Bayer CropScience to pay up to USD750 million to amicably resolve claims submitted by growers

(Bayer) -- Bayer CropScience is pleased to announce that the settlement agreements with U.S. long-grain rice growers in connection with the biotech rice litigation have taken effect. A sufficient number of now-verified registrations for the settlement program have been filed by growers to represent 85 percent of U.S. long-grain rice acreage, a threshold point established for the agreements to become binding.


As agreed to in the settlements, Bayer CropScience will pay up to USD750 million to amicably resolve claims submitted by growers. The settlement program was available to all U.S. farmers who had been growing long-grain rice during the period of 2006 through 2010.


Bayer CropScience regards the inclusion of all long-grain rice growers in the settlement program, whether they had filed a lawsuit or not, to be crucial to demonstrating the company's long-term commitment to rice, which remains an important crop for Bayer CropScience throughout the world.


Bayer already has established appropriate provisions for the settlement program.


Although Bayer CropScience believes it acted responsibly in the handling of its biotech rice, the company considered it important to resolve the litigation so that it can move forward focused on its fundamental mission of providing innovative solutions to modern agriculture.


Following the detection in 2006 of traces of biotech rice in long-grain rice harvested in several Southern U.S. states, Europe imposed restrictions on U.S. long-grain rice imports, even though the rice posed no food safety issues. Rice destined for Europe at the time accounted for less than 5 percent of U.S.-grown rice; markets adjusted and that rice quickly was diverted and sold in other markets.


MRC

Shell and Qatar Petroleum ink deal on scope of petrochemical hub

(Plasteurope) -- Almost one year after Shell and Qatar Petroleum inked a memorandum of understanding to study the development of a massive petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan/Qatar. The two players announced that they had taken their cooperation to the next level. At the beginning of December 2011, Qatari energy minister Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada signed an agreement with Shell CEO Peter Voser outlining the scope and commercial principles of the proposed petrochemical hub.


Specifically, the Ras Laffan complex - of which Shell will control 20% and Qatar Petroleum the remaining 80% of shares - is to include a world-scale steam cracker, fed by natural gas sourced in Qatar, as well as a 1.5m t/y mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant using Shell's "Omega" technology and a 300,000 t/y linear alpha olefins line, powered by Shell's higher olefin process (SHOP). Once operational, most of the hub's output is to go towards the growing Asian markets.


Specifically, the Ras Laffan complex - of which Shell will control 20% and Qatar Petroleum the remaining 80% of shares - is to include a world-scale steam cracker, fed by natural gas sourced in Qatar, as well as a 1.5m t/y mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant using Shell's "Omega" technology and a 300,000 t/y linear alpha olefins line, powered by Shell's higher olefin process (SHOP). Once operational, most of the hub's output is to go towards the growing Asian markets.


Welcoming the progression, Al-Sada said, "This critical petrochemicals project fits well with Qatar's strategy to strengthen and further diversify its growing chemicals industry and represents an important milestone on our journey to becoming a significant global petrochemicals producer."


MRC

BASF increases prices for ethylamines in Europe

(BASF) -- With immediate effect, BASF is increasing its European sales prices for ethylamines as follows: monoethylamine (MEA 70%) + EUR 30 per metric ton, diethylamine (DEA) + EUR60 per metric ton, triethylamine (TEA) + EUR70 per metric ton.


The price increase will also apply to current supply agreements as soon as and to the extent permitted by their terms and conditions.


Ethylamines are starting materials for the production of various intermediates that are used, for example, in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.

MRC

Cereplast new resin grades received DIN CERTCO certifications of compostability

(Cereplast) -- Cereplast, Inc, a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, compostable and sustainable plastics, today announced that their three new resin grades, Compostable 3002, Compostable 3010, and Compostable 3020, have received DIN CERTCO certifications of compostability. These new resin grades provide superior properties and are for use on blown film extruder lines for the manufacture of compostable bags.


Compostable 3002, Compostable 3010, and Compostable 3020 can substitute polyethylene for carry bag and trash bag applications, and provide a range of thickness, tear resistance and stretch. These materials, which consist of Ingeo PLA and other compostable components, provide excellent processability, good tear resistance and reduced stretch under load when compared to the competition.

All three resins are DIN CERTCO certified to be compostable up to 1.0 mil (0.0254 mm) thick. DIN CERTCO is the most prominent institute for standardization in Germany, and is highly regarded world-wide. DIN CERTCO is one of two certifying bodies recognized by EU Bioplastics for the certification of bioplastics, a requirement for selling compostable resin in Europe.


Cereplast, Inc. designs and manufactures proprietary biobased, sustainable plastics which are used as substitutes for traditional plastics in all major converting processes - such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and extrusions - at a pricing structure that is competitive with traditional plastics.


MRC

The German inge GmbH launched an innovative software tool

(BASF) -- The German company inge GmbH - widely regarded as the global leader in the field of ultrafiltration technology - hundred percent owned by BASF and part of its Water Solutions business - has launched an innovative software tool to accompany the ultrafiltration modules and membranes developed and produced in-house. Known as inge System Design' and developed by inge's own researchers, the software program speeds up the process of designing professional ultrafiltration systems.
The new software developed by inge offers customers some outstanding features that are not available in any conventional products - for example enabling users to calculate the quantities of chemicals and energy required by the system and adapt the metering pump design to the water quality and the desired target pH value.


This provides the flexibility to tailor the system to the customer's individual needs. Programmed in Visual Basic, ⌠inge System Design is extremely user-friendly, making it the perfect tool for project design and plant construction.


MRC