Page 155 - CW E-Magazine (25-2-2025)

News from Abroad

CATERING TO SEMICONDUCTORS
Fujifilm to invest over $25-mn at Belgian site for making

CMP slurries and photolithography-related materials

Japan-based diversified conglome-
rate, Fujifilm, has unveiled plans to in-
stall new production facilities of CMP
slurries, advanced semiconductor mate-
rials, and enhance existing facilities for
photolithography-related materials at
its production site located in Belgium.
ness. The Belgian site will add to the facilities are both scheduled to start
Fujifilm said its semiconductor mate- company’s existing CMP slurry pro- operation in the spring of 2026.
rials subsidiary in Europe, Fujifilm duction sites in Arizona, USA, Hsinchu
Electronic Materials (Europe) N.V., will and Tainan, in Taiwan, Cheonan, South Globally, Fujifilm plans to invest a
invest approximately 4-bn yen (~€25-mn) Korea, and Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto total of 170-bn yen (over $1-bn) in growth,
to expand the capacity of its site, Prefecture (Japan), ensuring a more including R&D and capital investments,
based in Zwijndrecht, Antwerp. It will stable supply. In addition, Fujifilm will over the three years from fiscal 2024 to
add new production facilities for CMP enhance the production facilities for 2026. It is rapidly making capital invest-
slurries, which are used in advanced development solutions, cleaners and other ments to expand the production capacity
semiconductors and are expected to materials used in the photolithography of semiconductor materials. The recent
show a high annual growth rate of 13%. process at the Belgium site. This will investment includes the enhancement of
help the company meet the increasing the development, production, and quality
CMP slurries are proprietary formu- demand for automotive and industrial evaluation functions for advanced resists
lations containing an abrasive that uni- semiconductors in Europe. at its Shizuoka and Pyeongtaek, Korea
formly planarises semiconductor sur- sites, as well as the expansion of the CMP
face, which contains a mixture of wires The new CMP slurry production slurry production facilities at its Kuma-
and insulation films of varying hard- and enhanced developer production moto site in Japan.
UP FOR SALE
BP looking to sell German refinery

UK energy giant, BP, is planning city of around 12-mtpa of crude oil.
to sell its BP Gelsenkirchen refining Mr. Auchincloss had said last year said
site in Germany, as CEO Mr. Murray he would cut the British company’s costs
Auchincloss pushes on with plans to by at least $2-bn by the end of 2026 to
cut costs by at least $2-bn. boost returns and address investor con-
cerns over its energy transition strategy.
“BP needs to continually manage
its global portfolio as we position ROG fully owns DHC Solvent Chemie
to grow as a simpler, more focused, and holds stakes in the Maatschap Europoort
higher-value company,” Ms. Emma BP Europa SE plans to sell the site, Terminal and a crude oil and products
Delaney, BP’s EVP of customers and formally named Ruhr Oel GmbH (ROG) – pipeline in the Netherlands. BP took a
products unit, said in a statement. BP BP Gelsenkirchen, along with related $1.34-bn impairment on the Gelsenkirchen
had previously announced plans to assets including DHC Solvent Chemie refinery in 2023 due to “changes in
reduce crude processing capacity at GmbH, a specialised solvent products economic assumptions”. The oil & gas major
the Gelsenkirchen refinery from this manufacturer. The refinery, built in aims to finalise sales agreements by 2025
year by around one-third due to a 1935, includes two plants and a petro- and will maintain normal operations at the
weaker demand outlook. chemical site, and has a processing capa- refinery in the meantime.

Chemical Weekly February 25, 2025 155

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