ended its membrane-electrodeassembly business in the US on 1Aug 2013. The closure of the plant inSomerset, NJ, affected approximately25 employees. The plant had beenmaking Celtec MEAs for high-temperature PEM fuel cell systems.BASF remains expectant of significantmarket growth for electro- andreformer catalysts as well as variousfuel cell technologies. Following theshutdown of the BASF Fuel Cell plantin Germany in 2010, the Somersetplant covered the entire MEAproduction process.

Original Source: Fuel Cells Bulletin, Aug 2013, 1(Website: http://www.elsevierscitech.com/nl/fcb/home.asp) © Elsevier Ltd 2013. Original Source:Speciality Chemicals, Aug 2013, 33 (8), (Website:http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz BusinessMedia Ltd 2013

Biométhodes and its US subsidiaryOptaFuel builds pilot plant

A $24 M pilot plant is beingconstructed by France-basedBiométhodes and its US subsidiaryOptaFuel in Norton, VA. Expectedstart of operation is in 2014 withcommercial production also planned.Local hardwoods will be the main rawmaterials. The company’s biorefineryprocess is a combination ofchemically pretreating thelignocellulosic material from non-foodbiomass and hydrolyzing using theOptazyme process. The processproduces enzymes that convertcellulose and hemicellulose into fuels,chemicals, and materials.

Original Source: Speciality Chemicals, Oct 2013, 33(10), (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2013

Blue Sun launches most advancedbiodiesel plant in the world

Blue Sun Energy announced theimplementation of its enzymaticbiodiesel processing technology,making the Blue Sun St Joe Refinerythe most advanced biodieselproduction facility in the world. BlueSun engineers developed a uniquepropriety process for enzymaticbiodiesel production. This wasnecessary to overcome the hurdlestypical in an entirely newmanufacturing process. This newprocess utilizes Novozymes’ CalleraTrans L enzyme. This is the firstimplementation in the world of

enzymatic transesterification at asignificant commercial scale. TheBlue Sun St Joe plant is a 30 Mgallon/y plant.

Original Source: Blue Sun, 2014. Found on PRNewswire, 16 Jan 2014, (Website:http://www.prnewswire.com)

JV between Cargill and Evolva forsweetening agents

A jv between Cargill of the US andEvolva of Switzerland to producefermentation-based steviol glycosideswill enter the pilot scale ahead of the2014 deadline. The products will beoffered as cost-effective sweeteningsolutions for food and beverages.

Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London),Oct 2013, 77 (10), 15 (Website: http://www.soci.org/)© Society of Chemical Industry 2013

Catacel partners with DJW Technologyon CPOX hydrogen unit

In the US, Catacel and DJWTechnology have partnered to developa catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX)system for an unnamed company.The system produces hydrogen-richsyngas, under nearly any altitude,temperature, or humidity conditions.Catacel used its compact catalyticreactor technology for the project andDJW Technology provided supportwith the system engineering. Thehydrogen generator will now betrialled under realistic conditions at aglobal fuel cell company’s US plant.The generator converts natural gas oranaerobic digester gas (ADG: 60%CH4, 40% CO2) feedstock to ahydrogen-rich syngas.

Original Source: Fuel Cells Bulletin, Nov 2013, 9(Website:http://www.elsevierscitech.com/nl/fcb/home.asp) © Elsevier Ltd 2013

DSM & DONG Energy demonstrate low-cost production of bio-ethanol fromcellulosic feedstock

Royal DSM together with Denmark-based DONG Energy hasdemonstrated the combinedfermentation of C6 and C5 sugarsfrom wheat straw on an industrialscale. The combined fermentationresults in a 40% increase in ethanolyield per tonne of straw, which canresult in significant cost cuts in the

production of bio-ethanol fromcellulosic feedstock. Thedemonstration took place in DONGEnergy’s Inbicon demonstration plantin Kalundborg, Denmark. In thisdemonstration, DSM has successfullyestablished a supply chain frameworkfor C5/C6 dry yeast and shown itsability to produce and transport thisadvanced yeast for use on anindustrial scale. The joint work byDONG Energy and DSM, in whichexcellent collaboration has producedan important result, is co-funded bythe KACELLE project. DSM’s Bio-Energy cluster has its main activitiesin Elgin, IL, US, Sao Paulo, Brazil,and Delft, The Netherlands.

Original Source: DSM, 2013. Found on SpecialChemCoatings and Inks Formulation, 27 Dec 2013,(Website: http://www.specialchem4coatings.com)

Eastman, Davy tie up for MEGproduction

An advanced patented technology to manufacture ethylene glycol hasbeen developed by EastmanChemical and UK-based JohnsonMatthey Davy Technologies. Theprocess uses synthesis gas obtainedfrom various raw materials, such ascoal, natural gas and biomass. Thetwo companies developed catalystsand process design for thetechnology, which does not involveoxalate intermediates.

Original Source: Chemical Engineering World, Nov2013, 48 (11), 16 (Website: http://www.cewindia.com)© Jasubhai Group 2013

Econic secures £5.1 M to convertwaste CO2 to polycarbonates for PU

Econic Technologies Ltd hascompleted a £5.1 M series Ainvestment round. The investors areImperial Innovations and JetstreamCapital. Econic polycarbonatesreplace between 30% and 50% oftraditional petrochemical feedstockwith lower cost CO2, resulting in 30-40% cost reductions as well asimproved product characteristics. Theresulting polycarbonates can be usedin a variety of applications includingthe production of polyurethane – a$40 bn global market. The fundsraised in this investment round will beused to further the testing and scaleup of the Econic catalyst technology

4 MARCH 2014

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