Libya's
National Oil Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company Announce
Joint Venture Plans To Expand Petrochemical Complex in Libya
The JV project represents Libya's commitment to developing
downstream industry
National Oil Corporation of Libya (NOC) and The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) have announced plans to participate in a joint venture to operate and expand the Ras Lanuf petrochemical complex in Libya.
The joint venture agreement encompasses the Ras Lanuf site's existing naphtha cracker, two polyethylene production facilities and associated infrastructure. The project will include refurbishment and expansion of the existing units, followed by construction of an ethane cracker and additional polyethylene and polypropylene facilities. Later phases will include construction of additional hydrocarbon, plastics and chemical production facilities based on natural gas.
The Ras Lanuf
petrochemical complex is on the Mediterranean coast of Libya and
was built in the 1980s. More information about the complex
is available at http://www.raslanuf.com/.
About NOC
NOC was established in 1970 to implement the strategy of the
Country's policy in upstream and downstream oil and gas
activities. NOC, through wholly and partially
owned subsidiaries, runs a network of onshore/offshore oil, gas,
and product facilities for domestic and export markets.
Presently NOC
produces about 1.7 million bls/day of crude oil and about 2.7
TSCFD of raw gas. NOC 5 petroleum refineries having
a total refining capacity of 380,000 lbs/day of methanol, ammonia,
urea plants, producing 2000 t/day, 2200 t/day and 2750 t/day respectively as well as
petrochemical facilities at Ras Lanuf based on Naphtha cracking
producing about 330 kt/year Ethylene, 170 kt/year
Propylene, 130 kt/year mixed C4's and 325 kt/year Pyrolysis
Gasoline. Part of Ethylene is used to
produce about 80 kt/year LLDPE and 80 kt/year of
HDPE.
Also affiliated to
NOC is a petroleum research center which carries out research and
technical studies related to the oil industry and conducts
technical analysis and tests for the various stages of
exploration and production of oil and petroleum products to
ensure quality control.
America resumed full diplomatic relations with Libya in May 2006.
能力
1.7
million bls/day of crude oil
2.7
TSCFD of raw gas
NOC
5 petroleum refineries at Ras Lanuf
a total refining capacity of
380,000 lbs/day
methanol 2000 t/day
ammonia 2200 t/day
urea 2750 t/day
Ras Lanuf Oil and
Gas Processing Company (RASCO)
LPG 105 850 MTA
naphtha 1,811,130 MTA
kerosene 525,230 MTA
Ethylene 330 kt/year
Propylene 170
kt/year
mixed C4's 130 kt/year
Pyrolysis Gasoline 325 kt/year
LLDPE 80 kt/year
HDPE 80 kt/year
Shenhua Group and The Dow
Chemical Company to Sign Co-operation Agreement on
Coal-To-Chemicals Project
Project
represents win-win economic partnership between leading U.S. and
China companies
The Shenhua Group (Shenhua) and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) today will sign a cooperation agreement and announce plans for a detailed feasibility study, bringing the two parties one step closer to building a world-scale coal-to-chemicals complex in Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
The project will use "clean coal" technologies that convert coal to methanol to produce ethylene and propylene, the building blocks to make various plastics and chemical products. The complex will include a chlor-alkali unit, enabling the production of products such as caustic soda, vinyl chloride monomer and chlorinated organics. Other derivative products being planned for the complex include glycols, amines, solvents, surfactants, acrylic acid and derivatives and propylene derivatives.
Benefits for China and U.S.
About Shenhua Group
2006/8/23 中国でのダウの活動
Nov 5, 2009 Reuters
Dow Chemical, Shenhua revive $10 billion China project
Dow Chemical Co and Shenhua Group, China's largest coal miner, will reportedly move ahead with their planned $10 billion coal-to-chemical project in Shaanxi province after a delay of at least one year.
Top executives from the companies, senior officials in Shaanxi province and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in China attended a cornerstone laying ceremony on November 3, the China Chemical Industry News reported on Thursday.
The Yulin project in northern Shaanxi aimed to install 23 units that include a 3.32 million tonne-per-year methanol facility for ethylene and propylene, which are used for making various plastics and chemical products.
"The feasibility study of the project has entered the stage of applying for an approval from the central government," the newspaper said, citing an unnamed local government official.
The feasibility study was previously planned to be completed in 2008.
An assistant president with Shenhua who is based in Beijing declined any knowledge of the project, and officials at Dow Chemical in China could not immediately be reached.
Dow sold off $3.4 billion in assets this year to boost its bottom line and reduce debt. The chemical firm also cut costs by laying off thousands of workers and shutting several plants.
Shenhua is the parent of Hong Kong-listed China Shenhua Energy.----
2009/11/8 Shanghai
Dow and Shenhua held groundbreaking ceremony for Coal Chemical JV Project in Shaanxi
On Nov. 3, 2009, Dow Chemical and Shenhua Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for their JV mega coal chemical complex in Yulin, Shaanxi Province.
According to the industrial sources, this JV will be invested by Dow Chemical (China) Holding Co. (Dow China), China Shenhua Coal to Liquids and Chemicals Co. (CSCLC) and the local Government. CSCLC is a subsidiary of Shenhua Group the largest coal producer in China. Dow and Shenhua will have the major shares with in the JV, but the financial details have not been revealed yet.
With the investment around USD 10 billion, the project will include 23 chemical units which will be based on coal and salt resources in Yulin, Shaanxi, and the coal chemical and chlor-alkali process will be used in the complex. The feasibility study of the project is applying the approval from the central government.
The preliminary main products proposal as follows:
Methanol 3.32 Mt/a
Olefins 1.22 Mt/a (Methanol to Olefins)
Chlor-Alkali 500 kt/a
MEG 400 kt/a
Ethanol Amines/ Ethylene Amine 210 kt/a
Polyether Polyols 340 kt/a
Acrylic Acid 150 kt/a
Acrylates 200 kt/a
EDC 510 kt/a
PVC 500 kt/aダウは2008年7月にRohm and Haas を188億ドル（借入金引継ぎを含む）で買収する契約を締結した。
ダウはこの資金の多くを、石油化学事業をクウェートのPICとの50/50JVにすることで入る資金で充てることにしていたが、2008年12月25日にこれが破談になった。
このため、ダウはRohm and Haas の買収を一時延期したが、裁判になり、結局本年4月1日に買収を完了した。
買収資金のつなぎ融資は1年間の契約のため、 K-Dow 破談によって資金繰りが危うくなり、このままでは格付会社が投資基準以下への格下げを行うことが確実なため、ダウは増資や史上初めての減配を行うとともに、R&H子会社のMorton Salt、塩化カルシウム事業、Total とのJVのTotal Raffinaderij Nederland、マレーシアのPetronas とのJVのOptimal グループなどの売却を進めた。
また、多くのプラントを停止している。ダウ自身は今回なにも発表はしておらず、着工時期などは不明である。
Investigation Is Said to Open on Dow Chemical
The Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an inquiry into whether two senior executives at Dow Chemical secretly tried to put the company into play as well as into the unusual trading in its stock that may have resulted, according to people briefed on the matter.
But the inquiry, still in the informal stage, may also look at a deal that the company actually pursued. Last fall, Dow made an overture to acquire DuPont in a deal worth more than $40 billion, according to people involved in the talks. If the approach had ultimately led to a deal, it would have combined the largest and third-largest chemical companies in the United States. ExxonMobil is No. 2.
Shares of Dow and DuPont traded somewhat erratically at the time, though neither company disclosed the approach. From September to December, shares of DuPont climbed 15 percent.
DuPont rebuffed Dow’s advances and never engaged in negotiations, these people said. Dow’s chief executive, Andrew N. Liveris, sits on the board of Citigroup with Alain J. P. Belda, the chief executive of Alcoa, who at the time of the overture was also a director of DuPont; Mr. Belda stepped down from DuPont’s board in March.
Dow's CEO declines comment on BASF, seeks growth elsewhere
Andrew Liveris, chief executive of Dow Chemical Co., declined on Friday to comment on recent rumors Dow is interested in buying BASF AG , while adding the deals that interest him are the ones that fit gaps the company has identified.
"We'll never comment on a rumor like that, but I will say that between Dow and BASF you are looking at two of the world's leading chemical companies and reality has to set in on do-ability," Liveris said in an interview with Reuters Television.
But Liveris said he would like to grow the company's water solutions and coatings businesses.
June 01, 2007 The Detroit News
Dow Chemical has talks on Australian project
Dow Chemical Co., the biggest U.S. chemical maker, has held initial talks with owners of natural gas fields off northern Australia for the supply of fuel to a possible petrochemicals project, according to a report today from Bloomberg News.
"We'd be interested in looking at an opportunity for petrochemical production" in northern Australia, Jim McIlvenny, Dow's president for Asia Pacific and China, told reporters today in Darwin. "They are exploratory talks only. It's too early until we get gas" ashore in northern Australia that's available for domestic use, he said.
Australia's Northern Territory government aims to develop a natural gas-based chemical industry to increase returns from gas reserves that either go into liquefied natural gas or are lying unused, Bloomberg News reported. ConocoPhillips, Santos Ltd., Nexus Ltd. and Eni SpA are among companies that own gas reserves off the northern coast.
Dow to expand European SSBR
Dow
Chemical has started building a 60,000 tonnes
solution styrene butadiene rubber plant at Schkopau in Germany. It
already has SSBR and PBR plants in Germany and France and is
back-integrated into butadiene and styrene. Off-take from the new
plant will be aimed at the tyre sector.
Dow says SSBR is the fastest growing segment of the rubber market
with an anticipated annual growth rate of 5 - 6 per cent
over the next few years.
The new facility will include a
capacity rights agreement with JSR Corporation of Japan though Dow will own and
operate the plant. .
2007/06/11 JSR
欧州におけるS-SBR（溶液重合SBR)引取権の取得について
JSR株式会社 （本社：東京都中央区、社長：吉田淑則） は、DOW
Europe GmbH （本社：スイス チューリッヒ、 社長：Markus
Wildi） が同社のSchkopau（シュコパウ）工場 （ドイツ、ザクセン
アンハルト州）で建設に着手した年産6万トンのS-SBR（溶液重合SBR）製造ラインにおいて、50％にあたる３万トンの引取権を取得することで合意し、同社と契約を締結しました。
DOW社が建設中の新設S-SBRラインは2008年下期中の完成を目指しております。
JSRは、2003年以降、欧州にてDOWとの間でS-SBRの生産委託を行なっておりますが、今回、さらに引取権を取得することにより、JSRの先端技術による高品質の製品の供給を拡大し、S-SBR市場におけるJSRのポジションをグローバルに強化できることとなります。
S-SBRは、主にタイヤや工業用品用途に使用されています。近年、世界的な環境に対する意識の高まりを背景に、省燃費タイヤ用への需要が拡大しています。JSRの高性能S-SBRは、タイヤの省燃費特性だけでなく、高性能タイヤに求められる操縦安定性等の特性についても高く評価されています。JSRは、今後、日・欧の生産拠点をベースにグローバル展開をさらに強化し、S-SBR事業の拡大を積極的に進めていきます。
欧州における溶液重合SBR（S-SBR）商業生産開始について
JSR株式会社は、DOW Europe GmbH （本社：スイス チューリッヒ、 社長：Markus Wildi） が同社のSchkopau（シュコパウ）工場 （ドイツ、ザクセン アンハルト州） で建設を進めていた６万トン/年の生産能力となる溶液重合SBR （S-SBR）製造ラインがこのたび完成したことを受け、５０％にあたる３万トンの引取権に関する契約に基づき、３月に商業生産を開始することとなりまし た。
今回の引取権の実施により、当社の先端技術による高品質の製品の供給を拡大し、S-SBR市場における当社のポジションをグローバルに強化できることとなります。
S-SBRは、主にタイヤや工業用品用途に使用されています。 近年、世界的な環境に対する意識の高まりを背景に、省燃費タイヤ用への需要が拡大してい ます。 JSRの高性能S-SBRは、タイヤの省燃費特性だけでなく、高性能タイヤに求められる操縦安定性等の特性についても高く評価されています。
特にEUでは、２０１２年には、自動車の二酸化炭素排出規制が強化される予定であり、さらなる低燃費化の必要から、省燃費タイヤ用途でS-SBRへの ニーズが一層高まると見込まれています。新プラントで生産するS-SBRは、基本的に欧州での需要増にあてる方針です。従来、日本から欧州へ輸出していた 分は、日本およびアジア地区での需要拡大に充当する計画であり、今後、日・欧の生産拠点をベースにグローバル展開を図り、S-SBR事業の拡大を積極的に 進めていきます。
Dow Unveils Dow Wolff
Cellulosics, a $1 Billion Specialty Business
Wolff Acquisition
Creates World-class Team to Deliver Expanded Portfolio, Increased
Application Expertise and Innovations Across Market Segments
Underscoring its
transformational growth strategy, The Dow Chemical Company today
unveiled the creation of a new specialty business unit operating
under the name of Dow Wolff Cellulosics. It encompasses all activities
and interests of what were previously Wolff Walsrode AG and The Dow
Chemical Company’s Water Soluble
Polymers business.
