U.K. Terra to Idle Production
Terra Industries says it will idle production at its Woodward, OK and Ince and Billingham, U.K. fertilizer plants in... Dow Closes Three Latex Sites; Signs Deal for Chlor-Alkali Supply
Dow Chemical says it will permanently close its Pittsburg, CA; King’s Lynn, U.K.; and Varennes, PQ latex manufacturing plants. Dow says it transferred most employees from these sites to other parts of the company. The decision was based on... Hovione to Buy Irish Pharma Ingredients Site from Pfizer
Hovione (Loures, Portugal) says it has agreed to buy Pfizer’s multipurpose active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) plant at Loughbeg, Ireland. The deal is scheduled to be completed by early April 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed. Loughbeg... Ineos Seeks Monthly Contracts
Ineos says it continues to support monthly contract pricing for ethylene and propylene in Europe. The company is in... Banks Approve Ineos Debt Covenant Waiver
Ineos says that the holders of its €5-billion ($6.3 billion) senior debt have voted to approve the group’s recent request to waive debt covenants for six months (CW, Nov. 24, p. 14). Barclays, as agent for the lenders... More Stories » SWEDEN AstraZeneca to Cut 1,400 Jobs, Shut Units by 2013
AstraZeneca says it will cut a total of 1,400 jobs and permanently close plants at Destelbergen, Belgium; Porrino, Spain; and Umea, Sweden by 2013. Some of the job cuts will be at its Macclesfield, U.K. and Södertälje, Sweden facilities, AstraZeneca... Explosion Injures Four at Yara Plant in Norway
Four people were injured by an explosion at Yara International's No. 3 NPK fertilizer plant at Porsgrunn, Norway today. The resulting fire has been brought... Perstorp to Lay Off 105 Employees
Perstorp says it plans to lay off 105 employees in Sweden because of falling demand and lack of business orders for certain specialty chemical products. Of these 105 employees, 68 work in Perstorp and Helsingbor, and 37 work in Stenungsund and Nol, the... AstraZeneca to Close Three Plants; Cut 1400 Jobs by 2013
Pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca says it will permanently close its three plants located at Destelbergen, Belgium; Porrino, Spain; and Umea, Sweden and the company also plans to cut jobs at its facilities at Macclesfield, UK and Södertälje, Sweden. This... Inver Inks European Powder Coatings Business Deal
Inver (Bologna), an industrial liquid and powder coatings firm, has acquired the European powder coatings business of AB Wilh. Becker... More Stories » FINLAND Kuraray Establishes Finland Subsidiary
Kuraray Europe (Frankfurt, Germany), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray, says it has established a new subsidiary in Finland to strengthen Kuraray’s network in Europe and... Kemira Announces Additional Restructuring Plans
Kemira says it will reduce capacity and close sites making polymers for paper chemicals under a restructuring designed to save an annualized €10 million ($13 million) in 2009-10. The move is in addition to a global cost-saving program announced earlier... Yara Expands Phosphate Capacity at Mine in Finland
Yara International says it will strengthen its phosphate rock base by investing in new capacity at the company’s Siilinjärvi, Finland mine. The €60-million ($76 million) investment will increase capacity from... Reach Chemicals Agency Lists 15 Substances of Very High Concern
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA; Helsinki) has listed 15 substances of very high concern (SVHC) that “may” become subject to the authorization phase of the European Union’s (EU) Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals... Kemira Confirms Job Cuts in Finland
Kemira has confirmed plans to make major reductions to its workforce in Finland (CW, Aug. 11/18, p. 5). Kemira... More Stories » DENMARK Explosion Injures Four at Yara Plant in Norway
Four people were injured by an explosion at Yara International's No. 3 NPK fertilizer plant at Porsgrunn, Norway today. The resulting fire has been brought... DOE Awards Novozymes $12.3 Million for Bioethanol R&D
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Novozymes $12.3 million to fund an R&D project to increase the efficiency of enzymes for converting waste biomass to bioethanol. The project, named the Development of a Commercial-Ready Enzyme... EFCG Proposes Certification for Pharma Excipients
The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG; Brussels) and the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of Europe (IPEC Europe; Brussels) say they have developed a proposal for a certification scheme for pharmaceutical excipients. “If you want safe... Lonza in Deal with Crucell for Cell Culture Medium
Lonza says it has entered into a co-exclusive global manufacturing, sales and distribution agreement with biopharmaceutical company Crucell (Leiden, Netherlands) for Permexcis, a cell culture medium developed by Crucell for PER.C6 cells. According to the... Borealis’s Profits Fall on Higher Oil and Naphtha Prices (update, adds CEO and CFO comments)
Borealis’s second-quarter net income dropped 48%, to €71 million ($110 million), on sales up 15%, to €1.8 billion. Operating income fell 66%, to €52 million. Borealis says earnings fell because of increased global crude oil and naphtha... More Stories » NETHERLANDS Altana Completes Acquisition of Wax Additives Business from Clariant
