OQ Chemicals launches ISCC PLUS-certified TCD alcohol DM for polymers production

Global chemical company, OQ Chemicals, launches Oxbalance TCD Alcohol DM, a sustainable alternative to conventional TCD Alcohol DM (tricyclodecane dimethanol), said the company.

The ISCC PLUS-certified product is made from more than 70% biobased and biocircular feedstocks. OQ Chemicals recently increased its production capacity for TCD Alcohol DM and is now expanding the application range for this product with the biobased variant.

Due to its special properties, Oxbalance TCD Alcohol DM is suitable for the production of high-performance technical polymers such as polyesters, polycarbonates, and polyurethanes, as well as for use in adhesives, coatings and paints for the food packaging, electronics, and automotive industries.

We remind, OQ Chemicals, successfully starts up its new pilot plant for esters in Oberhausen, Germany, said the company. This state-of-the-art test facility enables the company to manufacture small quantities of esters that are tailored to customer needs for test purposes. The new products can later be produced on a large scale at OQ Chemicals' industrial plants.

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Nigeria's downstream oil regulator has alleged ExxonMobil Corp was involved in the illegal lifting of petroleum products from an offshore terminal, according to a letter of complaint to the petroleum ministry seen by Reuters.

Exxon denied the accusation, saying in an emailed response that its "operations are carried out in full compliance with the law". The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said in the letter that Barumk Gas, a shipping vessel, was lifting butane from the ExxonMobil-controlled Bonny River Terminal without its "authorization or participation".

According to the law, the regulator is the only one allowed to have a key to the oil valve and companies need to be accompanied by a member of the regulatory staff to tap the oil. "The actions of ExxonMobil and Barumk Gas constitute economic sabotage, criminal damage and theft of Nigeria's national resources," NMDPRA Chief Executive Farouk Ahmed said in the letter dated June 8.

He said Barumk Gas should be stopped from sailing out until an investigation was conducted. Refinitiv data showed Barumk Gas was fully loaded at the Bonny Terminal. The Petroleum Ministry and NMDPRA did not respond to requests for comment.

In November last year, a Nigerian court charged 26 men with conspiracy to commit a maritime offence and attempting to illegally deal in crude oil after authorities accused their supertanker of sailing in Nigerian waters without authority.

Oil majors in Nigeria have in the past been forced to halt output following the illegal tapping of pipelines.

We remind, Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC Ltd is winding down crude swap contracts with traders and will pay cash for gasoline imports, its chief executive told Reuters, adding that private companies could begin importing petrol as soon as this month. The move is part of new Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's plans to deregulate the gasoline market and reduce the burden on government finances. Tinubu has already scrapped a costly fuel subsidy, effective from last Tuesday, a decision which tripled petrol prices, angering labor unions who have called for a strike starting on Wednesday if the decision is not reversed.

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NETL researchers are growing versatile biocatalysts using microbes from a coalbed methane (CBM) well to convert industrial carbon dioxide wastes and other single-carbon compounds into useful chemicals to manufacture biofuel, food additives and other high-value products while reducing emissions of greenhouse gas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

In testing completed at NETL, researchers found the microbes from the CBM well, which was drilled in an Appalachian coal seam as part of a mining operation, generated a biocatalyst that outperformed other biocatalysts from microbes collected at oil and natural gas well sites and other locations.

“Microorganisms have a diverse metabolism and can drive many chemical reactions,” said NETL’s Djuna Gulliver, an environmental engineer. “However, when they are grown and enriched in our laboratory, they can serve as highly capable tools that convert CO2 to acetate, an inexpensive chemical that has a wide range of uses."

The recently developed biocatalyst converts the CO2 feedstock into what Gulliver calls “bio-acetate,” which can then be used to produce food additives, a pickling agent, a laboratory reagent and other useful products. It also can act as a feedstock to be further converted into butanol, a biofuel. Butanol is often referred to as a “drop-in fuel” because it can be directly substituted for fossil fuels without the need for costly engine modifications.

The biocatalysts generated from the CBM well microbes demonstrated other unique properties. Researchers found they possessed exceptional versatility and could also convert carbon monoxide, formate and methanol feedstocks to bio-acetate.

Work is underway to scale up the production of the new biocatalysts by adding yeast, nitrogen and other nutrients and enriching the biocatalysts in reactors. Experiments focused on temperature and other variables to optimize operating parameters have been completed.