The newly combined business will encompass cellulosics and
related chemistries,
providing application formulation expertise and other technical
services to a broad range of strategic industry sectors,
including construction, paint, personal care, pharmaceuticals,
food and a number of specialty industrial applications.
JULY 03, 2007 economictimes.indiatimes.com
Dow Chem plans India
plant, ties up with GACL
The $ 49-billion
Dow Chemicals, the world’s second-largest chemical
manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Gujarat Alkalies
and Chemicals (GACL), a Gujarat government company, to set up a chemicals plant in
the state.
Confirming the
development, a Gujarat government source told ET, “This new chemical plant is
proposed to be set up in a 50:50 JV between GACL and Dow. GACL is
already leader in manufacturing caustic chlorine with a basket of
26 diversified products.” He refused to divulge any
information on the investment and size of the proposed plant.
GACL, with annual
sales of Rs 1,000 crore, said in a notification to the stock
exchanges on Monday the company and Dow Europe have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) for exploring a long-term and
strategic business relationship in the area of chlorinated
organics based
on the inherent strength of both the companies.
Dow’s move comes at a time when the
issue of compensation to the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas
tragedy continues
to simmer. India has clarified that Dow Chemicals’ investments in the country will
not be affected
as a result of the Bhopal gas tragedy even as the government
would like to see the court processes resolved and the issue
addressed.
Dow Chemical plans India plant; ties up with India's GACL - report
Dow Chemical Co's European unit has signed a joint venture agreement with India's Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd to manufacture chlorine-based products at the latter's Dahej project site in the western state of Gujarat, local dailies Business Standard and The Economic Times reported.
Dow and Crystalsev
Announce Plans to Make Polyethylene from Sugar Cane in Brazil
Renewable Resource Used in Production Process Will Significantly
Reduce Carbon Footprint
The Dow Chemical Company, the world's largest producer of polyethylene, and Crystalsev, one of Brazil's largest ethanol players have announced plans for a world-scale facility to manufacture polyethylene from sugar cane.
Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding agreed by the two companies, Dow and Crystalsev will form a joint venture in Brazil to design and build the first integrated facility of its scale in the world. It is expected to start production in 2011 and will have a capacity of 350,000 metric tons. The venture will combine Dow's leading position in polyethylene with Crystalsev's know-how and experience in ethanol to meet the needs of Dow's customers in Brazil and what will likely be international interest.
The new facility will use ethanol derived from sugar cane, an annually renewable resource, to produce ethylene - the raw material required to make polyethylene, the world's most widely-used plastic.
Dow and Solvay Form Joint
Venture to Build Hydrogen Peroxide Plant in Thailand;
Dow and BASF Continue to Pursue
Plans for Thailand HPPO Plant
The Dow Chemical Company and Solvay S.A. announced today an
agreement to create a joint venture for the construction of a
hydrogen peroxide (HP) plant in Thailand. Scheduled to be
operational in 2010, the new HP plant will serve as a raw
material source for the manufacture of propylene oxide (PO). The
HP plant will be the largest in the world, with a capacity of
over
330 kilotons per annum (KTA) of hydrogen peroxide at 100% concentration. The
hydrogen peroxide supplying the process is based on Solvay’s proprietary, high-yield hydrogen
peroxide technology.
In addition, Dow and BASF Aktiengesellschaft are advancing
negotiations for the construction of a world-scale, 390 KTA propylene
oxide (PO) manufacturing
facility in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The new plant would use the
innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology
jointly developed by Dow and BASF. “This project would expand our
successful cooperation with Dow and Solvay to deploy this
innovative HPPO technology in Asia,” said Jacques Delmoitiez, president
of BASF’s Polyurethanes division.
2006/3/24 ダウとBASF、ＰＯを新製法で生産
The Dow and BASF
Thailand facility would be the second world-scale plant to use
HPPO technology. The first, a 300 KTA Dow and BASF HPPO plant, also
supplied by an HP plant based on Solvay’s high yield technology, is
currently under construction in Antwerp,
Belgium, and
is scheduled for start-up in early 2008. Propylene oxide is used
to produce propylene glycol, polyurethanes and glycol ethers.
Propylene
for the
proposed HPPO facility in Thailand would be supplied from the
liquids cracker that Dow announced it was building jointly with
The Siam Cement Group (SCG) in Thailand in October of 2006. The
liquids cracker facility is expected be fully operational in
2010.
2006/10/24 ダウ、アジア進出を促進
Dow Chemical seeking partner to build plant in Russia
Dow
Chemical, the world’s second largest chemicals
company, is looking for a partner to build its own petrochemicals
plant in Russia, the head of the company’s Russia and CIS division, Andrian
van den Berge told Interfax.
He named Gazprom as
a potential partner for construction of the plant. Gazprom is the
leading gas producer, while Dow Chemical is the leading
processor, so they could form a successful alliance in the energy
sector, he said, adding that negotiations are already underway
with the Russian gas giant.
Dow Polyurethanes to
Increase Specialty Polyols Capability in Freeport, Texas
Investment solidifies commitment to North American polyurethanes
industry
Dow Polyurethanes, a business group of The Dow Chemical Company, announced today it will add 130 million pounds or approximately 59 kilotons per annum (KTA) of specialty mix polyols capability at its manufacturing facility in Freeport, Texas. Scheduled to come on stream in early 2009, the additional capability will support growing demand for end-use polyurethanes products and polyurethane systems formulations in North America.
2007/10/17 financialnews-us.com
Dow Chemical sues JP Morgan as 'Judas'
A former Dow Chemical executive has alleged that JP Morgan, one of the top banks in private equity deals, secretly planned a leveraged buyout of his company and then blamed him for it.
Romeo Kreinberg, a former officer of Dow Chemical’s executive leadership committee, filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District of Michigan on Friday in a matter that has raged for over 10 months. The complaint is Kreinberg's retort to Dow Chemical’s suit earlier this year alleging that he held “unauthorized discussions” with JP Morgan bankers about a takeover of the company, behind the back of CEO Andrew Liveris.
A JP Morgan spokesman said: “These claims are legally and factually unfounded and we are confident they will be dismissed.”
Kreinberg's complaint alleged that JP Morgan started working with Omani and Kuwaiti investors on a buyout of Dow Chemical as far back as late 2006, then when rumors leaked into the marketplace in 2007 and Liveris became angry, the bank turned around and blamed Kreinberg for working on a buyout.
October 20, 2007
canplastics.com
Dow moves closer to shuttering Sarnia site
Dow Chemical Canada Inc. took another step towards shutting down
its Sarnia, Ont. facility this week when representatives
presented a closure plan to community representatives with the
assurance that environmental and property ownership
responsibilities would be met during the process.
Dow will proceed with its closure plan of the 322-acre
industrial site with completion in the spring of 2011. By that time, according to Dow,
all employees will have left the site, equipment and buildings
will have been removed, and the site will be in an
environmentally secure state. At present, three of the site’s four manufacturing units have
been shut down and are in various stages of decommissioning as
they are readied for demolition, which will begin next year. The
remaining facility on the site, Dow’s Propylene Oxide Derivatives
unit, will close in April 2009.
2007/10/23 AFP Carbide legacy fouls Dow's buiness deal with Indian Oil Corporation
India, Dow Chemical may settle Bhopal gas disaster claims: report
India could reach an out-of-court settlement with US giant Dow Chemical to clean up the Bhopal gas disaster site and end liability claims after more than two decades, a report said Monday.
India's law ministry said the move would clear "legal hurdles" to future Dow Chemical investments in India by setting up a fund to clean up thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil along with other measures to resolve long-running lawsuits linked to the disaster, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
Thousands of people were killed on December 3, 1984 when a then Union Carbide plant at Bhopal in central India disgorged 40 tonnes of lethal methyl isocyanate gas in one of the world's worst environmental disasters.
Dow Chemical, which took over Union Carbide in 2001, has long insisted that all liabilities regarding the disaster were settled when Union Carbide concluded a 470-million-dollar compensation settlement with New Delhi in 1989.
But local and federal court cases in India have challenged that view with lawsuits calling for more compensation for survivors and liability claims for ongoing health problems linked to the disaster.
Dow Announces Plans to Suspend Production at Union Carbide Polypropylene Manufacturing Facility in Louisiana
The Dow Chemical Company
(TDCC) today announced that Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), a
wholly-owned subsidiary of TDCC, will suspend production at its
polypropylene manufacturing facility at St. Charles
Operations in Hahnville, Louisiana, in anticipation of an expected
decision to shut down the facility by year end.
“The
closing of the St. Charles Operations polypropylene plant is a
difficult decision, but due to a number of factors, including the
inability to secure a source of economically
sustainable propylene, the use of older
technologies at
the plant and needed capital improvements to maintain operations to Dow
standards, it will be unavoidable,” said Julie McAlindon, Dow
Polypropylene Global Business Director.
The polypropylene plant has a capacity of 500/MM lbs.
Dow to Exit Hydroxyalkyl Acrylates Market
The Dow Chemical Company announced today its intent to stop producing and marketing hydroxyalkyl acrylates (HAA) by the end of 2007.
The HAA product line includes hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and hydroxypropyl acrylate (HPA). These products are sold largely to major coatings formulators for use in automotive topcoat applications.
“Dow’s competitiveness in the HAA market has deteriorated significantly as a result of high raw material costs, industry overcapacity and declining demand with a shift to low acid HAA products,” explained Chris Kok, global HAA product manager.
This decision has no
impact on Dow’s standing as a leading acrylic
acid and acrylic ester producer. Dow manages those products
independently from the HAA line.
Dow Polyurethanes
Continues Growth in Asia Pacific
Dow
to Acquire Remaining Joint Venture Shares of Pacific Plastics
(Thailand) Ltd.
Dow Polyurethanes, a business group of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), announced today that Dow will acquire the remaining shares of Pacific Plastics (Thailand) Limited (PPTL). A joint venture between Dow, Siam Cement Group (SCG) and two other minority partners, PPTL represents ownership of the polyols and polyurethane systems facility located in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. Dow is acquiring the remaining 51 percent ownership in the joint venture directly for an undisclosed sum. Once the transaction is completed, the polyols and polyurethane systems facility will be wholly owned by Dow.
November 27 2007 Gazprom 詳細
Gazprom Group and The Dow Chemical Company sign memorandum of intentions in gas processing sector
Today at the Gazprom
Headquarters Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management
Committee, Dmitry Konov, President of Sibur Holding, Andrew
Liveris, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the
Dow Chemical Company have signed a Memorandum of Intentions in
the area of high-value added hydrocarbon processing.
The document stipulates examination of prospects to set up a
joint venture based on new petrochemical production
facilities
of the Dow Chemical Company in Germany, joint natural gas
processing in the Valanginian deposits of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous
Okrug as well as examination of cooperation
opportunities in other sectors.
The parties will create a working group to preliminary evaluate
economic feasibility to set up a joint venture and to prepare a
draft agreement for further joint technical and economic
research.
Reference:
SIBUR Group is the largest vertically integrated petrochemical
holding company in Russia that includes OAO SIBUR Holding, OAO AK
SIBUR and OOO SIBUR.
The Group includes 34 enterprises, which process the major volume
of Russian hydrocarbons via the integrated technological chain
ranging from initial processing to manufacturing final products
for consumers. The executive functions are exercised by the
management company OOO SIBUR.
