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Operational Changes and Investments news
(page 23)
23 April 2026
Dow Q1 2026 results
Q1: Net sales $9.8B (-6%); volumes -2%; local price -7%. GAAP loss $445M; operating EBIT $154M. Cash from ops $1.1B aided by NOVA payment. Sadara equity loss recognition suspended.
23 April 2026
Evonik and Fuhua complete Leshan specialty H2O2 plant
Leshan H2O2 plant finished; entering trial production for specialty grades serving PV, semiconductors, packaging, pharma. Full start-up expected Q2 2026; capacity 20,000 t/yr.
23 April 2026
Brenntag launches BYPHAR biopharma brand
BYPHAR offers three-tier raw materials (Explore/Enhance/Excel) with GMP/regulatory-ready documentation; co-branded suppliers and global supply, supporting development to commercial manufacturing.
23 April 2026
LKAB Q1 2026: Lower earnings, weaker market
Q1 net sales MSEK 7,907 (9,622); operating profit MSEK 860 (3,638). Weaker USD, lower pellet premiums and higher energy, plus transport and mine issues reduced volumes; ~2 Mt 2026 shortfall
23 April 2026
Sinopec commissions first electric intelligent tubular heater for oil and gas fields
120 kW electric tubular heater applies high-pressure end rapid heating, raises thermal efficiency and safety, prevents gas-well freeze, cuts CO2 by removing fuel gas, and integrates with microgrids.
22 April 2026
Air Liquide invests $350M+ in Louisiana to supply gases for Hyundai‑POSCO low‑carbon steel plant
Adding an ASU at a methanol site and extending pipeline along the Mississippi to boost methanol output, enable scalable, reliable gas supply for industrial decarbonization, with service from 2028.
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22 April 2026
SPIE renews Johnson & Johnson maintenance contract in the Netherlands and Belgium
3-year renewal for technical facility management at pharmaceutical sites covering maintenance, mechanical engineering, ~€500k/yr energy savings, continuity and expansion support
22 April 2026
Merck and Google Cloud launch $1B agentic AI platform using Gemini Enterprise
Multi-year collaboration embeds AI across R&D, manufacturing, commercial and corporate functions to boost productivity for 75,000 staff, speed drug development and enable predictive analytics.
22 April 2026
Axens CAM factory wins Net Zero label and C3IV approval
MACARON CAM plant chosen among 150 major strategic projects; recognized as strategic for EU battery supply chains, will seek permits with public inquiry in summer 2026, FID mid‑2027, production 2030.
22 April 2026
Chugai's FJ3 Fujieda API building wins ISPE 2026 Facility of the Year Honorable Mention
Facility enables dual production of macrocyclic‑peptide and small‑molecule APIs with advanced automation, parallel lines, 0.03 µg/m3 containment and global-scale supply.
22 April 2026
Croda Q1 2026 sales meet guidance
Q1 sales £431m, +1% CC; Beauty Actives and F&F offset weaker Crop Protection. Transformation on track; FY26 outlook unchanged. Latin America strongest; North America weaker.
22 April 2026
OMV Petrom–RNV: three wind projects (~300 MW) enter execution phase
FID adopted; projects have permits and should begin staged production from H1 2027. Part of Oct 2024 deal; capacities: 50 MW, 100 MW, 155 MW. Separate 657 MW project awaiting FID.
22 April 2026
Rompetrol Rafinare’s Vega Ploieşti starts 60%‑purity hexane production
Unit optimizations enable higher‑purity hexane suited for oil extraction, adhesives, paints and degreasing; ~150 t/day capacity, boosts extraction yields and shortens processing time.
22 April 2026
Evonik expands biotech drug-substance capacity in Slovakia
€80M expansion adds downstream fermentation for drug‑substance manufacturing, creates ~50 jobs; follows rhamnolipids plant and boosts biotech scale‑up and sustainability.
22 April 2026
INEOS expands European polymer distribution with Omya and Snetor
New distributor deals broaden access to locally produced polyolefins, improve regional supply security and service for converters, supported by major low‑carbon production and site investments.
