Chemicals News

Pioneering marine and protective coatings brand International®, part of AkzoNobel, celebrated its 35th year anniversary in China during an event in Shanghai in October 2024. First registered and founded in 1989 in partnership with Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemicals and China State Shipbuilding Equipment & Materials Corporation Ltd, International Paint of Shanghai Co., Ltd. has since established three production facilities in China, 17 distribution centres, and employs over 100 technical serv...

Propspeed, a globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced it has appointed Nautilus Yacht Equipment as its single-entry point for all Propspeed existing and future partners in Greece and Cyprus, effective January 1st, 2025. Focusing on yachting and light-commercial customers, Nautilus will act as importer, local warehouse, and a training and service centre for Propspeed in this growing market.  Nautilus's commitment Nautilus has been a trusted Propspeed part...

Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) has announced that it signed an equity investment agreement worth US$17.6 million with Hyundai Oil Terminal Corporation on 1 August 2024, to establish Korea’s alternative marine fuel supply chain centred on Ulsan Port. The investment is a follow-up to the 'Plan to Establish an Alternative Marine Fuel Supply Chain' announced at the government's emergency economic ministerial meeting in November 2023, with UPA taking the lead to strengthen the competitiveness of K...

Brunvoll has signed a contract with Tersan Shipyard for the delivery of propulsion and manoeuvring systems for two stainless steel chemical product tankers. Tune Chemical Tankers (TCT), which also is a part of Tersan Group will be the owner of the vessels. The contract also includes an option for two additional vessels. Brunvoll’s delivery for the vessels consists of a complete shaft line solution with a reduction gearbox and a controllable pitch propeller, a tunnel thruster, and Brunvoll...

Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity has been selected as the International Maritime Organisation's World Maritime Day theme for 2025, which will culminate in the celebration of World Maritime Day on 25 September 2025. The IMO Council, meeting for its 132nd session, endorsed the theme following a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez. Management of ocean resources The theme reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, with more than 80% of glo...

Stolt Tankers is expanding implementation of Shipshave’s In-Transit Cleaning of Hulls (ITCH) solution across its fleet after seeing significant fuel savings of over 10% from initial trials of the innovative technology to boost energy efficiency, reduce its carbon footprint and cut emission costs. Fleet sustainability As the world’s largest operator of chemical tankers, Stolt Tankers is adopting a range of technologies to enhance the sustainability of its fleet towards the goal of r...

ClassNK has commenced joint research with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to establish an evaluation method for the compatibility of ship materials with liquefied oxygen (LOX). The aim is to contribute to suppressing fire accidents on ships handling liquefied hydrogen, where LOX could be generated, and to reasonable material selection. Liquefied hydrogen carriers To construct a supply chain for hydrogen, which is expected to be a clean energy source in a decarbonised society, th...

Siemens Smart Infrastructure is expanding its fire safety offering on Building X through newly launched applications and an application programming interface (API) to increase transparency, decrease response time in case of incidents, and enhance maintenance processes for service providers. Building X Building X is a digital building platform that supports customers to digitalise, manage, and optimise their building operations. This leads to an enhanced user experience, increased performance...

According to the new “Value of Reliability” survey from ABB, over two-thirds of industrial businesses experience unplanned outages at least once a month, costing the typical business close to $125,000 per hour. Despite this, 21 percent of businesses surveyed still rely on run-to-fail maintenance. Managing maintenance The survey, conducted by Sapio Research in July 2023, gathered responses from 3,215 plant maintenance decision-makers globally across the energy generation, plas...

DNV has published new guidelines for the safe installation of onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) systems on board ships, amid growing pressure on the shipping industry to develop effective technologies to reduce emissions as part of the ongoing maritime energy transition. Different methods for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be necessary to achieve international, regional, and national emissions targets. Post-combustion OCCS on board trading ships is expected to be among the...

B.F.E. Bonney Forge is one of the first European companies to secure certification for a spare part intended for field operations through the application of AM technology. This achievement signifies a major milestone in the manufacturing landscape, one that demonstrates the potential of this innovative technology to reshape the future of pressure equipment under the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU (PED). CE-certified pressure vessel The collaboration builds upon the successes of the s...

AkzoNobel is supporting the marine industry to mitigate emissions and help shipowners navigate upcoming additional costs, or risk facing an additional six-figure levy annually once new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation comes into force from 2024. The EU ETS carbon levy will affect all CO2 emissions on shipping journeys to and from an EU port, including when the vessel is docked. Emissions on voyages in and out of the EU will be ‘taxed’ at 50% unless the journey is less t...

Internacional Marítima is a Brazilian company leader in marine and port support services, with over 35 years in the market and for over five years using WEG paints in its fleet. The vessel - BLG 2, originally destined to launch jack-ups of up to 8000 tonnes and reclassified to support work in ocean navigation, will be receiving a new paint job for restoration and protection in a 9,000 m² area of side, bottom and deck. WEG supplies paint for the vessel - BLG 2 WEG is supplying more...

A consortium led by zero-emission vessel provider - ACUA Ocean in partnership with zero-emission infrastructure provider and National Maritime UK Marine Hydrogen Working Group partner - Unitrove has won a multi-million pound UK government grant in a major push to decarbonise the maritime sector. The ‘Hydrogen Innovation – Future Infrastructure & Vessel Evaluation and Demonstration (HI-FIVED)’ consortium will receive over £3.8 million of funding to build and showcase...

Air Products and Mabanaft, through its subsidiary Oiltanking Deutschland, announced their intention to build Germany's first large-scale, green energy import terminal in the Port of Hamburg. This joint development agreement is an important step towards the development of a green ammonia import and distribution infrastructure in the Port of Hamburg. The project was announced at a ceremony in Hamburg, which was supported by German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert...

Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and seven companies launched “Satellite VDES Consortium” after the inaugural meeting which was held on October 13, 2022. OPRI joined the consortium as a secretariat.  OPRI has been conducting research to promote satellite VDES, the next-generation maritime communications infrastructure, with the aim of fostering cooperation between the ocean and space. Based on the results of these studies, OPRI also relea...

Neste has been selected as a finalist in the contest for the German Sustainability Award for companies 2023. With its ambitious sustainability vision and renewable solutions for the aviation industry, road transport, and polymers and chemicals, Neste was nominated for the final round. The winner will be announced and awarded at ceremonies taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, on December 1 and 2. German Sustainability Award The German Sustainability Award recognises companies th...

The electrification of HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) is entering its final round. In the future, the tractor units deployed on the journeys between block storage and the container rail terminal or the empty depot will be driven by battery power. In order to further reduce CO₂ emissions at CTA, seven new battery-powered tractor units have been ordered and will replace the previously used equipment that runs on diesel. This terminal process will therefore emit no CO₂, nitrogen oxide o...

Propspeed, the globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, has announced that Propspeed has been proven to make vessels more fuel efficient, improve performance and offset fuel costs. Several Propspeed customers have monitored their performance data, before applying Propspeed and after, and have shared that information back to the company. Demand for fuel-efficient vessels “Seeing how shockingly high fuel costs these days are, boaters are looking for any way to make...

Diesel is the fuel of choice for a range of products including generator sets and engines used in marine, rail and construction and mining equipment, but there are alternatives. With concerns about the climate rising, businesses, shareholders and lawmakers are looking at replacement options for diesel in vehicles and power generation applications. Emission reductions across alternative fuels should also be considered when making a selection. Reasons for popularity Diesel has been the fuel of...

The New Zealand coastguard Mana's recently put their new rescue vessel in use. A repurposed Rayglass Protector, previously used as a supporter boat during America's Cup, is now a part of the rescue fleet in Cook Strait, NZ. With the coastguards' big focus on sustainability and safety, OXE Diesel was an obvious choice when it came to powering their new vessel. With twin OXE300's on the transom, there was no need to compromise on low emissions, range or safety. "This new vessel we’re receiv...

    HyCC has launched Project H2era to construct a 500-megawatt green hydrogen plant in the Amsterdam port area. The project, launched in cooperation with the Port of Amsterdam, is a major step forward in the development of the regional hydrogen economy to help decarbonise industry and mobility. Green hydrogen “The use of green hydrogen is crucial to reduce emissions from industries such as steel, chemicals, and aviation,” says Marcel Galjee, Managing Directo...

Chris Cooper has been appointed President of Neste US, effective from 1 July 2022. In his new role, he is responsible for supporting and aligning regional business strategies to deliver strategic growth targets, and he acts as Neste’s primary representative for the external community in the US. At the moment, Chris Cooper is holding the position of Vice President of Americas of Neste Renewable Aviation. Accelerate renewable growth strategy “The US presents important opportunities...

Neste, Covestro, and South Korean petrochemical company SK geocentric are cooperating to enable the production of a major polyurethane raw material based on renewable raw materials via mass balance. The cooperation will see Neste provide SK geocentric with renewable Neste RE™, an ISCC-certified feedstock for polymers and chemicals made from 100% renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oil and fats. Energy consumption SK geocentric will process this feedstock into benzene at th...

Is 3D printing just a hype? Or can ship parts, which meet the high demands of the shipping industry, actually be printed? These questions will be answered during the pilot project, ‘3D Printing of Marine Spare Parts’, which is being executed by a consortium of 27 port-related companies, including Ruysch International. ‘3D Printing of Marine Spare Parts’ The pilot project – ‘3D Printing of Marine Spare Parts’ has officially started with the investigati...

IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee progresses work on GHG reduction; approves the Mediterranean Sea emission control area. IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee has reiterated its commitment to review and strengthen the IMO Initial Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping, to adopt a revised strategy in mid-2023. MEPC 78 session The MEPC 78 session (6-10 June) made further progress with the discussions towards the revision of the Initial GHG Strategy, as initi...

Neste Corporation’s Board of Directors has appointed Matti Lehmus (born 1974) as President and CEO as of 1 May 2022. He succeeds Peter Vanacker, who will hold the position until 30 April 2022. Matti Lehmus holds a M. Sc. in chemical engineering and an eMBA. He joined Neste in 1998 and has held several key leadership positions during his career in both the oil products business and renewables. He has been a member of the Neste Executive Committee since 2009 and currently serves as Exe...

DHL Express and Neste have announced a significant step towards decarbonising aviation logistics by expanding their existing cooperation with a new strategic collaboration. In the next five years, Neste will supply DHL with approximately 320,000 tons (400 million liters) of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM. The agreement is Neste’s largest for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to date and one of the largest SAF agreements in the aviation industry. SAF availability  Nest...

Blue Water is deeply concerned about Russia's continued military actions in Ukraine. They continuously follow the situation and assess how the increasing amounts of sanctions against Russia impact their activities and ability to service their customers. The company is pausing all new bookings, contracts, and activities in Russia and Belarus – this includes any transit through Russia and Belarus. Blue Water fully respects the sanctions and will comply Blue Water fully respects the sancti...

The European business community has been united in condemning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Neste has a common concern about the situation. Due to the current situation and the uncertainty in the market, Neste has mostly replaced  Russian crude oil with another crude, such as North Sea oil. Neste will closely monitor the situation and the development of sanctions and potential counter-sanctions and prepare for various options in procurement, production, and logistics. Neste’s re...