OAO SIBUR Holding is part of the Gazprom Group. SIBUR Holding
turnover in 2006 was RUR 121.9 bln, with net income of RUR 21.4
bln.
The Dow Chemical Company is the largest chemical company in the
USA operating in more than 175 countries. The Company produces
chemical products, packaging and agricultural products. In 2006
Dow annual sales and net profit exceeded USD 49.1 bln and USD 3.7
bln, respectively.
In pursuance of the Memorandum within the examination of the
issue related to participation in extraction of light hydrocarbon
mixtures in the Valanginian deposits of the Yamal-Nenets
Autonomous Okrug and its processing at the petrochemical large
capacity complexes in the territory of the Russian Federation.
The Dow Chemical Company, Gazprom and SIBUR Holding will examine
an opportunity to set up a joint venture.
Dow Announces Further Moves to Bolster Competitiveness
In its ongoing drive to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its global operations, The Dow Chemical Company has announced plans to shut down a number of assets and make organizational changes within targeted support functions. As a consequence of these activities, approximately 1,000 jobs will be eliminated from across several functions, geographies and businesses.
The most significant financial impacts of today’s announcement are described below.
Dow will record an impairment 減損 charge related to its manufacturing site in Lauterbourg, France, as a result of overcapacity within the industry, a disadvantaged cost position, and increasing pressure from generic suppliers. As required, the Company has launched an information/consultation process with the local employee representatives on the closure project.（Dow AgroSciences LLC ：the largest granulation facility for Dithane* fungicide）
Dow will exit the automotive sealers 下塗り材business in North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America within the next nine to 18 months, and will explore strategic options in Europe. The decision, which reflects concerns about the unit’s ability to meet the financial expectations of this business, will allow the Company to focus its resources on delivering differentiated and higher value technologies to the automotive industry.
The Company will write down its investment in a joint venture - Pétromont and Company, Limited Partnership - due to an unfavorable financial outlook, reflecting significant long-term economic challenges.
Established in 1980, Pétromont is a Canadian limited partnership equally owned by Dow Chemical Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, and by Éthylec Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Société générale de financement du Québec.
It manufactures high-density polyethylene and basic petrochemicals (olefins) which are sold throughout the world, primarily to North American markets.
The Company’s styrene plant in Camaçari, Brazil, will be idled on January 1, 2008, in the wake of escalating competition and weak industry fundamentals.
The Company will close its manufacturing facility for hydroxyethyl cellulose located in Aratu, Brazil, in the face of capacity limitations, high structural and raw material costs, and aging technology. After studying several options to improve the profitability of the facility, the Company opted to close the plant during the first quarter of 2008.
Union Carbide Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, will shut down its polypropylene facility at St. Charles Operations in Louisiana before the end of the year. The decision was driven by a number of factors, including the substantial capital costs required to maintain long-term operations at the facility.
And the Company will significantly reduce support functions, including R&D, at the Union Carbide site in South Charleston, West Virginia, as those functions continue to align their activities more closely with Dow’s strategic growth objectives. Approximately 200 jobs will be affected.
The Dow Chemical Company to Exit ABS and SAN Sales in the Americas for All Non-Automotive Markets
Dow’s Engineering Plastics business announced it is exiting ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and SAN (and Styrene Acrylonitrile) sales in the Americas for all non-automotive markets by February 1, 2008. Dow ABS/SAN assets in Europe are not impacted by this announcement.
“This decision has been made after a thoughtful and prudent assessment that clearly indicated the fundamentals of the market do not support our continued involvement,” said Mark Remmert, Engineering Plastics Business Director, Dow. “It is the ultimate intention of the ABS business to convert the Allyn’s Point (Gales Ferry, Conn.) and Hanging Rock (Ironton, Ohio) trains to polystyrene production and include them in the proposed styrenics Joint Venture between Dow and Chevron Phillips Chemical.
Mass ABS production in Midland, Mich., will continue in support of the automotive industry and be marketed exclusively through Dow Automotive. All products will be supplied from the Midland, Mich. plant.
ABS and SAN are plastics used in a wide variety of applications within the construction, automotive and durables markets.
December 04, 2007
The Dow Chemical Company to Close Latex Plant at Freeport, Texas
The Dow Chemical Company announced today the decision to close its Latex production facility at Freeport, Texas in 2008. The Latex plant at Freeport is only one of 7 latex plants that serve the North American paper, paperboard and carpet industries. The Freeport facility employs approximately 18 people, who will be redeployed to other roles within Texas Operations, currently Dow’s largest integrated site, serving all eight of Dow’s Global Business Groups.
“The closing of our Latex facility in Freeport was a difficult decision, but due to the reduction in industry demand and productivity improvements across the plants, the decision was necessary,” said Philippe Raynaud de Fitte, general manager, Dow Paper and Carpet Latex.
“We believe we can better service the North American customer base by leveraging alternative manufacturing facilities and reduce overall structural costs by shutting down this location” said Donna Babcock, North American Product Director, Dow Paper and Carpet latex.
The Latex plant will operate into the first half of 2008. Beyond that timeframe, Dow will supply Latex from other manufacturing locations across its grid in North America to service customer demand. Since Dow customers are served from a multiple manufacturing grid system rather than from individual sites, Dow anticipates no disruption in supply.
Dow,
Chevron Phillips Chemical Name Leadership Team for Styrenics
Joint Venture
The Dow Chemical Company and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
(Chevron Phillips Chemical) today announced the leadership team
for their proposed styrenics joint venture. The new company,
which will be known as Americas Styrenics, will be
headquartered in Houston, Texas. Americas Styrenics will be a
leading integrated producer of polystyrene, building on the
wealth of manufacturing, commercial and technological expertise
of its parent companies to create the market leader in the
Americas.
Tim Roberts has been named President and Chief Executive Officer
of Americas Styrenics. Roberts is currently the Styrenics General
Manager for Chevron Phillips Chemical.
The new company is expected to have approximately 600 employees
across the Americas. To form the joint venture, Dow intends to
contribute six polystyrene plants (Torrance,
California; Gales Ferry, Connecticut; Ironton, Ohio; Joliet,
Illinois; Guaruja, Brazil and Cartagena, Colombia). Dow’s styrene plant in Camacari,
Brazil is no longer in the scope of the joint venture. Chevron
Phillips Chemical intends to contribute a styrene monomer
plant in St. James, Louisiana and a polystyrene plant in
Marietta, Ohio.
Dow and Chevron Phillips Chemical continue to work toward
finalizing transaction documents with a goal of commencing joint
venture operations during the first quarter of 2008. The
companies signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to
form the joint venture in April.
ダウとクウェートのPIC、グローバル石化JVを設立 発表 詳細
ダウは12月13日、クウェート国営石化会社 Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) との間でグローバルな石化JV（50/50）を設立すると発表した。
JVは米国に本拠を置き、PE、PP、PC、エチレンアミン、エタノールアミンを製造販売する。売上高は110億ドル以上で、従業員は世界で5,000人。
ダウは2006年3月に、基礎部門の強化をJV化を通して行う方針を明らかにした。他社と新しいJVをつくるだけでなく、場合によっては既存の設備を出してJVにすることも行うとした。ダウはこの戦略を “asset light” strategy （ asset light
とは「資産を持たない、減らす」という意味 ）と呼んでいる。
世界各地でJVを新設するとともに、エチレングリコール事業をPICとの50/50JVのMEGlobal にしている。また、本年にＰＳ事業を出し、Chevron Phillips Chemical との間で北南米のSM/PSの50/50JV
Americas Styrenics を設立することとした。
今回の計画はその一環で、ダウはこれら製品の事業設備の権利の50%をPICに売却した上で、両社でJVを設立する。資産価値は190億ドルで、ダウはPICから税引前で95億ドルを受け取る。
JVはPICの原料ソースとダウの技術・マーケティング能力をベースとし、ダウでは「営業開始の初日からグローバルリーダーとなる石化会社をつくる」としている。ダウとしては基礎事業をJVで運営することで、資金を他の機能性事業、マーケット志向事業に投資するとしている。
今後、詳細を詰め、所要の認可を受けて、2008年後半に設立する予定。
Shanghai Daily December 20, 2007
Dow has US$5b fund for
China investment
Dow Chemical Co of the United States has US$5 billion of funds to
invest in China over the next decade, and hopes its new venture
with a Kuwaiti partner could help, its chairman said yesterday.
The huge investment budget excludes a potential
multi-billion-dollar coal-to-chemicals project in Shaanxi
Province for which Dow and Chinese partner Shenhua Group Corp are
conducting a feasibility study, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer Andrew N. Liveris said in Shanghai.
To date, the largest US chemical maker has invested US$500
million and has earmarked another US$400 million in China, its
third-largest market behind the US and Germany.
"China is playing a leading role in Dow's global commitments
and its business success - and this will only increase in the
future," Liveris said, adding Dow seeks a bigger presence in
China's booming petrochemical sector.
China has just approved Sinopec Corp's US$5-billion joint venture
oil refinery and petrochemical project with Kuwait Petroleum Corp
in Guangdong Province, in which Dow and other foreign firms had
been in talks to hold a stake.
Liveris said Dow is interested to participate in large integrated
refining and petrochemical projects in China, while declining to
be more specific on the Sinopec-KPC project yesterday.
Dow recently announced plans to form a landmark US$11-billion
equally-owned venture with Petrochemical Industries Co, a unit of
KPC.
"Our joint venture with Kuwait means that we have an
opportunity to participate if the Kuwaiti petroleum company finds
a right project in China," Liveris said.
Wang Jin, an analyst at Orient Securities, said it is a good
strategy on Dow's part to use the KPC venture to expand in China.
"China may prefer such partners from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
which can bring crude oil resources for its large petrochemical
projects, while western firms typically provide technology and
management skills," Wang said.
2008/1/21
canplastics.com
Aux Sable Canada and Dow Chemical announce ethane deal, strategic
alliance
Joint venture company Aux Sable Canada Ltd. has struck a
deal to sell ethane and ethylene from its
Heartland off-gas plant to Dow Chemical Canada Inc.
The agreement makes Aux Sable Canada the first company in Canada
to extract ethane and ethylene from the byproduct gas of a bitumen upgrader (オイルサンドに含まれるビチューメンを合成原油に変換する設備). The Heartland
off-gas plant is under construction just north of Dow Chemical's
complex in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Its feedstock will come
from BA
Energy's Heartland upgrader.
According to Aux Sable Canada, the arrangement involves up to 8,000 barrels per
day of ethane and ethylene.
THE CANADIAN PRESS January 17, 2008
Aux Sable, a joint venture of Enbridge Inc., Fort Chicago Energy Partners and Williams Cos., will be the first in Canada to extract ethane and ethylene from the byproduct gas of a bitumen upgrader.
The Heartland off-gas plant is under construction just north of Dow Chemical's complex in Fort Saskatchewan, northeast of Edmonton.
BA Energy Inc. was established in 2002 to engage in the business of upgrading bitumen and heavy oil feedstock into high-quality crude oils by applying proprietary technology developed by Value Creation Inc., the founding shareholder of BA Energy. BA Energy is constructing the Heartland Upgrader, a bitumen and heavy oil upgrader in Strathcona County, northeast of Edmonton, Alberta.
BA Energy Inc. is at the forefront of emerging technologies to accelerate development of Canada's oil sands and heavy oil resources. The company was established in Alberta in 2002 to construct and operate the Heartland Upgrader, which represents the next generation of bitumen upgrading technology. The Heartland Upgrader will be an independent, merchant upgrader with the flexibility to purchase feedstock from a variety of producers and to produce synthetic crude oil products tailored for a majority of the North American refinery market. It will be the first stand-alone bitumen upgrader in western Canada.
