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| November 10, 2009 |
Dow Chemical to pursue $10B project with Shenhua Group in China
Dow Chemical reportedly will pursue its $10 billion coal-to-chemical joint venture with Shenhua Group in Shaanxi province in China. The companies recently held a cornerstone-laying ceremony, which was attended by officials from the Chinese province and the U.S. Embassy. Reuters (11/5)
PET maker expects Alabama plant to be its most profitable
Aloke Lohia, managing director of Indorama Polymers and CEO of Indorama Ventures, has ambitious plans for expanding his stake in the market globally. Indorama Polymers, the second-biggest PET producer by capacity in the world, opened a $200 million plant in Decatur, Ala., this year. Lohia predicts the plant will be his most profitable, given that it serves the biggest market and the average American is projected to use 20 pounds of PET this year. Forbes (Asia) (11/16)
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U.S. chemical industry lost 1,200 jobs in October
The number of jobs in the U.S. chemicals and plastics industries each fell 0.1% in October from the month before as the country posted its highest unemployment rate in 26 years at 10.2%, according to the Labor Department. More than 82,000 jobs have reportedly been lost in the chemicals sector worldwide since the economic downturn started in September 2008. ICIS News (U.K.) (11/6)
Weekly chemical rail shipments climbed 3.6% to end October
Chemical railroad shipments increased for the third time this year, jumping 3.6% during the week ending Oct. 31 from year-ago levels, according to the Association of American Railroads. Chemical loadings for that week rose to 28,032 from 27,061 during the same week last year. ICIS News (U.K.) (11/5)
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Manufacturers roll out green construction materials
A number of startups are producing bricks, concrete and other building materials using sustainable raw materials and environmentally friendly methods. One such company is California-based CalStar Products, which has developed a way to make bricks from fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning. The process uses 85% less energy than conventional brick manufacturing. The Wall Street Journal (11/4)
Private sector is already investing in green tech
Cleantech Group last week released "Why Cop15 Doesn't Matter," an analysis that shows there is little chance that global leaders will reach a deal next month when they meet in Copenhagen for climate talks. However, Cleantech projects $5 billion to $6 billion in venture capital will go to green technologies, in addition to tens of billions the U.S. will spend to develop clean-energy industries. CNET/Green Tech blog (11/5)
Nanotechnology risks are unknown amid rapid innovation
Research indicates nanotechnology will grow from $240 million worth of products last year to a projected $3 trillion in 2015 as environmental advocates press the government to get more involved in regulating this rapidly developing field. But experts say it is difficult to link health issues directly to a specific company. "We don't know exactly what the risks are," said Albert Lin, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. "If there is a risk, can we trace it back to the parties that are liable? We are at the beginning stages." The Sun (Baltimore)/McClatchy-Tribune News Service (11/4)
Researchers develop nanoparticle ice repellant
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated the use of a nanoparticle-based coating that can deter ice from building up on solid surfaces. The water-repellant coating mimics the surface of a lotus leaf, letting water fill tiny ridges to reduce how much sticks to the surface. U.S. News & World Report/National Science Foundation (11/2)
House passes IST bill despite opposition in industry
The House passed a Homeland Security-backed chemical bill on Friday that will require chemical makers, water plants and wastewater facilities to shift to inherently safer technology, or IST. The chemical industry opposed the bill, saying IST requires excessive spending to convert to unnecessary alternatives, which in turn will drive up the price of products and cause layoffs. Homeland Security Today (11/9)
Utility companies ask Congress to pursue cap-and-trade legislation
Executives from energy companies are concerned that the Environmental Protection Agency will be forced to intervene in regulating greenhouse-gas emissions if Congress fails to quickly pass proposed cap-and-trade legislation. The EPA might impose regulations that are "more arbitrary, more expensive, and more uncertain for investors and the industry than a reasonable, market-based legislative solution like cap and trade," said Exelon CEO John Rowe. The Wall Street Journal (11/9)
Deadlocked? Time for a breakthrough session
Slice through corporate logjams with a designated breakthrough session, suggests Seth Kahan. Make sure you correctly identify the problem, then get all the people who can contribute to a solution around a table -- and keep the ball rolling until everything's back on track. FastCompany.com/FC Expert Blog (11/4)
Dec. 1 is deadline for Spring Meeting call for papers
Proposals to present at AIChE's 2010 Spring Meeting and Sixth Global Congress on Process Safety are due by Dec. 1. The event, to be held at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio from March 21 to 25, will include a plenary session on energy efficiency, the Ethylene Producers Conference, the Natural Gas Utilization Conference, the Center for Chemical Process Safety International Conference, and symposia on loss prevention, process-plant safety and refinery processing. Learn more. Blank (11/9)
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