BASF breaks ground on fermentation plant at Ludwigshafen

BASF SE announced it has broken ground on a new fermentation plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany, for biological and biotechnology-based crop protection products, said the company.

The plant is expected to start operations in the second half of 2025 and will manufacture biological fungicides and biological seed treatment products, it said. BASF also plans to produce the main building block of an insecticide derived from a fungal strain at the facility, it added.

The plant will employ 30 people in production, logistics, engineering and maintenance, it said.

Plans for the plant were first announced in October last year, with investment put by BASF in the “high double-digit million euro range.”

We remind, BASF has strengthened its partnership with OQEMA, one of Europe’s leading chemical distributors, with regard to BASF’s standard amines portfolio excluding ethanolamines in the UK and Ireland, effective January 1, 2024. The companies, which have enjoyed a productive partnership in Germany and Eastern Europe for over two decades, will now join forces in the UK, combining OQEMA’s extensive distribution and sales network and in-depth local market knowledge with BASF’s ability to deliver high-quality, competitively priced products at scale.

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The head of Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) has said the country’s petrochemical exports are expected to reach 29 million tons by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 19), said Tehrantimes.

According to Morteza Shahmirzaei, the expected figure shows a 1.5-million-ton increase compared to the total exports in the previous year, Shana reported.

The country produced 69.5 million tons of petrochemicals in the previous year (March 2022-March 2023), said the official, predicting the figure will top 75 million tons this year.

Shifting to the petrochemical plans, he said 12 projects, including Gachsaran Petrochemical Complex and Persian Gulf Hoveyzeh Gas Refinery, were inaugurated as pledged in the current Iranian year, adding other projects such as Arian Methanol, Petronad, Nakhl Asmari, and Hengam are ready for the official inauguration.

Shahmirzaei also touched upon the collection of flare gases and said most of the associated gases are gathered in the Persian Gulf Bidboland Gas Refinery, NGL 3200, and Persian Gulf Hoveyzeh Gas Refinery.

The NGL 3100 project in Dehloran, the western province of Ilam, will become operational in the coming Iranian year, said the deputy oil minister, vowing NPC will capture all associated gases to prevent the burning of the national wealth.

He pointed to the development of energy diplomacy in the 13th government and said the activity program in offshore petrochemical industries is being followed seriously and good successes have been achieved in this regard. With the expansion of relations with neighboring and aligned countries, other countries have demanded the supply of catalysts, equipment, and machinery from Iran.

Stating that Iran's petrochemical industry exported more than 16 billion dollars of petrochemical products to the world markets last year, he added that the products supplied to the world markets are in excess of the domestic demand because the priority of the petrochemical industry is to meet the domestic needs in order to complete the value chain.

The NPC head had previously put the country’s petrochemical production capacity at over 92 million tons, and said: “Today we are almost self-sufficient in the main petrochemical sectors including products and equipment.”

Iran's petrochemical industry accounts for 28 percent of the region's petrochemical capacity and 2.7 percent of the world's petrochemical capacity, he announced.

The petrochemical industry plays a crucial role in Iran’s non-oil economy, as petrochemical export is the second-largest source of revenue for the country after crude oil. Petrochemical exports already constitute nearly 33 percent of the country’s non-oil exports.

According to Shahmirzaei, the company plans to increase its annual petrochemical production capacity to 200 million tons over the next 10 years.

In this regard, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji said that more than 100 petrochemical projects with a total investment of about USD70 billion have been defined and will be implemented across the country.

Oji noted that the country will also be completely self-sufficient in producing the catalysts used in the petrochemical industry by the end of the current government administration's incumbency (August 2025).

We remind, microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical environmental concern, with its detrimental impact reaching far and wide across ecosystems and human health. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) acknowledges the urgency of addressing the issue and supports the European Commission’s proposal to regulate microplastic pellet operations and emissions.

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Microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical environmental concern, with its detrimental impact reaching far and wide across ecosystems and human health. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) acknowledges the urgency of addressing the issue and supports the European Commission’s proposal to regulate microplastic pellet operations and emissions.

At the EESC, the February plenary adopted a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastics pollution.

Microplastics, defined as solid plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, pose a significant threat to the environment and public health. They can enter the air, water and soil, persisting for long periods and accumulating in living organisms. Plastic pellets are one of the largest sources of unintentional microplastic pollution, used for producing plastics goods. Tackling plastic pellet losses requires a multifaceted approach that addresses different sources and stages of microplastic pollution.

Rapporteur, Andras Edelenyi, said: “Let’s create substantial information based on microplastic emissions, impact and prevention and intervention areas in order to direct and focus our resources to mitigate them in the most efficient way.”