オイルサンドは、カナダ西部のアルバータ州の北方に位置する3地域に多く賦存する粘度質の黒いアスファルト状の炭化水素であるビチュメンと砂・粘土の混合物です。石油を含んだ油層が地殻変動で地表近くに移動し、地下水との接触や生化学反応によって揮発成分が失われたことによりできた石油資源とされており、その埋蔵量はサウジアラビアの石油に相当するものと推定されています。
BA Energy社（Value Creation企業グループ）は、Strathcona郡でHeartland Upgraderプロジェクトの建設を進めています。Upgraderは3期に分けて建設され、各期とも50,000/日のビチューメンを生産する予定です。当初の計画では第1期の稼動開始は2007年を予定していましたが、2008年まで遅れる見込みです。
Location: Strathcona County, northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Construction: Three phases (2006 - 2013) Site work began: September 2005 Ultimate capacity: Up to 260,000 barrels per day of oil sands bitumen blend Phase I capacity: Up to 77,500 barrels per day Projected start-up of Phase I: 2008 Phase 1 capital cost: $900 million Cdn (Q1/2006 dollars) Engineering partners: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and Larsen & Toubro Limited カナダ・アルバータ州オイルサンド産業の最新動向 http://www.altanet.or.jp/Oilsand_Update_2007.pdf
オイルサンドの採掘方法は、基本的に露天掘りと油層内回収法の2つに分かれます。
露天掘りはFort McMurray の北のAthabasca 油田で採用されています。鉱区を覆っている表土を取り除いてオイルサンドを露出させたうえで、トラックとシャベルを使う採掘方法によって砂を取り除きます。抽出段階では、湯を注ぎ、スラリー（鉱泥）を攪拌してビチューメンと砂を分離させます。
これに対して油層内回収法では、オイルサンドがまだ地下にある間に、ビチューメンを砂から取り出します。最も簡単な方法はプライマリーまたは「コールド」法と呼ばれるもので、熱を加えなくてもオイルサンドが坑井の表面まで上がってくるような油田で採用されています。多くの油層内回収プロジェクトでは、熱を加えてビチューメンを液状化し、坑井の表面までポンプで吸上げています。油層内回収プロジェクトの中にはcyclic steam stimulation（CSS）法式を採用しているものもあります。垂直の坑井を通してオイルサンドに蒸気を注入し、次に液状化したビチューメンを同じ坑井を通してポンプで地上に吸上げる法式です。その他の油層内回収法プロジェクトではsteam assisted gravity drainage（SAGD）法式を採用しています。この法式では、水平の坑井を通してオイルサンドに蒸気を注入すると同時に、蒸気注入坑井の直下に設置したもう1本の水平坑井を通して液状化したビチューメンを引き上げます。また、最近登場した油層内回収法で、水蒸気の補完または代替として溶剤を使用するvapour recovery extraction（VAPEX）法式や、Petrobank Energy and Resources社がパイロット事業として行なっている地下で燃焼させるTHAIプロセスがあります。
Dow Plans Major Capital
Investment to Support Continued Growth in Performance Businesses
Signs Long-Term VCM Agreement with Shintech
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it will break ground this year on a state-of-the-art membrane chlor-alkali production facility in Freeport, Texas. The new, more energy efficient facility is designed to provide a long-term reliable supply of chlorine to derivative products. Startup is planned for 2011.
Dow is also announcing today the renewal of an important long-term commercial arrangement to supply vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) to Shintech, a Dow customer for more than 30 years, in Freeport, Texas. "This supply agreement with Shintech, which will partly fund our new investment, is further evidence of our commitment to our asset-light strategy," Liveris continued. "While we are not forming a joint venture, Shintech remains a strategic partner in our chlor-alkali output in the U.S. Gulf Coast."
In 2007, Dow announced plans for future chlor-alkali investments in the Middle East and China. With Saudi Aramco, Dow signed an MOU to develop one of the largest grassroots chemicals production complexes in the world at Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to include a world-scale chlor-alkali production unit. With the Shenhua Group, Dow signed an MOU to develop a coal-to-chemicals project to be located in the Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China, which is also expected to include a chlor-alkali and vinyl unit.
Petromont halts petrochemical production in Quebec
Petrochemical manufacturer Petromont & Co, a joint venture of Dow Chemical Co and an arm of the Quebec provincial government, said on Tuesday it will suspend operations on April 30 because of the strong Canadian dollar and expensive feedstock.
The company, which has
annual sales of $750 million, said it will shut its plants in Varennes and
Montreal, Quebec.
It said on its Web site that it employs 325 at the two sites.
Established in 1980, Pétromont is a Canadian limited partnership equally owned by Dow Chemical Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, and by Éthylec Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Société générale de financement du Québec.
olefins:
Ethylene & Propylene, Mixed C4’s, Hydrogen, Combustible Gases, HPG-B & Pentenes, Heavy Fuel Oil, Acetylene,
Methyl Acetylene Propadiene, Digester Liquor (Spent Caustic), BTX
Platts Feb 12, 2008
Petromont to suspend ethylene, HDPE production on April 30, 2008
The steam cracker has the capacity to produce 297,000 mt/year of
ethylene and 278,000 mt/year of high density polyethylene. The steam cracker is flexible in
what feedstocks it can take and depending on the feed mix, can
also produce mixed crude C4's, propylene, industrial gases, and
other products.
In March 2007 a Canadian dollar was equivalent to about $0.85, It appreciated to a peak of
nearly $1.08 in early November 2007 and has since devalued to
just under $1.00.
Petromont's plants would be mothballed in case a buyer emerges
for the assets or market conditions change to allow for a
profitable restart of the units, the company said.
Feb. 12 2008 Pétromont
Pétromont announces it's suspending its operation for an undetermined period
Pétromont and
Company, Limited Partnership announced today the interruption of
its operations for an undetermined period. Pétromont shall
proceed to suspend its operations on April 30, 2008.
This difficult context is the result of several factors,
including the strong Canadian dollar and persistent difficulty in
obtaining petroleum-based feedstock at competitive prices. These
factors have had a major impact on the Company's profitability,
and in light of the equally unfavourable conditions affecting the
petrochemical sector across North America, Pétromont has
no choice but to suspend its operations.
The petrochemical facilities will be kept intact in the event
that the market conditions change or an expression of outside
interest is received.
The Company's senior management is sensitive to, and will assist
in dealing with the adverse impacts of this decision as well as
the uncertainty and anxiety for employees and their families.
Pétromont is a major Québec petrochemical company
with average annual sales of $750 million. It operates two plants
in the Montréal region. The first, in Varennes,
manufactures basic petrochemicals, while the plant in Montréal East produces
polyethylene resins sold mainly on the North American markets.
Pétromont is a limited partnership owned equally by Dow
Chemical Canada Inc. and the Société générale
de financement du Québec.
PetroChina Fushun Selects Dow and Aker Kvaerner for PP Project in China
PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical Company has selected Dow’s UNIPOL™ Polypropylene Process Technology for its new 300 KTA polypropylene facility, and Aker Kvaerner will provide the extended process design package and technical advisory services. The plant will be built in Fushun, Liaoning Province, The People’s Republic of China, and is scheduled for completion in 2010. The world-scale facility is the fourth polypropylene plant in China over the past 24 months to use UNIPOL™ Polypropylene Technology from Dow Technology Licensing (DTL), a business group of The Dow Chemical Company.
Including the PetroChina Fushun project, UNIPOL™ Polypropylene Technology will be used globally to produce more than 10 million metric tons of polypropylene per year, which will be more than 16 percent of total global capacity.
AKER KVÆRNER ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Aker Kvaerner"), is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. The business within Aker Kvaerner comprises several industries, including Oil & Gas, Refining & Chemicals, Mining & Metals and Power Generation. The Aker Kvaerner group is organized in a number of separate legal entities. Aker Kvaerner is used as the common brand/trademark for most of these entities.
Dow Sharpens Focus on
Portfolio Optimization
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it is realigning a
number of businesses to a newly created business group, Dow Portfolio
Optimization.
Each of the businesses within the new group has been earmarked
for strategic evaluation, with the goal of defining how best to
maximize its long-term value to the Company - whether that be
through realignment to other Dow businesses, joint ventures or
divestitures.
George Biltz, who currently heads the Company’s Specialty Plastics and
Elastomers portfolio, has been appointed business group president
of the new portfolio, which will include SARAN(TM) Products
and Specialty Films, Polycarbonate, Compounds and Blends,
Synthetic Rubber, and Specialty Copolymers. Going forward, the Company expects
to align other Dow businesses to the portfolio as they are
assessed for strategic alignment with Dow’s transformational strategy.
SARAN PVDC Products
旭化成
「サランラップ」はいきなり誕生した商品ではありません。
２０世紀初頭世界初の合成樹脂ベークライトが誕生しますが、以来アメリカでは合成樹脂の研究を熱心に進めていました。
その研究の成果が（ポリ塩化ビニリデン）という形で実を結び、この合成樹脂をアメリカは戦争に活用しました。
この合成樹脂は、太平洋戦線で兵士を悩ませた蚊から身を守るための蚊帳、ジャングルを行進する兵士を水虫から守る靴の中敷き、銃や弾丸を湿気から守るための包装フィルムなどが、主な用途だったそうです。
戦争が終わり、フィルムに様々な改良がなされましたが、ナチュラルチーズを包装する以外に用途が見つかりませんでした。
１９４０年代後半のある日、フィルム製造メーカーの職長を務めていたラドウィック、アイアンズの二人は、妻を伴って近所の人々とピクニックに出かけました。
ラドウィックの奥さんは、たまたま夫が会社で作っていたフィルムにレタスを包んで持っていきました。
すると「このラップとてもきれい。どこで手に入れたの？」「私も欲しい。どこで売っているの？」と大変な評判になってしまいました。
そこでラドウィック、アイアンズの二人は、驚き、早速翌日上司に報告し、クリング・ラップ・カンパニーを設立して開発に着手し、ダウケミカル社から取り寄せた樹脂のロールを紙管に巻き付けて箱詰めし、サランラップ第1号が完成したという訳です。
完成すると近郊の都市でも試験的に販売され、結果は上々でした。名前もラドウィック、アイアンズの二人の妻サラ（Sarah ）とアン（Ann）にちなんで「サランラップ」と決定されました。
発売から２年後の１９５２年にはダウケミカル社が生産を担当し、サランラップは全米に進出することになります
日本では、１９５２年に旭化成とダウケミカル社との提携により、折半出資企業「旭ダウ（株）」が設立され、１９６０年（昭和３５年）にサランラップを発売開始いたしました。
Dow Chem board rejects call for study on pesticide health effects
The board of Dow Chemical
has rejected a proposal by shareholders for an independent study
on the impact of Dow's pesticide products on human health, saying
it would be an unnecessary expense and "without benefit to
our shareholders."
A group of shareholders have petitioned the board to commission
an independent report to be published by May 2009, analysing the
extent to which Dow's products may cause or exacerbate asthma ぜんそく, and detailing Dow policies and
activities to phase out or restrict ingredients linked with
asthma and other respiratory 呼吸器官
problems. The
proponents are seeking to present the proposal at the
shareholders' annual meeting on May 15 in Michigan.
May 28, 2008 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-dioxin-29-both-may29,0,7252768.story
Dow Chemical ordered to
clean up area in Michigan near its headquarters
High levels of dioxin found
Federal
officials Wednesday ordered Dow Chemical to clean up high levels
of dioxin recently discovered in homes and yards in a Saginaw,
Mich., neighborhood downstream from the company's world
headquarters.
Company officials still contend dioxin-contaminated soil and
sediment doesn't threaten people or wildlife. At the same time,
they say the company is prepared to restore
polluted areas, but they disagree with state and federal
officials about how the project should be carried out.
Federal and state officials met with Dow executives Wednesday to
discuss how the cleanup will proceed.
May 30, 2008 SAGINAW NEWS
Dow ordered to clean home sites
Federal and state environmental officials have ordered Dow Chemical Co. to scrub down 10 homes and properties along the Tittabawassee River that are victims of ''widespread dioxin contamination.''
The homes on Riverside are 10 to 20 yards from the river and flood more often than other homes in the floodplain, officials said.
Recent tests show dioxin levels at a home as high as 23,000 parts per trillion, more than 20 times higher than the state standard for mandated cleanups.
Boeing, Dow Chemical fined 926 million over nuclear pollution
A Denver, Colorado court has fined Dow Chemical Co. and Boeing Co. a combined 926 million dollars for property damages caused by plutonium contamination from a nuclear weapons plant.
The court set the fines in a judgement handed down late Monday after a jury found Dow and Rockwell International Corp, which Boeing bought parts of in 1996, responsible for damages claimed by thousands of property owners near the Rocky Flats (Colorado) Nuclear Weapons Plant in a trial that concluded in February 2006.
