Page 162 - CW E-Magazine (28-1-2025)

News from Abroad

FOSSIL FEEDSTOCK-FREE PLASTICS
A.P. Moller subsidiary to use Honeywell technology

to convert green methanol to plastics

Vioneo, owned by A.P. Moller be powered by renewable electricity.
Holding, a Danish investment com- “Vioneo’s Antwerp plant has the potential
pany and the parent company of the to signifi cantly decrease greenhouse
A.P. Moller Group known for its ship- gas emissions, and help position
ping operations, will use Honeywell’s Europe as a leader in lower emissions
technology as part of its plans to pro- industrial innovation. We are delighted
duce plastics using green methanol, at to be a critical technology partner to
a new facility to be built in Antwerp, this initiative,” said Mr. Rajesh Gattu-
Belgium. Vioneo will use Honeywell’s palli, president of Honeywell UOP.
methanol-to-olefi n (MTO) conversion
technology to produce plastics without Vioneo will also deploy Honey-
the need for traditional feedstock made nomically viable using green methanol well’s light olefi ns recovery process
from fossil fuels. as an alternative to fossil fuel. This in- (LORP) and olefi ns cracking process
itiative offers Europe a chance to lead (OCP) to ensure high-purity ethylene
Honeywell’s MTO technology will the €5-trillion chemicals and mate- and propylene output while capturing
enable Vioneo to use green methanol, rials sector’s defossilisation movement. and reusing byproducts. This approach
containing only biogenic carbon dioxide, Our collaboration with Honeywell for minimises waste, saves energy, reduces
in place of coal and crude oil in its our Antwerp production facility marks costs and maximizes yield.
plastic production processes. This can a key step in our plans to support this
avoid the high carbon emissions associ- transition,” said Mr. Alex Hogan, CEO, Planned development of the Ant-
ated with fossil fuel-derived plastic, Vioneo. werp-based plant will proceed in phases,
while still supporting the production of starting with a Front-End Engineering
propylene and ethylene. Vioneo plans to implement the Design (FEED) in the fourth quarter
technology at a new €1.5-bn plant in of 2024 and potential Final Investment
“Vioneo aims to help transition the Antwerp. This facility will use green Decision (FID) in 2025. Commercial
plastics industry by demonstrating that methanol from renewable energy-based operations are anticipated to begin in
large-scale, cleaner production is eco- hydrogen and biomaterials and will 2028.

Dr. Jim Flatt takes over as new CEO of DMC

Biotechnologies

US-based DMC Biotechnologies ment and commercialisation of novel
has announced that Dr. James (Jim) bioactive health ingredients, and senior
Flatt has taken over as its new Chief leadership positions at Hampton
Executive Offi cer. Creek, Synthetic Genomics, and
Martek Biosciences.
Dr. Flatt brings more than 30
years of leadership experience in bio- DMC said Dr. Flatt’s breadth of
technology and biomanufacturing. expertise will guide the company
His previous roles include co-founder through its next phase of growth,
and CEO of Brightseed, where he scaling operations and commercialis-
led the development of the ‘Forager ing various nutraceutical ingredients
AI’ platform for discovery, develop- and sustainable chemicals.

162 Chemical Weekly January 28, 2025

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