21 April 2026
CATL unveils six battery innovations and integrated charge–swap network
Six batteries: Shenxing (10–15C); Qilin 280Wh/kg (1,000km) & Condensed 350Wh/kg (1,500km); Freevoy hybrid 230Wh/kg (600km); Naxtra Na‑ion GWh scale; charge–swap network, 4k stations.
21 April 2026
EBA annual event: Europe shifts to industrial-scale battery execution
Panelists stressed transition from project launches to industrial ramp-up, needing coordinated policy, finance and market measures, new funding tools, and scalable tech to secure competitiveness
21 April 2026
GENOX debuts J and X series shredders at CHINAPLAS 2026
Shows J Series pipe shredder for pipes to 2000mm dia/120mm thick with 6m hopper; X Series twin-shaft high-torque shredder for mixed/rigid waste. Offers turnkey recycling systems and global service
21 April 2026
Siemens expands Industrial Edge for enhanced data and AI integration
Industrial Edge: AI Suite & WinCC Unified GA. Management adds IEC62443 security and air‑gap. Information Hub gets bidirectional sync and ARM support. New machine‑vision and rugged HW partners.
21 April 2026
Arkema at Chinaplas 2026: high-performance materials
Showcases bio-based, recyclable high-performance polymers, additives and advanced materials for mobility, electronics, semiconductors and consumer goods; highlights Asia production expansions.
21 April 2026
Evonik opens expanded specialty-amine plant in Nanjing
Double-digit-million-euro expansion boosts specialty amine capacity in Nanjing, improving supply security, raw-material access and low-VOC additives for polyurethane/epoxy; plant runs on green power
21 April 2026
Evonik commissions 150 kV Antwerp substation
New 150 kV substation in Antwerp replaces 36 kV link, boosting capacity for industrial electrification and CO2 cuts; built with Elia, includes two 150t transformers and 6 ~1km cables.
21 April 2026
Statkraft completes Montes de Cierzo repowering with 98% waste recovery
44 ageing turbines replaced by 10 new units; capacity rises from 60 to 90 MW and output to 300 GWh/yr. 14.26 MW (28.51 MWh) batteries added. €5M local co-investment; full repower by 2027.
21 April 2026
LKAB advances Luleå critical‑minerals demonstration plant
Installation underway at demo facility; building complete, commissioning autumn. Malmberget pilot tests the chain. Tech will extract phosphorus and 17 REEs from iron‑ore residues; permits ongoing.
21 April 2026
BASF expands HALS and NOR HALS capacity
Boosts supply reliability to meet rising demand; NOR HALS improves UV, heat and chemical resistance for durable agricultural films, enabling multiseason use; AR forms reduce dust for safer handling.
21 April 2026
China Petrochemical’s next-generation green intelligent aromatics technology achieves international leading status
New aromatics tech validated: p-xylene adsorbent, ethylbenzene‑conversion isomerization catalyst, SMB single‑tower separation, intelligent control; 25 patents; +50% low‑temp heat reuse, −27% energy/unit
20 April 2026
Viva Energy Geelong refinery alkylation-unit fire — update
Fire contained; diesel and jet at ~80% capacity, petrol ~60%; stocks cover reduced output; aiming to restore >90% in weeks; investigation underway.
20 April 2026
Topsoe to supply HydroFlex for Abundia's plastic-to-fuel facilities
Selected tech will convert plastic waste into drop-in diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and chemical feedstock at three North American plants (1,500 bpd each). Baytown FID end-2026; ops 2029.
20 April 2026
Elkem sells Saguenay biocarbon unit to CHAR Tech, secures 5‑year 62,500‑t supply
Sale transfers pilot/demo facility and proprietary pellet tech; site to be upgraded to 15,000 t/yr of pellets, converting raw biochar into biocarbon for ferrosilicon decarbonisation and smelter supply.
20 April 2026
Boehringer Ingelheim launches £150M AI accelerator in London’s Knowledge Quarter
Adds a new Computational Innovation centre to the global footprint, focusing on AI/ML for drug R&D to deepen disease biology and speed discovery; first 50 AI experts by end of 2027.
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