In the class action suit launched 18 years ago, some 12,000 plaintiffs accused Dow and Rockwell of allowing plutonium from the Rocky Flats plant to contaminate their property, especially residential areas downwind from it, endangering the residents' health and slashing their property values.
Kane's judgment arrived more than two years after a jury returned a verdict in the trial, which ended in Feburary 2006.
At the time, the federal jury decided the two contractors damaged land around the plant through negligence that exposed thousands of property owners to plutonium and increased their risk of health problems.
The court Tuesday fined Dow 653.3 million dollars and Boeing 508.1 million in compensatory damages, but then set a cap of 725.9 million dollars for both for compensating the plaintiffs, according to the ruling.
It also fined Dow 110.8 million dollars and Boeing 89.4 million in exemplary damages. 懲罰的賠償
Located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Denver, the Rocky Flats plant was operated by Dow from 1953 to 1975, and then by defense contractor Rockwell until its closing in 1994; it supplied the plutonium triggers 起爆装置 for the US nuclear bomb arsenal.
Fires, equipment leaks and loose storage controls during that period were the sources of significant releases of plutonium and other radioactive substances.
In 1989 the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Environmental Protection Agency raided the plant over alleged environmental crimes, ultimately leading to its shutdown.
Dow Acquires Rohm and
Haas, Creating World’s Leading Specialty Chemicals and
Advanced Materials Company
$18.8 Billion Transaction Marks
Pivotal Point in Dow’s Transformation
Dow and Rohm and Haas today announced a definitive agreement, under which Dow will acquire all outstanding shares of Rohm and Haas common stock for $78 per share in cash. The acquisition of Rohm and Haas will make Dow the world’s leading specialty chemicals and advanced materials company, combining the two organizations’ best-in-class technologies, broad geographic reach and strong industry channels to create an outstanding business portfolio with significant growth opportunities.
* Rohm and Haas' equity at $15.3bn、taking on $3.5bn of Rohm and Haas debt.
The transaction marks a decisive move in Dow’s transformation into an earnings growth company with reduced cyclicality. Last December, Dow announced a joint venture with Petrochemical Industries Company of the State of Kuwait (PIC). With the collective impact of these two deals, performance products and advanced materials will represent 69 percent of Dow’s total sales, on a 2007 pro forma basis, compared with 51 percent prior to these transactions.
Financing for the acquisition includes an equity investment by Berkshire Hathaway and the Kuwait Investment Authority in the form of convertible preferred securities for $3 billion and $1 billion respectively. Debt financing has been committed by Citi, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley who acted as financial advisors on the transaction.
* Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway group
Andrew N. Liveris, Dow
chairman and CEO, commented:
“The acquisition
of Rohm and Haas is a defining step in our transformational
strategy to shape the “Dow of Tomorrow”
- a high value,
diversified chemicals and materials company, creating the largest
specialty chemicals company in the United States with a leading
global position in performance products and advanced materials.
August 29, 2008 Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex
Dow Reichhold sells synthetic latex technology
Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex today announced the sale of nitrile butadiene synthetic latex product recipes, equipment and technology used in manufacturing dipped gloves to Bangkok Synthetics Co., Ltd. The sale is expected to close within 30 days. Dow Reichhold previously announced the cessation of all business activities and closure of its facilities before the end of 2008.
The assets purchased include process equipment located in Dow Reichhold plants in Chickamauga, Georgia, and Cheswold, Delaware. Bangkok Synthetics Co., Ltd. will relocate the equipment to Thailand.
August 19, 2008 Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex
Dow Reichhold announces site closures, plans to cease all business activities
Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex, a 50/50 joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Reichhold, Inc., has announced the planned sale of certain business assets, the permanent closure of all facilities, and the intention to cease all business activities before the end of 2008.
The Dow Chemical Company intends to buy back those business assets originally contributed by Dow at the time of constitution of the joint venture, and will service the respective customers directly in the future. The sale is expected to close within 30 days.
Dow Reichhold is also pursuing the sale of certain other business assets originally contributed by Reichhold to the joint venture.
Dow Exploring Divestiture Options for Clear Lake Operations Acrylic Acid and Esters and North American UCAR Emulsion Systems Specialty Latex Business
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it is exploring divestiture options for its Clear Lake Operations acrylic acid and esters, and UCAR Emulsion Systems specialty latex business in North America. Dow has engaged J.P. Morgan to act as financial adviser in support of this effort.
The exploration of strategic options for the business is driven by Dow’s interest in proactively mitigating potential anti-trust issues associated with its previously announced acquisition of Rohm and Haas.
The business includes an acrylic acid and esters production plant located in Texas (Clear Lake), and UCAR Emulsion System specialty latex product plants located in Louisiana (St. Charles), Illinois (Alsip), California (Torrance) and a commercial and technical center in North Carolina (Cary). As divestiture options are considered, the business will continue to be sharply focused on effectively managing operations, competing in the market, delivering exceptional value to customers, and the safety of Dow employees.
UCAR Emulsion Systems （Dow Performance Chemicals部門）
UCAR Emulsion Systems develops, manufactures and sells UCAR acrylic, vinyl acrylic and styrene acrylic latexes, branched vinyl ester NEOCARTM latexes, and ethylene-modified EVOCARTM latexes. These products are used in the architectural coatings, adhesives, construction products, industrial coatings, textile, traffic paints, and paper markets. UES also produces and markets complementary UCARTM POLYPHOBETM Rheology Modifiers as well as sells CELLOSIZETM Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC).
Dow Epoxy and Shanghai Tian Yuan Huasheng Sign Long Term Raw Materials Supply Agreements for Two Proposed Plants in Shanghai
Dow Epoxy, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”), has signed long term raw materials supply agreements with Shanghai Tian Yuan Huasheng Chemical Co., Ltd. (TYHSC：上海天原華勝化工公司) for its planned 100,000 MTPA liquid epoxy resin (LER) plant in 2010 and 150,000 MTPA glycerine-to-epichlorohydrin (GTE) plant in 2011 at Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP).
TYHSC will provide caustic soda and anhydrous HCL for the LER and GTE plants at SCIP and receive recycled brine from Dow for chlor-alkali production. The total contract value over 10 years is in excess of US$400 million. TYHSC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. (SCAC), is the newly-built production base of SCAC at SCIP.
2008/11/13 Dow
Dow Announces Post Close Organization for Rohm and Haas
Advanced Materials Division
Marking Major Step in Dow’s Transformation to an Earnings
Growth Company
The Dow Chemical Company announced today the anticipated post
close organization for the previously announced Rohm and Haas
Advanced Materials Division, which will take effect following
the regulatory approval and close of Dow’s pending acquisition of Rohm and
Haas. Closing is targeted for early 2009. Pierre Brondeau,
currently president and chief operating officer of Rohm and Haas,
will lead the Rohm and Haas Advanced Materials Division of Dow.
* Coatings,
* Building and Construction,
* Paper and Textiles,
* Specialty Packaging and Films,
* Designed Polymers and Separation Technologies,
* Electronic Materials
December 01, 2008
Dow
Dow and PIC of Kuwait Sign Binding Joint Venture Agreement to
Launch K-Dow Petrochemicals
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and Petrochemical Industries
Company (PIC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation (KPC), today announced that they have signed the
Joint Venture Formation Agreement and other key definitive
agreements regarding the formation of K-Dow Petrochemicals, a 50:50
joint venture that will be the leading global
supplier of petrochemicals and plastics.
It is expected that the new company will begin operations
no later than January 1, 2009, with closing on that date as
articulated in the December 13, 2007 MOU announcement.
K-Dow will be a leading global supplier of essential
petrochemicals and plastics and will manufacture and
market polyethylene, ethyleneamines, ethanolamines, polypropylene
and polycarbonate, and will also license polypropylene technology
and market related catalysts.
Upon closing of the transaction, each shareholder plans to
receive a $1.5 billion special cash
distribution, paid by K-Dow.
The gross payment by PIC is expected to be approximately
$7.5 billion, with the net payment of $6 billion, including the special cash
distribution from K-Dow.
Dow expects to receive $9 billion in total pre-tax
proceeds related to the transaction. These proceeds include the
special cash distribution from K-Dow of $1.5 billion.
Dow and PIC also announced today that two of their existing 50:50 joint
ventures will be moved into K-Dow: MEGlobal, a world leader in
ethylene glycol, and Equipolymers, a supplier of PET resins.
K-Dow will have estimated sales of $11 billion and with the addition of MEGlobal
and Equipolymers the total annual revenue of K-Dow will be $15 billion.
Dec 04, 2008
Houston Chronicle
Dow will cut
production, contract jobs at Freeport complex
Dow Chemical Co. plans to slash production and cut contract
workers at its massive Freeport complex amid a recession-fueled
drop in demand for autos and other consumer goods that contain
the company's products, the company said Wednesday.
The largest U.S. chemical maker will cut output at the complex to
less than 40 percent of capacity from Dec. 15 to Jan. 5 and send
home a "significant portion" of its 4,000 contract
workers, said Tracie Copeland, a Dow spokeswoman in Freeport.
---
Platts 2008/12/4
Cutbacks at Texas City
were also expected although details were not available.
At Texas City, Dow has the capacity to producer 720 million
lbs/year of VAM and 150 million mt/year of chemical grade
propylene.
In Freeport, the company can manufacture up to 3.4 billion
lbs/year of ethylene; 560 million lbs/year of solution PE
(LLD/HDPE); 660 million lbs/year LDPE; 915 million lbs/year of
MEG; 1.267 billion mt/year of polymer grade propylene and 1.4
billion lbs/year of styrene monomer.
December 08, 2008 Dow Texas
Dow Accelerates
Implementation of its Transformational Strategy
New Streamlined Operating Model to
Reflect New Portfolio and Current Economic Realities
The Dow Chemical Company today announced a series of aggressive
actions to accelerate its transformational strategy in light of
current economic realities.
Dow’s transformation to a lean
Corporate Center, a shared Business Services group and three
business operating models, effective January of 2009, will
accelerate the Company’s ability to shed high-cost assets
and centralized functional structures. As part of the actions
announced today, Dow will eliminate approximately 5,000
full-time jobs,
close
20 facilities in high-cost locations and divest several
non-strategic businesses. The job reductions represent a
reduction of roughly 11 percent of Dow’s global workforce. Once fully
implemented, these actions are expected to result in $700 million
in annual operating cost savings by 2010 and are additional to
the previously announced cost synergies of $800 million in the
same timeframe for the anticipated Rohm and Haas acquisition.
In addition, reflecting poor current market conditions, Dow will temporarily idle
approximately 180 plants and significantly reduce its contractor
workforce worldwide by approximately 6,000 as predicated by reduced
operations.
“Transformation,
by definition, requires a commitment to working differently. We
are moving from a highly centralized and standardized approach,
to operating three very different business models with a lean and
efficient Corporate Center. Today’s restructuring is designed to
support the Dow of Tomorrow,” said Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew
N. Liveris. “However, we are accelerating the
implementation of these measures as the current world economy has
deteriorated sharply, and we must adjust ourselves to the
severity of this downturn.”
The new Dow will
comprise three different business operating models: Joint
Ventures/Asset Light;
Performance
Products;
and Health
& Agriculture, Advanced Materials and other Market Facing
Businesses.
Specific details on these business structures will be outlined
early next year.
December 24, 2008 Kuwait Times Statement of The Dow Chemical
Cabinet reviews Dow deal
The Cabinet discussed in
an extraordinary meeting yesterday the controversial
multibillion-dollar deal with US giant Dow Chemical and delayed a
final decision on the fate of the deal until today, informed
sources said. The council reviewed objections to the deal raised
by a large number of MPs and discussion focused on whether to
scrap the deal or go ahead with it.
MP Musallam Al-Barrak, spokesman of the Popular Action Bloc,
which threatened to grill the prime minister if the deal was not
scrapped before the start of next year, meanwhile accused unnamed
sides of trying to promote the deal. Barrak said in a statement
the attempts of those sides to secure a final approval to the
deal, which is against the interests of the Kuwaiti people,
"are known to all". He also demanded that members of
the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) who are "putting
pressure to secure the passage of the deal" should first
disclose their contractual relations with Kuwait Petroleum Corp
or its companies.
