Page 142 - CW E-Magazine (27-5-2025)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

STRENGTHENING TIES SYNTHETIC RUBBER
Saudi Aramco signs 34 agreements worth $90-bn Carifl ex unveils ‘world’s largest’ polyisoprene latex

with US companies plant in Singapore

Saudi Arabia’s state energy company tially expand it into a major petrochemi- Services, supply chain, and manu- Carifl ex, Singapore-based producer
Aramco has signed 34 agreements with cal complex. Other deals focus on facturing of polyisoprene rubber latex for medi-
major US companies, potentially worth licensing new technology and supplying In addition to core operations, cal-end markets and wholly-owned
a total of $90-bn. The deals, announced chemical additives. Aramco signed supply agreements with subsidiary of Japan’s DL Chemical, has
on May 14, aim to boost Aramco’s long- US-based service providers and equip- inaugurated its new polyisoprene latex
term growth strategy and expand its On the upstream side, Aramco is ment manufacturers such as Halliburton, plant at Jurong Island, Singapore.
presence across a wide range of sectors, also expanding into LNG. It signed Baker Hughes, SLB (formerly Schlum-
from traditional oil & gas to artifi cial agreements with Sempra Infrastructure, berger), and GE Vernova. These com- With an investment of $355-mn,
intelligence and manufacturing. Woodside Energy, and NextDecade for panies support Aramco’s ongoing pro- the plant – touted to be is the largest of
potential investments and long-term jects through equipment supply, drilling its kind globally – and will help meet
The Memorandum of Understanding LNG purchases from US export facili- services, and maintenance. growing demand for synthetic latex
(MoUs) and commercial agreements ties in Texas and Louisiana. These used in medical and protective applica-
were signed through Aramco and its projects are still subject to fi nal invest- Another agreement with Guardian tions.
group companies, covering areas such ment decisions. Glass aims to localize high-end glass
as liquefi ed natural gas (LNG), fuels, production for architectural use within “Supported by Singapore Economic
petrochemicals, emissions-reduction tech- Digital and AI Saudi Arabia – part of Aramco’s broader Development Board (EDB) and JTC,
nologies, AI, equipment procurement, and Aramco is also pursuing advanced push to develop local industry and the Singapore facility plays a key role
fi nancial services. digital transformation projects through reduce reliance on imports. in Carifl ex’s ability to serve Southeast
deals with several major US tech Asia, home to critical manufacturing
Energy and petrochemical partnerships fi rms. It signed a strategic framework Aramco’s President & CEO sites for surgical gloves and condoms. for modular expansion to accommo-
Some of the largest collabora- agreement with Amazon Web Services Mr. Amin Nasser said the wide range of Spanning 6.1 hectares, this plant sup- date future demand growth. When fully
tions are tied to Aramco’s downstream (AWS) focused on cloud computing deals refl ects the company’s evolving ports growing demand in these markets ramped up, it will double Carifl ex’s
business, which includes refi ning and and lower-carbon technologies. ties with the US, which date back to as well as others such as non-surgical 2023 manufacturing capacity for poly-
chemicals. US-based Honeywell UOP, the 1930s. “As Aramco pursues an medical gloves, adhesives, and lami- isoprene latex.
Afton Chemical, ExxonMobil, and A separate MoU with NVIDIA tar- ambitious value-driven growth strategy, nates, further broadening the com-
Motiva – which operates the largest gets the creation of industrial AI infra- we believe that aligning with world- pany’s diversifi cation,” the company In 2020, Carifl ex relocated its global
refi nery in the US and is wholly owned by structure, an AI hub, and a centre of class partners supports further develop- informed. headquarters to Singapore to strengthen
Aramco – are among the fi rms involved. excellence for robotics and engineering ment of our operations, strategic integration between its commercial and
in the Kingdom. Aramco Digital and diversifi cation of our portfolio, indus- Over the past two decades, Cari- manufacturing operations. Carifl ex is
ExxonMobil and Aramco signed Qualcomm also plan to explore smart trial innovation, and ongoing capability fl ex has expanded its manufacturing the only company globally that manu-
an MoU to evaluate an upgrade of the industrial use cases using next-genera- development within the Kingdom,” capacity in Brazil and previously, Construction of the plant began in factures anionic catalyst-based synthetic
SAMREF refi nery in Yanbu and poten- tion 5G and AI-connected devices. he said. Japan, including a $50-mn expansion 2022, with operations commencing in rubber and latex, known for its superior
of its Paulinia facility in 2021. November 2024. The plant is designed purity, transparency and softness.
Ascend commences production of high-purity Topsoe unveils third-gen silicon guard for coker naphtha hydrotreating

acrylonitrile at Texas site Topsoe, a leading catalyst producer higher activity for sulfur and nitrogen basis that far outperforms previous-gene-

for the refi nery sector, has launched its removal. ration solutions. TK-461 SiliconTrap, a
US-based Ascend Performance variety of polymers and synthetic of vital raw materials for the domes- third-generation SiliconTrap catalysts – high-activity nickel molybdenum NiMo
Materials has begun production of rubbers. High-purity acrylonitrile has tic production of nitrile rubber the TK-461 SiliconTrap and TK-467 SiliconTrap catalysts are built on an catalyst, is developed for fi nal-stage
high-purity acrylonitrile at its Choco- applications in aerospace, renewable gloves. Besides high-purity acrylo- SiliconTrap – designed to deliver silicon enhanced preparation technology that HDT with superior removal of sulphur
late Bayou plant in Alvin, Texas, after energy technologies and healthcare. nitrile, Ascend will further expand removal from coker naphtha. The new increases alumina surface roughness, and nitrogen. TK-467 SiliconTrap, with
the installation and commissioning of capabilities in Chocolate Bayou catalysts off er benefi ts including sig- leading to signifi cantly higher accessi- a slightly lower activity, is optimized
new purifi cation equipment. Ascend’s equipment was funded to include acetonitrile production. nifi cantly increasing silicon pick-up ble surface area and improved adsorp- for the fi rst stage, off ering outstanding
in part through a contract with the Acetonitrile is primarily used in the on a volume basis, extending the tion capacity. The result is a substantial silicon capture and excellent support
Acrylonitrile is used to make a US government to ensure the supply manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. cycle length of the unit, while delivering boost in silicon pick-up per volume for downstream processing.

142 Chemical Weekly May 27, 2025 Chemical Weekly May 27, 2025 143

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