Altana says it has completed, effective today, the previously announced acquisition of wax additives producer Dick Peters (Denekamp... LyondellBasell Postpones Payment to Lenders, Plans Debt Restructuring
LyondellBasell has reached an agreement with lenders to postpone payment of $160 million in fees related to a bridge loan that were due December 19, and is working with "lenders on an extension of payment dates and the restructuring of its debt... AkzoNobel
The past year has been a period of major change for AkzoNobel (Amsterdam). Two large-scale merger and acquisition (M&A) deals—the €11-billion ($14.7 billion) divestment of its pharmaceuticals business in late 2007 and the £8.1-billion... Ashland Sells Stake in FiberVisions, May Rework Metal Casting jv
Ashland has sold its 33.5% stake in FiberVisions to its partner in the joint venture, private equity firm Snow Phipps (New York). The transaction was worth $7 million. Ashland says it will record a capital loss for tax purposes, which may be used to offset... Dow Closures Will Include Chlor-Alkali, Styrenics, and Rubber
Dow Chemical says it will shut chlor-alkali, emulsions, styrenics, and hydrocarbon rubber plants. The company made the announcements as it disclosed further details of the restructuring plan it disclosed yesterday. Engineering costs related to a... More Stories » BELGIUM EU Signs Climate Agreement; Makes Concessions to Industry
European Union (EU) leaders meeting in Brussels have unanimously agreed to cut EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. Members of the EU Parliament have also ratified the deal. The agreement will provide all firms subject to the... EU Bans Chinese Soybean Products
The European Union (EU) has banned imports from China of children’s food containing soybeans, after high levels of melamine were found in... EFCG Urges Speed in Setting Rule
The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG; Brussels), an industry group, says it is “deeply concerned” about the continued publication... EU Approves Monsanto Soybean Trait for Food and Feed Uses
The European Union (EU) has approved Monsanto’ genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready 2 Yield (RR2) soybean trait for sale in EU animal feed and food products but not for planting in the EU. Monsanto’s petition was approved as part of regulatory... Brussels to Modify Laws on Recycling of Electrical Equipment
The European Commission plans to revise European Union (EU) laws on the collection and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, and on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and... More Stories » GERMANY Altana Completes Acquisition of Wax Additives Business from Clariant
Altana says it has completed, effective today, the previously announced acquisition of wax additives producer Dick Peters (Denekamp... Evonik Trims Board Size
Evonik Industries says that the size of its executive board will be reduced from seven members, to three, effective January 1... Lanxess and Merck KGaA Plan Output Cuts, Plant Shutdowns
Lanxess says it has reached an agreement with employee representatives on temporary production cutbacks and plant shutdowns during the holiday season and into January 2009. The measures will affect about 1,400 employees. About 23 of Lanxess’s 45... Bayer Reinforces R&D Despite Economic Turmoil...
Bayer intends to expand its R&D activities further, despite the financial and economic crisis, chairman and CEO Werner Wenning says. Bayer’s €2.8-billion ($3.7 billion) R&D budget this year is the biggest R&D budget in Germany’s... ... Reduces BMS Output; More Cuts to Come
Bayer is responding to “considerably weaker sales and earnings” at its Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) subgroup by cutting back production in some areas, says Werner Wenning, Bayer chairman and CEO. More cutbacks are to come, he adds. BMS sales and... More Stories » FRANCE Albemarle Completes Sale of French Site
Albemarle says it has completed the previously announced sale of its Port-de-Bouc, France site to Azur Chimie, a wholly owned affiliate of International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG; Frankfurt). All equipment, buildings, and land, as... Axens’ ParamaX Technnology To Be Used at Petrochemical Plant in Kazakhstan
Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France) announced today that the company’s ParamaX technology is to be used at the petrochemical plant being planned for the Atyrau Refinery in Kazakhstan. The facility, which will... Stepan Buys Two Arkema Units
Stepan has agreed to acquire the quaternary esters and phosphoric esters businesses of Ceca, an Arkema subsidiary. Quaternary... Rhodia Downgrades Full-Year Earnings Guidance
Rhodia has downgraded its full-year earnings guidance and says that 2008 recurring Ebitda will be “about 10% below” the almost €800 million achieved in 2007. The revision will impact Rhodia’s earnings-per-share objective for the year... Arkema: Moving to a Higher-Margin Portfolio
Arkema (Paris), France’s biggest chemical company by sales, is on track to achieve its mid-term profitability goals by the end of 2010 and to continue its expansion, says Thierry Le Hénaff, chairman and CEO. The targets will be achieved through... More Stories » SPAIN AstraZeneca to Cut 1,400 Jobs, Shut Units by 2013
