment; HISEP pump final qualification tests planned H2 2026.
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  3 July 2026

  EnviTec Biogas AG: Dividend suspended as company pivots to biomethane

  AGM approves dividend suspension to preserve cash; company won EEG subsidies for ~16 MW, plans ~€100m investment to convert plants toward biomethane by 2031.
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  3 July 2026

  Aurubis opens Complex Recycling Hamburg plant for strategic metals

  New unit processes copper, lead and sulfur in one plant, raising recycling capacity and EU supply-chain resilience.

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  3 July 2026

  Mitsubishi Gas Chemical inks 100,000 t/y green methanol offtake with ACME Group

  Starts at commercial operation in 2030; product meets ultra-low carbon intensity and targets fuel and chemical markets in Japan and Asia.
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  3 July 2026

  Asahi Kasei adds slitting facility for SUNFORT DFR in Tainan

  New Tainan slitting plant expands DFR capacity for advanced semiconductor packaging; commercial operations start this month.
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  2 July 2026

  Tessenderlo Group intends to close PB Leiner Vilvoorde site

  Plans to close the Vilvoorde production site after a strategic review found no viable way to continue; a legally required employee consultation process has been opened.
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  2 July 2026

  Yara acquires Gulf Coast Ammonia Texas City plant for USD 1.3bn

  Texas City ammonia plant (1.3 mtpa) bought for USD 1.3bn; commissioning underway and ramp to full, stable output targeted by end‑2026; Air Products to supply H2/N2 under long‑term contract.
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  2 July 2026

  KEME ENERGY to develop green hydrogen and storage project at ZILS

  Integrated project at Sines industrial zone with electrolysis-based hydrogen, battery storage and two multi-fuel stations offering H2 refuelling and ultra-fast EV charging.
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  2 July 2026

  Inge Hofkens (Aurubis) elected President of European Metals

  Starts July 1 for a two-year term; will push policy changes—permitting, material classification, energy and supply-chain rules—to raise recovery rates for strategic metals.
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  2 July 2026

  ICIG builds two-site European alkoxide platform

  La Rochelle operating now; Lülsdorf due end‑2027. Supplies liquid and powder alkoxides, including sodium/potassium methylate and sodium ethylate.
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  2 July 2026

  SOCAR takes BTC operatorship as pipeline marks 20th anniversary

  Ceremony at Sangachal Terminal on 2 July 2026 marked the handover from bp after two decades; partners pledged to maintain safety, reliability and strengthen cooperation.
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  2 July 2026

  Rompetrol Rafinare: APC digital control boosts Petromidia production and cuts costs

  Automated process control increased high‑value product yields, lifted utilization to 98.1% and delivered estimated savings of over USD 2.5M in 2025.
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  2 July 2026

  XRG gains equity across all Rio Grande LNG trains

  Acquired an additional 7.6% in Trains 4–5, giving equity across all five construction trains; Trains 4–5 add ~12 MTPA and the project targets production in 1H 2027.
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  2 July 2026

  AkzoNobel halves Scope 1–2 emissions four years ahead of 2030 target

  Reached a 50% cut in operational carbon vs 2018 baseline early through renewables, heat-pump conversions and site solar; Scope 3 reductions remain a 2030 ambition.
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  2 July 2026

  Covestro completes acquisition of former Vencorex HDI-derivative sites in Rayong and Freeport

  Two former Vencorex HDI-derivative sites added to expand regional production and boost supply resilience for coatings and adhesives customers.
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  2 July 2026

  ttz Bremerhaven mobile green hydrogen station enables rapid hydrogen bus deployment in Lower Saxony

  Mobile refuelling unit supplies six fuel-cell buses with RFNBO-certified green hydrogen, allowing service start in December 2025 while a permanent station is built in 2026.
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  1 July 2026

  Anderson Greenwood Crosby Sanmar Limited expands PRV capabilities

  Launches F92 high‑temperature PRV; in‑house testing to 6000 psig and 380 bar; capacity 18,000 valves/yr and >200,000 installed base; works with high‑nickel alloys.
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  1 July 2026

  Envirocat Alkoxides to open alkoxide plant in Chemiepark Lülsdorf

  Alkoxide production site in Chemiepark Lülsdorf, operations due end‑2027; sales org set up in 2026; producing liquid and powder sodium methylate, potassium methylate and sodium ethylate.
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  1 July 2026

  Tessenderlo Group agrees $400M minority equity investment in FMC Corporation

  Agreement announced; full details available in linked English and Dutch press releases.
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  1 July 2026

  Zeeland report positions region as energy hub for the Netherlands and Europe

  Study maps coordinated build-out of renewables, electrification, CCS, hydrogen and infrastructure; issues six recommendations and launches a regional strategic demand alliance with national partners.
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  1 July 2026

  Air Liquide, Nexans, RTE and partners launch SupraMarine HTS subsea HVAC demonstrator

  Liquid-nitrogen-cooled high-temperature superconducting HVAC subsea cable demonstrator to link distant offshore wind farms to shore; test planned by 2028 with €7.3m grant.
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  1 July 2026

  Reju opens U.S. R&D center in Conshohocken

  First North American lab to accelerate polyester chemical recycling and scale next‑generation circular solutions, co‑located with Technip Energy’s research infrastructure.
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  1 July 2026

  BASF and Carlyle complete coatings transaction; BASF retains 40% of Surventis

  €7.7bn enterprise-value deal delivered ~€5.8bn pre-tax cash to the seller; coatings businesses reorganised as Surventis covering automotive OEM, refinish and surface treatment.
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  1 July 2026

  EIB lends €125m to Orano to build Orano Med’s ATEF for thorium‑228 production

  Funds will build the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility to scale thorium‑228 supply for lead‑212 targeted alpha therapies and feed ATLabs.
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  1 July 2026

  Symrise wins L'Oréal 2026 Energy Award for 'Closing the Hydrogen Loop'

  Circular process captures and recycles hydrogen in Hydrolite® 5 green production, cutting fresh hydrogen use ~80% and achieving ~98% recovery to lower emissions and strengthen supply resilience.
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  1 July 2026

  Nobian marks five years advancing raw-material production and sustainable chemistry in Europe

  Five-year progress includes ISCC PLUS-certified chloromethanes, RFNBO green hydrogen production, four EcoVadis Platinum ratings, and a 2024 Dutch agreement targeting near-zero CO₂ by 2030.
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  1 July 2026

  OMV and Energie Steiermark launch Tiefenkraft deep geothermal project

  Seismic survey completed; Petersdorf 2 exploration well due Q4 2026; potential up to 670 GWh/yr by 2037 covering ~50% of Graz district heating; 20 km pipeline, €150m.