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Petrochemicals

CB&I wins technology deal for China propane dehydrogenation unit

CB&I said that its Lummus Technology business has been awarded a contract by Ningbo Haiyue New Material Co. for the license and engineering design of a grassroots propane dehydrogenation unit to be built in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China.

Eastman completes Sterling Chemicals acquisition

Eastman Chemical has completed its acquisition of Sterling Chemicals, a single-site North American petrochemical producer, for $100 million in cash. This acquisition includes Sterling’s plasticizer and acetic acid manufacturing assets in Texas City, Texas.

Air Products to supply hydrogen for Shell Deer Park refinery in Texas

Air Products announced a long-term agreement with Shell Oil to supply a significant portion of the hydrogen requirements at Shell's refinery in Deer Park, Texas. The hydrogen supply will commence in mid-2013, the company said.

Fluor wins engineering deal for Dow, Saudi Aramco $20bn chemical complex

Fluor has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contract for all of the utilities and offsites at the al-Jubail chemical complex in Saudi Arabia. The complex is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical.

US hikes storm forecast as Gulf season nears peak

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) elevated its forecast on Friday for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, raising the number of expected named storms from its preseason outlook and potentially threatening refining and petrochemical operations along the US Gulf coast and eastern seaboard.

SunPower to develop solar panel plant in Mexico

SunPower Corp. plans to build a solar panel manufacturing facility in Mexicali, Mexico, to meet the demand of a growing North American solar market, the firm said on Friday. SunPower plans to lease an existing building, which has up to 320,000 square feet of capacity, it said.

India's JBF plans new PET plant at BP Belgium site

India-based joint venture JBF RAK has entered into an agreement with BP to build a new 390,000 tpy polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production unit at BP’s petrochemical site in Geel, Belgium. The agreements provide JBF rights to build and operate this PET unit on BP’s existing petrochemicals complex in Geel, adjacent to BP’s world-class purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility.

PPG to acquire Colombia coatings business

PPG Industries has agreed to purchase the coatings businesses of Colpisa Colombiana de Pinturas, a privately-owned Colombian coatings company, and its affiliates, including Colpisa Ecuador. The transaction is expected to close no later than the end of the first quarter 2012, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, the company said.

Dow to produce stadium wrap for London Olympics

Olympic partner Dow Chemical will produce a sustainable, fabric wrap that will encircle London’s Olympic Stadium during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, home to several athletic events, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide - and will help the stadium become the visual centerpiece of the London 2012 Games, according to Olympic officials.

Dow to build plants for polyolefin encapsulant films in Thailand, Germany

Dow Chemical will build two new manufacturing plants in 2012 for its ENLIGHT polyolefin encapsulant films, with one in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, and another in Schkopau, Germany. Together, these sites will more than triple capacity for making specialty films used in photovoltaic modules, and will significantly expand Dow’s ability to supply encapsulant films worldwide, the company said.