Controversy over the deal, which cost Kuwait $7.5 billion, has
widened as many MPs have backed a threat by the Popular Bloc to
quiz the prime minister if he does not scrap the deal before
January 1, when it officially becomes effective. Liberal MP Saleh
Al-Mulla criticized the statements of Oil Minister Mohammad
Al-Olaim about the deal, saying the minister has resigned and
should not issue statements on controversial issues. He said it
was illogical for a resigned government to speak about a huge
deal and the only party which has the right to do so is the next
Cabinet.
MP Abdulaziz Al-Shayeji called for handling huge projects like
the Dow Chemical deal, the fourth refinery and others with more
professionalism and transparency. He said the government should
carefully study the economic and investment feasibility of huge
projects and publish all information about them. If found
feasible and profitable, the government should go ahead with
them. Shayeji is a member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement,
to which the oil minister belongs.
Another ICM MP Jamaan Al-Harbash said that if the Dow deal is
found to be profitable and good for Kuwait, the government should
go ahead with it and if the contrary was true, it should be
scrapped immediately. But Harbash insisted that the deal should
not be scrapped only under political pressure, adding that there
will be political consequences for any decision the government
takes.
The oil minister said on Monday that the government will go ahead
with the deal despite opposition by MPs, adding that the deal
passed through proper channels and it was of strategic importance
for Kuwait. If the deal is not cancelled before the start of next
year, any party that withdraws from the deal is liable to pay a
penalty of up to $2.5 billion.
2009/1/5 The
Lubrizol Corporation
Lubrizol Acquires
Dow Thermoplastic Polyurethane Business
Expands
EstaneR Engineered Polymers Product Portfolio with Industry
Leading Brands
The Lubrizol
Corporation announced today that it has acquired the
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) business from The Dow Chemical Company, a $54 billion diversified
chemical company. This acquisition, structured as a sale and
purchase of assets, will expand Lubrizol’s Estane(R) Engineered Polymers
business. The Dow TPU business had 2007 revenues of approximately
$85 million. The deal closed on December 31, 2008.
Located in La
Porte, TX, Dow’s TPU product line spans the
continuum between elastomeric and rigid TPU properties. The two
key brands representing the business are:
Although Dow has
demonstrated proven product development capabilities, strong
customer relationships and a solid industry reputation over the
years, it has decided to exit its TPU business due to a re-focus
on investment priorities and the lack of a strategic fit.
About The Lubrizol
Corporation
The Lubrizol
Corporation is an innovative specialty chemical company that
produces and supplies technologies that improve the quality and
performance of our customers' products in the global
transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These
technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, other
transportation-related fluids and industrial lubricants, as well
as fuel additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition,
Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for personal care
products and pharmaceuticals; specialty materials, including
plastics technology and performance coatings in the form of
specialty resins and additives. Lubrizol’s industry-leading technologies in
additives, ingredients and compounds enhance the quality,
performance and value of customers’ products, while reducing their
environmental impact.
With headquarters
in Wickliffe, Ohio, The Lubrizol Corporation owns and operates
manufacturing facilities in 19 countries, as well as sales and
technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has
approximately 6,950 employees worldwide.
January 08, 2009 Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas Updates Status of Regulatory Process for Pending Acquisition by the Dow Chemical Company
Rohm and Haas Company reported today that the European Commission has determined that the pending acquisition of Rohm and Haas by The Dow Chemical Company does not contravene EC competition law. With this decision, the transaction has obtained all necessary approvals in Europe.
The sole remaining regulatory clearance necessary for the transaction to close is that of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Rohm and Haas Company continues to work diligently towards completing the proposed transaction with Dow in early 2009.
Jan. 16, 2009 Houston Chronicle
Dow Chemical begins layoffs, says it’s closing a Texas City unit
Dow Chemical Co. has
begun laying off workers in Texas and in other regions and will
close a third manufacturing plant in the state as part of a
corporate restructuring announced last month.
Layoffs started this week at all of the Midland, Mich.-based
chemical giant’s operations in Texas, where the
company employs 6,000 people at manufacturing sites in La Porte, Freeport, Texas City, Clear
Lake, Seadrift
and an administrative office in Houston, Dow spokeswoman Tracie Copeland
said.
Dow, the nation’s largest chemical maker, also
will shut down a production unit at its manufacturing complex in Texas City. The unit, which makes solution vinyl
resins, also called SVR, will close later this year, and
the company hopes to reassign its 58 workers, Copeland said. The
Texas City unit joins two plants at the Freeport complex - a styrene unit at Plant B and a chlor-alkali unit at Oyster Creek - also being
shuttered as part of the restructuring.
閉鎖するプラントはFreeport complex にあるSMプラント、クロルアルカリプラントと、Texas City 工場にある塩ビ・酢ビ共重合樹脂（SVR：Solution Vinyl Resin）プラント。
SVRプラントは年末までに閉鎖され、生産販売をやめる。この２、3年売上数量が激減しており、その結果コスト高となって損益が悪化している。
SVRはUCARのブランドで売られており、VYHH（塩ビ・酢ビ共重合樹脂）、VMCH（塩ビ・酢ビ・マレイン酸共重合樹脂）、VAGH（塩ビ・酢ビ・ビニルアルコール共重合樹脂）などがある。塗料・インキ・接着剤等に幅広く使用される。
ダウはこの事業の売却を検討していたが、３年前に売り上げが増加し、採算が向上したため、売却を取り止めた。
FTC Intervenes in Dow Chemical's $18.8 Billion Acquisition of Rohm & Haas
Commission Order Requires Divestiture of Acrylics and Other Industrial Chemical Assets to Preserve Competition
Dow Chemical Company has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that its proposed $18.8 billion acquisition of rival chemical manufacturer Rohm & Haas Company would be anticompetitive and would violate federal law. Under the proposed consent order allowing the transaction to proceed, Dow will sell a range of assets to an FTC-approved acquirer, including its acrylic monomer, hollow sphere particle, and acrylic latex polymer businesses. Dow also must put procedures in place to ensure it does not have access to competitively sensitive non-public information regarding any businesses it acquires from Rohm & Haas.
“Dow and Rohm & Haas are direct and significant competitors in certain markets for acrylics and other industrial chemicals used to make coated paper products, paints, and adhesives,” said David P. Wales, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “The FTC consent order announced today will ensure that consumers continue to benefit from competition in the markets for these important products and will not face the prospect of higher prices as a result of the acquisition.”
According to the Commission’s complaint, Dow’s proposed acquisition of Rohm & Haas would reduce competition in the North American markets for the research, development, manufacture, and sale of certain acrylic monomers - including glacial acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, and ethyl acrylate - as well as hollow sphere particles and acrylic latex polymers for traffic paint used to mark lines on streets and highways.
Each of the relevant acrylic monomer products is made from crude acrylic acid. Glacial acrylic acid is used in the production of super-absorbent polymers which are used in personal care and hygiene products. Butyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate are acrylate esters used to make the latex polymers that are used in paints, architectural coatings, and pressure-sensitive adhesives. Hollow sphere particles are a type of specialty polymer used in the manufacture of coated paper to provide gloss, brightness, and opacity. Acrylic latex polymer for traffic paint is a quick-drying polymer used to mark highway traffic lines.
The FTC contends that each of the relevant product markets is highly concentrated and that the proposed acquisition would lead to fewer competitors in each market. For the acrylic monomer markets, the deal would reduce the number of significant competitors from four to three, with the combined Dow/Rohm & Haas having a significant share of each market. The combined firm would have a more than 40 percent share in the market for glacial acrylic acid; a nearly 75 percent share in the market for butyl acrylate; and a nearly 90 percent share in the market for ethyl acrylate. The markets for hollow sphere particles and acrylic latex polymer for traffic paint are even more concentrated, the complaint states, as Dow and Rohm & Haas currently are the only two suppliers. In those markets, the proposed acquisition would be a merger to monopoly.
Finally, the complaint alleges that the proposed acquisition would eliminate direct and substantial competition between Dow and Rohm & Haas in the relevant markets, reducing competition and increasing Dow’s ability to exercise market power unilaterally. The complaint also alleges that the proposed transaction would increase the likelihood of coordinated interaction for glacial acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, and ethyl acrylate. New entry or fringe expansion in these markets is unlikely to counteract the alleged anticompetitive impact of the acquisition.
The FTC’s order is designed to remedy the anticompetitive impacts of the proposed transaction. It requires Dow to divest a single part of its acrylic monomer and polymer research and development and production assets to a Commission-approved buyer. These assets include: 1) Dow’s acrylic monomer production facility in Clear Lake, Texas; 2) its acrylic polymer production assets in St. Charles, Louisiana; 3) its acrylic polymer production facility in Alsip, Illinois; 4) its acrylic polymer production facility in Torrance, California; 5) its acrylic monomer research and development group in South Charleston, West Virginia; 6) its acrylic latex polymer research and development group in Cary, North Carolina; and 7) other assets related to these businesses. The divestitures will include all of the technology related to these businesses, and the order also will require Dow to licence any intellectual property to the acquirer that is not directly related to, but is used in, those businesses.
To ensure the successful transition of the acrylic monomer and polymer assets and the viability of the acquirer, the order requires Dow to provide certain input processes and transition services to the acquirer for a short time. The order also requires Dow to continue to provide the acquirer with site services related to the acrylic polymer production assets in St. Charles, Louisiana, where the acquirer will be operating a separate business on the grounds of a larger Dow facility.
The consent order remedies the competitive impact in the markets for hollow sphere particles and acrylic latex polymer for traffic paint by requiring Dow to sell intellectual property primarily used to make these products and to license certain other intellectual property. Dow also must supply hollow sphere particles and acrylic latex polymer for traffic paint to the acquirer at its manufacturing cost, until the buyer can develop its own manufacturing processes.
Next, the order requires Dow to put procedures in place to ensure that it does not have access to any competitively sensitive information obtained from the businesses and facilities to be divested or to use any information it already has in an anticompetitive matter. Further, the order will allow the FTC to appoint an interim monitor to ensure Dow complies with its obligations. If Dow does not sell the assets it is required to divest within 240 days of when the consent order is accepted for public comment or 240 days from the acquisition date, whichever is later, a Commission-appointed divestiture trustee may sell the assets on its behalf. The order also contains reporting and record keeping requirements to ensure Dow’s compliance with its terms.
The Commission vote to accept the complaint and consent order and place copies on the public record was 4-0. The FTC will publish an announcement regarding the agreement in the Federal Register shortly. The complaint, consent order, and an analysis to aid public comment can be found now on the Commission’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0810214/index.shtm.
The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through February 23, 2009, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. Comments should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
NOTE: A consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission of a law violation. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of $11,000.
February 02, 2004 Dow
Dow Completes Acquisition of Celanese’s Acrylates Business
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the Celanese acrylates business. The agreement to acquire the Celanese acrylates business was announced by Dow and Celanese on September 12, 2003.
As a result of this transaction, Dow acquires the acrylates production assets at the Celanese Clear Lake, Texas, facility and Celanese's acrylates product line, including intellectual property, inventory and technology for crude acrylic acid, glacial acrylic acid, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. In related agreements, Celanese will provide certain contract manufacturing services to Dow, and Dow will supply acrylates to Celanese for use in its emulsions production.
According to Ted Cosse, business vice president of Dow's Acrylics, Solvents, and Intermediates business, "As a result of this transaction, we extend Dow's propylene chain to include acrylic acid and esters, which supports higher value, less cyclical downstream markets. We now have the breadth and depth to participate globally in the merchant market for these products and at the same time, reach our goal of complete acrylic acid integration for our Superabsorbent Products business."
With the acquisition, Dow becomes one of the largest global producers of acrylate esters. In addition to the Clear Lake plant, Dow acquires the technology of its Boehlen, Germany, plant, which was initially operated through agreements with Celanese. Additionally, Dow has acrylates manufacturing at the Union Carbide St. Charles Operations in Louisiana.
Acrylic acid is used to produce acrylic esters and superabsorbent polymers. Major end uses for acrylic esters include acrylic latex emulsions that are used in paper, paints and coatings, textiles, and adhesives. Superabsorbent polymers are used primarily in disposable diapers and other absorbent personal care products.
Dow Chemical Confirms Rohm and Haas Acquisition Will Not Close On or Before January 27, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company confirms it has informed Rohm and Haas that Dow will not close the proposed acquisition on or before January 27, 2009.