Additional work is focused on DNA sequencing to better understand and characterize the microbes from the CBM well. The results of the sequencing will help the team identify microbes with similar properties and capabilities.

The use and development of biocatalysts is an area of NETL expertise. “We have characterized microbes from coalbed formation water, shale gas production fluid and other sources, so we recognized the CBM well microbes would provide a good base to develop an effective biocatalyst,” Gulliver said.

Researchers also needed to determine how the versatile biocatalysts will fit in the marketplace. To answer that question, NETL completed a techno-economic analysis that found the biocatalyst’s adaptability to convert a variety of feedstocks or a feedstock with mixed carbon compounds to useful products fills an important market need.

We remind, EU-funded membrane and catalyst project from Evonik has received positive interim evaluation from the Commission. The project is the largest EU-funded project coordinated by Evonik, and mechanical completion of the demonstration plant in Marl, Germany, is scheduled for the third quarter. Auditors were satisfied with the progress of the Membrane and Catalysts Beyond Economic and Technological Hurdles (MACBETH) project, which was launched in 2020.

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LG Electronics has joined Renewable Energy 100 (RE100), a global initiative advocating for businesses to convert to 100% renewable energy for all their electricity requirements, said the company.

The decision to become an RE100 member is yet another example of its strong commitment to sustainability and to fulfilling its responsibilities as a global corporate citizen.

The company has finalized plans to convert all its business sites to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. To reach this goal, LG will gradually increase its usage of electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, to 60 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2040, arriving at its target of 100 percent by 2050.

Along with expanding the generation and usage of renewable energy via the installation of high-efficiency solar panels at LG offices and manufacturing facilities, the company will be implementing a variety of additional measures, such as acquiring renewable energy certificates (RECs), signing renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) and, in South Korea, paying Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) green premium.

As part of its ongoing efforts in this area, last year, LG signed a direct PPA with GS EPS, a Korean power generation company, to build a solar power station equivalent to the size of three soccer fields on the roof of the existing integrated production building at LG Smart Park in Changwon, South Korea by 2025. Some solar panels have already been installed and have generated power for select buildings since last December. Around the world, the company has installed solar panels on rooftops of several of its offices, including the LG Sciencepark R&D complex in Seoul, South Korea; the North American Headquarters campus in New Jersey, USA; LG India’s office building in greater Noida, India; and the Rayong home appliance factory in Thailand.

We remind, LG Chem recently announced that it has started construction of its fourth carbon nanotube (CNT) plant at its Daesan Complex, 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul. LG Chem’s CNT 4 Plant is slated for operation in 2025 and will contribute to doubling LG Chem’s annual CNT production capability to 6,100 tons. Prior to this, LG Chem’s 1,200-tons CNT 3 Plant in Yeosu was also recently put into full operation, enabling LG Chem to secure a total production of 2,900 tons/year, adding on to the existing 1,700 tons.

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Shell will keep oil output steady or slightly higher into 2030 as part of CEO Wael Sawan's efforts to regain investor confidence as the energy giant wrestles with poor returns from renewables while oil and gas profits are booming, company sources said Reuters.

Sawan will announce at an investor event next week the scrapping of a target to reduce oil output by 1% to 2% per year having already largely reached its goal for production cuts, mainly through selling oil assets such as its U.S. shale business, the three sources said.

Sawan, who took the helm in January with a vow to improve Shell's performance as its shares lag rivals, said oil and gas will remain central to Shell for years to come, insisting that efforts to shift to low-carbon businesses cannot come at the expense of profits.

His more cautious approach to the energy transition marks a change in tack from his predecessor Ben van Beurden who introduced the carbon reduction targets and the energy transition strategy.

Shell scrapped in recent months several projects, including in offshore wind, hydrogen and biofuels, due to projections of weak returns. It is also exiting its European power retail businesses, which were seen only a few years ago as key to its energy transition. At the same time, Shell reported record profits of $40 billion last year on the back of strong oil and gas prices.

Shell declined to comment.

We remind, Shell (London) has agreed to pay nearly USD 10 mn (EUR 9.3 mn) for breaking emissions rules at its Monaca polyethylene complex in the US state of Pennsylvania, according to the office of governor Josh Shapiro, which said the resin maker had formally acknowledged the violations.

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