Business Roundup

Solvay will work with Iberdrola to build a solar farm to power its chemical plants in Tavaux and Saint-Fons, France. Solvay says the facility will include around 100,000 photovoltaic modules and be one of the largest such installations in Europe.

Arkema is boosting the size of its Pebax elastomer expansion in Serquigny, France, from 25% to 40%, because of strong demand. The company will have some of the capacity on line during the first quarter of 2023 and the rest in the third quarter.

General Motors is investing in the battery recycling company Lithion Recycling. The companies will work together to ensure that Lithion’s materials can be used to make batteries and that GM’s batteries are easily recycled.

Calyxt, a company that genetically engineers plants to make chemicals, is considering strategic alternatives such as selling its assets, licensing technology, or merging. Calyxt’s market capitalization has fallen by about 87% this year.

Givaudan is working with the renewable chemical maker LanzaTech to produce fragrance chemicals from captured carbon emissions. LanzaTech says the research project could take the firm beyond ethanol production.

CP Kelco and ExoPolymer will jointly develop a suite of personal care ingredients using biotechnology. Their first project will be the scale-up of ExoPolymer’s hyaluronic acid alternative for skin-care applications.

BASF will license and commercialize biowaste conversion technology from the start-up RiKarbon. BASF says it will have initial products from the deal by 2024. They will likely be emollients that impart softness and silkiness to personal care products.

Seagen has agreed to license Lava-1223, a bispecific T-cell engager, from the immuno-oncology firm Lava Therapeutics for $50 million up front and up to about $650 million in milestones. Lava-1223 boosts tumor recognition by directing a certain type of T cell to solid tumors that express epidermal growth factor receptors.