The EESC emphasises the need for standardised methodologies to track and estimate microplastic pellet losses along the supply chain. By developing robust monitoring systems, policymakers can gauge progress towards environmental targets and identify areas requiring intervention. Additionally, addressing secondary microplastics from various sources is a crucial step in comprehensive pollution mitigation.

One of the challenges in regulating microplastic pollution lies in balancing environmental protection with socio-economic feasibility. The EESC recognises the importance of tailored regulations that consider the capacity of smaller enterprises, while ensuring significant reductions in pellet emissions. By offering lighter requirements for micro and small enterprises and promoting awareness and training across the workforce, policymakers can foster compliance without unduly burdening businesses.

Maria Nikolopoulou, co-rapporteur of the opinion, said: "The regulation on pellets is a good first step and we hope to see soon a proposal for the rest of the microplastic pollutants such us tires, paint, textiles, geotextiles and washing capsules!"

Furthermore, international cooperation is essential for addressing microplastic pollution, particularly when it comes to non-EU market imports and maritime transport. Harmonising regulations and sharing best practices with international partners can create a level playing field for all stakeholders and minimise pollution hotspots along global supply chains.

Investment in research is paramount for addressing microplastic pollution. The EESC emphasises evidence-based policymaking and calls for increased efforts to understand the impacts of microplastics on human and ecological health. By filling knowledge gaps and developing comprehensive risk assessments, policymakers can formulate targeted interventions to reduce microplastics pollution’s harmful effects and conduct mid-term reviews to ensure the right measures are taken.

In conclusion, the EESC’s support for regulating microplastic pellet operations reflects a concerted effort to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. By adopting a comprehensive approach that combines regulatory measures, scientific research and international cooperation, policymakers can pave the way for a cleaner, healthier future for all.

We remind, circular plastics now account for 13.5% of the content in new plastic products manufactured in Europe, according to industry association Plastics Europe (Brussels). The association today published its biennial “The Circular Economy for Plastics: A European Analysis” report, which noted that the figure means the European plastics sector is more than halfway toward the interim ambition of Plastics Europe’s Plastics Transition roadmap to use 25% of plastics from circular sources in new products by 2030.

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LG Chem announced on the 19th that it signed a business agreement with the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Institute of Environmental Industry and Technology to support small and medium-sized companies in the chemical industry to strengthen their ESG capabilities, said the company.

With this agreement, the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Institute of Environmental Industry and Technology are LG Chem's small and medium-sized companies in Korea. It supports mid-sized suppliers to strengthen their carbon competitiveness and enhance their ability to respond to related regulations.

The main support contents include support for carrying out Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), process diagnosis and carbon reduction items, and support for process improvement activities to reduce carbon. It is to improve the level of environmental management of mid-sized companies and strengthen their ability to respond to global regulations.

LG Chem is a leading chemical industry company and has participated in preparing the foundation for responding to carbon emission regulations in the entire product process, including the establishment of the LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database promoted by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Institute of Environment and Industry.

The LCI DB quantifies environmental impact information such as greenhouse gases emitted from the entire process, such as raw material use, manufacturing, and transportation, and is essential when performing LCA. A reliable LCI DB is essential to cope with global customers' carbon regulations such as the European Union's carbon border coordination system (CBAM) and battery licenses.

The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Institute of Environmental Industry and Technology have established "carbon-reducing product design and production consulting" this year to enhance environmental management capabilities and reduce product carbon so that small and medium-sized companies can respond to environmental trade regulations in a timely manner.

We remind, LG Chem Ltd. and Italy's energy giant Eni Sustainable Mobility (SM) have tentatively agreed to build a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) production plant in South Korea. If completed, the joint venture plant will become the first HVO facility with its entire supply chain from feedstock to finished products based in Korea, according to LG.

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INEOS has proposed closing its ethanol plant at its Grangemouth site in Britain in the first quarter of next year, said the company.

"The decision comes after a lengthy review and is the result of a reduction in demand for ethanol in Europe combined with increasing pressure from imports of ethanol from other regions. This has resulted in the ethanol business at Grangemouth running at a loss for several years," the company said in a statement.

The firm said it will start consultations with employees and the trade union about the proposal.

"All ethanol-based employees will be offered an alternative role within our business. Moreover, customers will be offered the supply of ethanol from INEOS’ other plant in Herne, Germany," said Stuart Collings, chief executive of INEOS O&P UK.

We remind, Ineos Inovyn, the chlorvinyls arm of UK-based chemical company Ineos, has announced that its PVC production operations in Jemeppe, Belgium, will be partly powered by solar energy starting this summer, said the company. The Jemeppe site is one of the largest PVC production facilities in Europe, with 420,000 tonnes supplied to sectors such as building, automotive, and piping every year.

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