AstraZeneca says it will cut a total of 1,400 jobs and permanently close plants at Destelbergen, Belgium; Porrino, Spain; and Umea, Sweden by 2013. Some of the job cuts will be at its Macclesfield, U.K. and Södertälje, Sweden facilities, AstraZeneca... AstraZeneca to Close Three Plants; Cut 1400 Jobs by 2013
Pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca says it will permanently close its three plants located at Destelbergen, Belgium; Porrino, Spain; and Umea, Sweden and the company also plans to cut jobs at its facilities at Macclesfield, UK and Södertälje, Sweden. This... BASF Secures Additional Ciba Shares
BASF has acquired Bestinver Group’s (Madrid) 13% stake in Ciba Specialty Chemicals for... EFCG Proposes Certification for Pharma Excipients
The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG; Brussels) and the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of Europe (IPEC Europe; Brussels) say they have developed a proposal for a certification scheme for pharmaceutical excipients. “If you want safe... Lonza in Deal with Crucell for Cell Culture Medium
Lonza says it has entered into a co-exclusive global manufacturing, sales and distribution agreement with biopharmaceutical company Crucell (Leiden, Netherlands) for Permexcis, a cell culture medium developed by Crucell for PER.C6 cells. According to the... More Stories » ITALY Fertilizer Manufacturers Cut Production
Yara says it has temporarily stopped production of ammonia and urea at the company’s Ferrara, Italy site. The facility has capacity for 600,000 m.t./year of ammonia and 500,000 m.t./year of urea. “The decision is related to the situation in... Yara to Temporarily Stop Urea and Ammonia Production in Italy
Yara International says it will temporarily stop production of urea and ammonia at its Ferrara, Italy facility, effective November 1, due to poor profitability. The Ferrara plant, which has a production capacity... Ineos to Sell Italian VCM-PVC Units?
Recent Italian press reports say that a consortium headed by Italian businessman Fiorenzo Sartor has signed a preliminary agreement to buy Ineos’s vinyl chloride monomer-polyvinyl... Decision Still Pending on Ineos PVC Operation in Italy
Ineos Vinyls Italia, an Ineos ChlorVinyls subsidiary, has not yet announced a decision on the future of the company’s polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant at Porto Marghera, Italy. Ineos had been due to make an announcement at the end of September. Speaking... Rhodia to Restructure Its Nylon Business
Rhodia has announced a major restructuring of its nylon businesses in Europe to improve their competitiveness. The program is designed "to help these businesses adapt to changes in the nylon market, which is expanding rapidly in Eastern Europe, Latin... More Stories » SWITZERLAND Altana Completes Acquisition of Wax Additives Business from Clariant
Altana says it has completed, effective today, the previously announced acquisition of wax additives producer Dick Peters (Denekamp... Helsinn Gains Pharma License
Contract fine chemical and pharmaceutical producer Helsinn (Lugano, Switzerland) says the Irish Medicines Board, a regulatory body, has granted Helsinn’s... Ems-Chemie Extends Holiday Break
Ems-Chemie will extend the annual holiday shutdown at its Domat, Switzerland plant... SURVEY: Only 26% of Chemical Companies Have Effective Marketing Strategy
A recent study by marketing strategy group GEMS Europe (Zug, Switzerland) has identified that only 26% of chemical companies have a fully effective strategic marketing program. The study featured a survey of 264 businesses. Most of those companies surveyed... BASF Clinches Ciba Acquisition
BASF says it holds at least 68.1% of the share capital of Ciba Specialty Chemicals following BASF’s recently announced SF50/share public offer... More Stories » AUSTRIA Symrise Expands in Vienna and Singapore
Symrise says it has expanded its Vienna site via a local affiliate. The expansion includes new offices and laboratories for the company’s Sales, Category Management, Development, and Applications Technology departments. Symrise has also added sensory... Flint Group and Lindgens Form JV
Flint Group (Luxembourg) says it has signed a joint venture with Lindgens Metal Decorating Coatings & Inks (Helsingborg, Sweden) business in Australia... Lenzing Promotes Its CFO to Become Chairman
Lenzing says it will propose Peter Untersperger to become the company's next chairman, effective January 1, 2009. Untersperger is currently Lenzing... EFCG Proposes Certification for Pharma Excipients
The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG; Brussels) and the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of Europe (IPEC Europe; Brussels) say they have developed a proposal for a certification scheme for pharmaceutical excipients. “If you want safe... Lonza and Novartis Jointly to Develop and Manufacture Biologics Products
Lonza says it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Novartis for the joint development and manufacture of Novartis's biologics pipeline. R&D activities over the past few years have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of biological... More Stories »
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