Business Roundup

Alpek, a Mexican chemical company, plans to close an expanded polystyrene plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania, by January. The company acquired the plant, which has annual capacity of 123,000 metric tons, from Nova Chemicals in 2020.

Shell Chemicals has started up an upgrader in Moerdijk, the Netherlands, that can convert 50,000 metric tons of pyrolysis oil made from waste plastics into a feedstock that can be used in petrochemical plants. The upgrader will improve the quality of the pyrolysis oil by removing contaminants.

Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s Shinryo unit will build a plant in Fukushima, Japan, and expand its facility in Iwate, Japan, to offer more equipment and services for contaminant cleaning in semiconductor production. Both projects are set to be completed in October 2026.

Prometheus Materials will work with three US national laboratories to develop methods for verifying carbon dioxide removal in its cement and concrete. The project will receive $10 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Umicore has decided to continue its pause on the construction of a battery materials plant in Canada. The firm will also lay off 260 workers to cut costs amid low demand for automotive batteries.

Earthodic has landed $4 million in a seed funding round led by FTW Ventures. The firm converts lignin into a recyclable and biodegradable coating for paper food packaging.

Lonza, a Swiss drug services firm, is expanding its bioconjugation capabilities for antibody-drug conjugates. Lonza will add two multipurpose, 1,200 L manufacturing suites and new infrastructure to its facilities in Visp, Switzerland.

Evotec, a German research and drug services firm, has sold its drug ingredients manufacturing site in Halle, Germany, to Monacum Partners, a Munich-based private equity firm. Evotec says the sale is part of its 2024 “priority reset” initiative.