Dow has determined that recent material developments have created unacceptable uncertainties on the funding and economics of the combined enterprise. This assessment is based on several macro-economic factors such as the continued crisis in global financial and credit markets combined with the dramatic and stunning failure of Petrochemicals Industries Company of Kuwait (PIC) to fulfill its obligation to complete the formation of the K-Dow joint venture in late December 2008.
"Our long term strategy remains unchanged and the proposed acquisition of Rohm and Haas is consistent with this strategy," said Andrew N. Liveris, Chairman and CEO. Since Dow learned in late December of PIC's failure to close the K-Dow transaction, Dow has been aggressively engaged on multiple paths seeking ways to enable the Rohm and Haas transaction. Dow remains interested in discussions to find a solution to complete the acquisition of Rohm and Haas, but recent events have made closing untenable at this time.
"Dow Chemical has a long history of resiliency in responding to changing market conditions, and that resiliency continues," said Liveris, "but the world has changed significantly and we still do not see the bottom of this unprecedented demand destruction which only accelerated through the fourth quarter and brought December operating rates to historic lows. The Company's commitment to remain financially strong is part of the DNA of this 112-year old company."
Dow previously announced a series of wide-ranging actions to address global economic conditions and is accelerating those actions based on continued deteriorating demand. "We are well-prepared to take the appropriate steps to ensure we retain our options and financial flexibility to see our way through what we anticipate will be an extremely challenging year," said Liveris.
Dow postpones new chlor-alkali facility at Freeport, Texas
Dow Chemical will
postpone its new chlor-alkali production facility in Freeport,
Texas, in a move to conserve capital, the company said Monday.
"Due to the severity of economic conditions, Dow is
reassessing project priorities and the use of capital funds
across the company. As a result, to conserve capital, we have
made the decision to postpone the new Freeport chlor-alkali
facility announced in January, 2008," the company said in a
release.
The project schedule and timing are to be re-evaluated as
economic conditions change, Dow said.
ダウのR&H買収がまとまったが、ダウの借入金増加に対する不安は消えておらず、格付会社のFitch はダウの借入金をBBB+からBBBに引き下げた。
ダウのLiveris CEOは買収のためには Dow AgroSciences の売却もありうるとし、Syngenta AG はDow AgroSciences を買収することを検討するとしていたが、Liveris CEO によれば、買い手候補は Dow AgroSciences の価値（50〜80億ドルの価値があるとされている）をあまり評価しておらず、ダウとしてはすぐに売ることを検討していないと述べた。
Dow AgroSciences は、世界有数の農業化学製品メーカーで、ダウが100％出資している。
世界50カ国以上で活動を行い、農業化学製品のほか、バイオテクノロジーや、日常で問題となるペストマネージメントの分野でも、先駆的な製品を提供している。日本ではダウ・ケミカル日本の一事業部門として活動している。
Dow AgroSciences （ダウのAgricultural Sciences 部門）の業績は以下の通り。（百万ドル）
2008年 2007年 売上高 4,535 3,779 EBIT 761 467
1989年にダウとEli Lillyの農薬部門が合併し、DowElanco が設立された。（ダウ60%/Eli Lilly 40%）
Eli Lilly は2007年の売上高世界10位の製薬会社。
DowElanco は1996年にLubrizol から遺伝子組替種子会社のMycogen Seeds の株式46%を買収、1998年には100%子会社とした。
Mycogen Seeds は1981年にバイオ企業としてスタート、1996年にEuropean corn bore（アワノメイガ）に抵抗性を持つ業界初のハイブリッドを開発、その後、多くの種子会社を買収し、た。
1997年にダウはDowElanco の100%を取得し、Dow AgroSciences と改称した。
その後、Dow AgroSciences は以下の買収で事業を拡大した。
・2000年9月にCargill Hybrid
Seeds社の施設と販売網を買収。
・2000年11月にAstraZeneca から除草剤 acetochlor の事業を買収
（2000年にAstraZeneca の農薬部門とNovartis の種子部門が合併してSyngenta が設立されたが、その条件として売却された）
・ブラジルの種子会社を多数買収
・2001年3月にRohm & Haas から農薬部門を10億ドルで買収
現在の事業は以下の通り。
農薬部門：除草剤、殺虫剤、薫煙剤、殺菌剤
Biological
Solutions：種子、Healthy Oils、Animal Health
Dow Completes Acquisition of Rohm and Haas, Creating a Leading Global Specialty Chemicals and Advanced Materials Company
The Dow Chemical Company today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Rohm and Haas. The acquisition is a major step in Dow's strategy of growing its performance products and specialty portfolio to deliver more consistent earnings growth. Combining the two organizations' best-in-class technologies, broad geographic reach and strong market channels will create a $14.0 billion diversified business portfolio, which will be called Dow's Advanced Materials division. The division is intended to achieve $3.0 billion in additional value growth opportunities, as well as annual cost synergies of $1.3 billion.
Rohm and Haas is the key element in Dow's new Advanced Materials division. Pierre Brondeau has been named president and CEO of this division, which includes: Coatings, Building and Construction, Specialty Materials, Adhesives and Functional Polymers, and Electronic Materials.
Continued Progress on De-leveraging
Dow has decided to exercise its option to have the Haas Family Trusts make an additional $500 million investment in Dow equity. This is consistent with Dow's disciplined plan to retire the bridge loan for the financing of the Rohm and Haas transaction by the end of 2009. This will be accomplished through the sale of assets, issuance of equity and debt, and the previously announced reduction in the Company's dividend to preserve cash.
Regulatory Approvals
On January 23, 2009, Dow entered into a consent order with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that permitted the completion of the acquisition, provided that certain actions to address potential anticompetitive effects are implemented within 240 days of the deal closing. Specifically, under the terms of that agreement, Dow is required to divest the following businesses:
The consent order also includes an Order to Hold Separate which requires Dow to maintain the competitiveness of these businesses pending their divestiture and to ensure that confidential information is not transferred between these businesses and the other businesses of Dow.
Dow has already initiated procedures to comply with the FTC consent order and has been actively seeking buyers for the impacted businesses. The acquisition previously received regulatory clearance from the European Commission on January 8, 2009.
Effective today, Rohm and Haas common stock will cease trading.
Dow Takes Action
to Improve Capital Structure, Announces $1.625 Billion Public
Common Stock Offering
The Dow Chemical Company announced today it has commenced a
public offering of the Company's common stock in which it will
raise approximately $1.625 billion of capital.
Of the total capital raised, approximately $1 billion will be
through shares offered by the Company and approximately $625
million will be through shares offered by accounts and funds
managed by Paulson & Co. and trusts created by members of the
Haas Family.
These investors have agreed to sell a portion of their shares of
Dow's Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B to Dow at par plus
accrued dividends for shares of common stock which are
subsequently being sold in the offering.
Dow Europe Exploring Divestiture Options for Synthetic Rubber Business
Dow Europe GmbH ("Dow"), a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has announced that it is exploring divestiture options for its Synthetic Rubber business. Dow has engaged J.P. Morgan to act as financial adviser in support of this effort.
The exploration of strategic options for the business is driven by Dow's ongoing efforts to streamline and improve the company's portfolio of businesses. Dow's Synthetic Rubber business has been, and continues to be, a profitable business and will remain sharply focused on effectively managing operations and delivering exceptional value to customers during this period.
The business is a global leader in the production and distribution of synthetic rubbers, with a broad portfolio of products, from mature rubber materials to specialized high performance elastomers. Dow has a long history of industry leadership in rubber polymers solutions, offering leading-edge technologies, innovative solutions and high performance standards.
The business has been working closely with leading tire manufacturers to develop new types of rubber for low rolling resistance, which will lead to lower fuel consumption and less CO² emissions in vehicles. In addition to tires, synthetic rubber produced by Dow also is used in plastic modification and technical rubber goods such as hoses, conveyor belts, and footwear.
The business is strategically located in central Germany to access all key markets for synthetic rubber, and includes five production plants and a research center in Schkopau, Germany.
British Plastics & Rubber 2009/5/12
Dow Europe is planning to sell its synthetic rubber business - a global operation but based in Europe - as part of Dow Chemical's continuing streamlining strategy. The business is located at Dow's integrated site at Schkopau in central Germany with five production units focused on styrene and butadiene and a research centre. Elastomers made at Schkopau are styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber (PBR), anionic initiated polymerized rubbers of lithium Lo Cis polybutadiene rubber (Li-PBR), nickel Ziegler-Natta catalyzed Hi Cis polybutadiene rubber (Ni-PBR), emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) and solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR). In March Dow started up a solution styrene butadiene rubber plant with capacity rights shared with JSR Corporation of Japan.
Dow has emulsion SBR units in Schkopau, and in Berre, France, which it bought from Shell Chemicals in 1999. The Schkopau site is supplied with butadiene (BD) and styrene from Dow's nearby Bohlen site.
Dow Chemical Co. has signed a letter of intent to buy the general purpose rubber activities of Shell Chemicals.
The sale is subject to due diligence procedures and regulatory approval, but both sides expect the sale to go through before the end of 1998.
The proposed deal includes two manufacturing plants - an emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) unit at Pernis, the Netherlands, and a solution polybutadiene (BR) unit at Berre, France
March 10, 2008
Dow Shuts Co-PBR Assets in France; Sells Houston Plant
Dow Chemical says it will shut down its cobalt-polybutadiene rubber (Co-PBR) assets at Berre L’Etang, France. The facility is located within Shell Chemicals’ complex, and is operated by Shell Petrochimie
2004/12/1
Dow Chemical Co. has no plans to reopen its Pernis, the Netherlands SBR/BR production unit, nor to expand the business from its current two plants in Europe, according to Bill Ray, global marketing chief for Dow Chemical Co.'s synthetic rubber business.
Dow announced that its Pernis plant was to be "idled" early this year, but at the time did not say whether the plant would be opened again.
Ray was responding to comments about the closure of the Pernis ESBR plant (capacity 85 kilotonnes per annum, according to IISRP's 2004 data). One tyre maker had speculated that it might be easier to restart a recently idled SBR plant than to set up a new ...
Rubber News May 12, 2008
Dow Europe GmbH wants to divest it SBR and polybutadiene rubber business, and has hired a financial adviser to facilitate a sale.
The company said it plans to retain its Dow Elastomers unit, which produces Nordel EPDM and Engage and Affinity olefin-based elastomers and plastomers.
DuPont Dow's Engage® polyolefin elastomers, Nordel® hydrocarbon rubber and Tyrin® chlorinated polyethylene, will be part of Dow's Specialty Plastics and Elastomers business unit.
Dow Europe hired J.P. Morgan as its financial adviser to support the divesture.
Just over a year ago, the company said it was putting the SBR/BR unit under strategic review, which might result in a decision to sell the activity. Dow said the business has been, and continues to be, a profitable business and will remain sharply focused on effectively managing operations and delivering exceptional value to customers during this period.
The business is located in central Germany and includes five production plants and a research center in Schkopau, Germany.
Dow Elastomers announced in December 2008 the closure of a large EPDM plant in Seadrift, Texas.
Synthetic Rubber & NORDEL
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) is a global leader in the production and distribution of synthetic rubbers, offering a broad portfolio of SBR and BR products, from established rubber materials to specialized high-performance elastomers.
This product line is complemented with a growing line of next-generation EPDM rubbers (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer). NORDEL™ IP utilizes INSITE™ Technology to set new and higher standards in EPDM performance. NORDEL™ MG products utilize INSITE Technology applied to gas phase to control molecular architecture and deliver improved performance, processability, and efficiencies that benefit compounders and processors alike.
Cutting edge technologies, an extensive research and development program and a keen focus on innovation continue to set new performance standards across a wide variety of applications ? from tires, hoses and conveyor belts, to footwear, flooring and adhesives, to plastics modification and golf balls.
In addition, Dow’s world-class facilities and best practices provide products of the highest quality and consistency, delivered on-time and on-spec to customers in all corners of the world.
In 1996, Dow Deutschland Inc, became responsible for the marketing of BR/ESBR produced by Buna Sow Leuna Olefinverbund (BSL), a company created in August 1995, following a merger of a number of smaller Eastern German synthetic rubber producers. The marketing agreement was implemented for BR and ESBR on 1 July 1996. Dow acquired 80 % of the shares in BSL on 1 September 1997 and purchased the remaining 20 % of BSL from the German government on 1 June 2000.
Dow to Divest Calcium
Chloride Business and Interests in TRN Refinery
Company’s plans to pay down debt and
enhance cash flow progressing ahead of schedule
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it has signed two separate sale agreements totaling in excess of $900 million as part of its de-leveraging plan designed to pay down debt, preserve financial flexibility, streamline its portfolio and improve cash flow. Sales of non-strategic assets announced so far this year now total in excess of $2.6 billion, well ahead of the Company's original divestment plan.
The Company announced that it has signed an agreement to sell its Calcium Chloride business to a strategic chemical industry buyer for a value in excess of $210 million. At the closing of the transaction, employees of the Calcium Chloride business will transition to the buyer's business. In addition, the Company announced a definitive agreement for the sale by Dow Europe GbmH and Dow Benelux BV of their interests in Total Raffinaderij Nederland N.V. (TRN), Dow's joint venture with Total S.A., to Valero Energy Corporation for an enterprise value expected to be approximately $725 million.
Lukoil to Take 45% Stake in Dutch Refinery
French oil company Total exercised its pre-emptive rights to purchase the stake and simultaneously agreed to sell the holding to Lukoil. Total will keep a 55% stake in the refinery.
These planned divestitures follow other actions by Dow designed
to increase the Company's financial flexibility, improve its cash
flow, and pay down its bridge loan by year-end. Recent actions
include:
As a result of the actions announced to date by the Company, the retirement of the bridge loan is substantially ahead of plan.
Dow Completes MDI Expansion in Estarreja, Portugal
Dow Polyurethanes' newly expanded diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) plant in Estarreja, Portugal, successfully started production today. The world-scale facility will provide both polymeric and crude MDI, offering customers increased flexibility and reliability of supply of this essential polyurethane raw material. The expansion, which was announced in 2006, was completed with no interruptions in customer service. Dow Polyurethanes is a business group within The Dow Chemical Company and its affiliates including Dow Europe GmbH.
Dow currently produces and distills MDI at the facilities in Freeport and La Porte, Texas; Yeosu, South Korea; Stade, Germany; Delfzijl, The Netherlands, and Estarreja, Portugal.
September 29, 2006
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it plans to expand manufacturing capacities for two products at its production site in Estarreja, Portugal.
Dow Polyurethanes, a business unit of Dow, intends to expand MDI production at the site, resulting in a significant increase in the Company’s global MDI capacity. Scheduled for completion in 2009, the added capacity will help address strong market demand for the product, which is currently estimated at 8 billion pounds per year globally.
In addition, Dow Building Solutions announced its intention to add additional manufacturing capacity for STYROFOAM™ brand building insulation products. This planned expansion is subject to all customary final approvals.
DOW launches Shanghai
Center and Starts up Glycol Ethers Project in Zhangjiagang
Recently, the Dow Chemical Company has started up its Shanghai
Dow Center in Pudong, Shanghai, and the Glycol Ethers Project in
Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province.
Located at Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, the Shanghai Dow
Center is positioned as the brand-new business and innovation
complex for Asia Pacific. The center has over 100,000 square
meters, will hold the global first-class R&D center of Dow
Chemical, and also as the headquarters for some Dow Chemical
business and functional departments in Asia Pacific.
With over 500 engineers and technicians in more than 80 labs, the
center will focus on several key fields like construction,
transportation, energy, water treatment, electronic equipment,
and personal care.
In the past decade, Dow Chemical had expanded its business in
China rapidly. According to Dow Chemical, the company has much
confidence in the future of China, in spite of the challenging
economic situation. Currently, Dow is working along with Shenhua
Group and conducting the Feasibility Study for their proposed big
jv Coal Chemical project in Yulin, Shaanxi, which includes 3 Mt/a
Methanol and 1 Mt/a Olefins and to be sent the application to
NDRC for approval in H2 2009.
Besides, Dow has put the
new propylene oxide-based glycol ethers facility into commercial
operation. Located at Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, this
state-of-the-art facility has annual nameplate capacity of
120,000 ton.
Zhangjiagang is located on the south bank of Yangtze River,
approximately 200 kilometers upstream from Shanghai. According to
Dow, the Zhangjiagang glycol ethers plant is centrally located to
supply customers in the major, established markets of Japan,
Korea and Taiwan, as well as a growing number of customers in
China.
2006/8/23 中国でのダウの活動
DOW, KAUST enter into strategic relationship
The Dow Chemical Company, a world leader in science and technology, yesterday announced its intention to enter into a multimillion-dollar strategic relationship with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The framework will initially aim to use catalyses as a means to develop new routes for producing chemical derivatives.
Dow also announced its intention to explore developmental efforts at the KAUST Research Park and Innovations Cluster. Areas being considered for the park include CO2 capture, enhanced oil recovery, water desalination, solar energy and wind energy.
In addition, Dow has affirmed its commitment to becoming a founding member of KAUST’s Industrial Collaboration Program (KICP), which aims to enrich the local research experience while promoting economic development in Saudi Arabia.
Andrew Liveris, chairman and chief executive officer of The Dow Chemical Company, said that the university’s goal of fostering economic development through the advancement of technology is completely aligned with Dow’s focus on delivering science-based solutions for everyday needs.
Professor Chong Fong Shih, president of KAUST, said, “It is the vision of King Abdullah to have KAUST act as a driver in transforming Saudi Arabia into a knowledge economy by directly integrating research produced at the University into our economy.
“We are pleased to have Dow, a 112-year-old world leader in the field of science and technology, as a partner in realizing this great vision.”
Scheduled to open on Sept. 5, 2009, KAUST is a graduate-level research university and the realization of the vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to promote the advancement of science and technology in Saudi Arabia.
Dow Announces Plan to Build and Operate a Pilot-Scale Algae-based Integrated Biorefinery with Algenol Biofuels
The Dow Chemical Company announced today that it plans to work with Algenol Biofuels, Inc. to build and operate a pilot-scale algae-based integrated biorefinery that will convert CO2 into ethanol. The facility is planned to be located at Dow's Freeport, Texas site.
Algenol's technology uses CO2, salt water, sunlight and non-arable land to produce ethanol. Dow, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Membrane Technology & Research, Inc. are contributing science, expertise, and technology to the project. Their combined expertise offers new and innovative technology, with the opportunity for creating a breakthrough process for ethanol production.
About Algenol
Algenol today possesses the most advanced third generation biofuel technology in the United States. Algenol makes low cost ethanol directly from CO2 and seawater using hybrid algae in sealed, clear plastic photobioreactors through its unique, patented Direct to Ethanol(TM) technology - all powered by the sun. Algenol's research and development efforts have culminated in a process that produces over 6,000 gallons of ethanol per acre per year, compared to corn at 400. Algenol's process achieves an energy balance of more than 5 to 1 and a life cycle carbon footprint that is merely 20 percent of petroleum (an 80 percent reduction from petroleum). For more information about Algenol Biofuels, please visit www.algenolbiofuels.com.
Algenol Biofuels Inc. is introducing its DIRECT TO ETHANOL（TM） technology.
? Algenol Biofuels is an innovative algae to ethanol company.
? Algenol has the most advanced 3rd generation biofuels technology producing ethanol from algae through a process powered by the sun.
? Algenol’s technology produces industrial-scale, low-cost ethanol using algae, sunlight, CO2, and seawater.
? Algenol does not use food, farmland, or fresh water.
? Algenol will produce ethanol at a rate of over 6,000 gallons per acre per year.
? The Direct to EthanolTM process links photosynthesis with the natural enzymes to produce ethanol inside each tiny algae cell.
? The Direct to EthanolTM technology is the only end-to-end commercial process that stabilizes and reduces CO2 levels. Algenol puts CO2 to work.1. Initial proof of science was generated by Dr. John Coleman at the University of Toronto between 1989 and 1999. Since then, the process has been refined to allow algae to tolerate high heat, high salinity, and the alcohol levels present in ethanol production.
2. The Direct to Ethanol(TM) process links sugar production to photosynthesis with enzymes within individual algae cells. The enzymes are naturally occurring and are the same as those used to produce bread, beer and wine, thus pose no known risks to humans.
3. There are over 100,000 species of blue-green algae useable with rapid growth cycles, high photosynthesis efficiency, large sugar storage attributes that Algenol has access to in refining algae with its Direct to EthanolTM process. The algae are metabolically enhanced to produce ethanol while being resistant to high temperature, high salinity, and high ethanol levels, which were previous barriers to ramping to commercial scale volumes.
4. Algenol's prototype production strains can produce ethanol at a rate of 6,000 gallons/acre/year, and are expected to improve to 10,000 gallons/acre/year by the end of 2009. With further refinement, the algae cells have the potential to increase production rates to 20,000 gallons/acre/year in the future.
5. Algenol only uses algae strains that do not produce human toxins. In addition, the specific algae cells used cannot live in the environment found outside their Capture TechnologyTM contained sealed bioreactor.
6. Scientific priority is placed on developing regional specific algae organisms to disperse ethanol production globally ahead of cell production gains. This will result in Algenol partnered production locations in multiple countries with inexpensive desert land with different saline or seawater sources, climates and CO2 sources.
7. Algenol has the ability to produce ethanol using atmospheric nitrogen consuming algae. As the algae organism dies, it has the additional economic benefit of being able to be composted into nitrogen rich fertilizer for the agricultural industry, further reducing the fossil fuel requirements associated with traditional fertilizer.
8. Complementary to its Direct to EthanolTM initiative, Algenol is building a CO2 to “x” or multi-carbon platform to leverage the technology to produce other high value carbon-based molecules such as plastics and polymers.
http://www.algenolbiofuels.com/Algenol%20101%20PUBLIC%20WEBSITE.pdf
ＮＥＤＯ海外レポート
ＮＯ.1026, 2008.7.23
米国における藻類のバイオマス活用の現状
アルジェノール社のバイオフィールズ社（メキシコ）への技術提供
メリーランド州のアルジェノール・バイオ燃料社は、メキシコのバイオフィールズ社から8 億5,000 万ドルの投資を受け、バイオフィールズ社が行っている微小藻類からエタノールを生産する事業に技術を提供する。
今回の事業ではまず初めに、メキシコのソノラン砂漠のプラントで、塩水を使い、年産100 万ガロンのエタノールを生産することを計画しており、2012 年までには生産を全体で10 億ガロン、１エーカーあたりで6,000 ガロンに増大させるとしている。
アルジェノール社は、CEO ポール・ウッズが1980 年代に開発した、藻類の細胞からエタノールを取り出す技術を活用している。この技術は、藻類を乾燥し、加圧してバイオディーゼル用の油を抽出するという、コストのかかる工程を省略できるものであった。
同社はバイオフィールズ社との契約に加え、非公開の個人投資家から
7,000 万ドルの資金提供を受けていると発表している。一方バイオフィールズ社は、メキシコの国営石油企業であるPemex(メキシコ石油公社)と、売買契約を既に結んでいるとしている。
藻類のバイオマス利用への取り組み
藻類バイオマスの商用化への見通し
ーーー
Algenol is a company developing a process to produce ethanol directly from algae. Rather than grow algae and then harvest them, the ethanol is removed without killing the algae. Their process appears somewhat unique in this regard as nearly all other fuel comes from either long dead organic matter in the case of fossil fuels or recently dead organic matter in the case of normal biofuel.
Algenol claim the process can produce 6000 gallons per acre per year as compared with around 370 gallons produced by growing corn and fermenting it and 890 gallons for sugar cane. The algae is grown in salt water and so can be grown in desert areas using sea water rather than needing existing agricultural land and water sources. Their process also uses carbon dioxide generally obtained as a waste product from power stations.
The company operates the world's largest algae library in Baltimore, Maryland and the algae they are using was chosen from a collection of more than 10,000 strains and modified to enhance certain traits.
They have committed $850m to build an algae farm in the Sonoran Desert in northwest Mexico and are intend to sell the ethanol fuel at about US$3 per gallon. Production was planned from Mexico in 2009, now delayed to 2010 due to planning delays and the company says it plans to produce 1 billion gallons by the end of 2012 which would make it the worlds largest ethanol producer. They have claimed production costs as low as $85c per gallon.
They are also planning to start building a plant in Florida during 2009 and later one in Texas.
