Borouge awards contract UAE petrochemical firm Borouge has awarded a $1.1 billion contract to Germany’s Linde for the construction of a gas unit. The ethane unit will have a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes. Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Austria-based Borealis. It employs approximately 1,600 people and serves customers in more than 50 countries across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. The company tripled its annual production capacity in Abu Dhabi to 2 million tonnes in 2010 and an additional 2.5 million tonnes per year is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013 to create the world’s largest integrated polyolefins plant. Qapco main sponsor of ArabPlast Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) is the principal sponsor of ArabPlast 2011, the Middle East’s leading trade show for rubber, plastics and petrochemicals scheduled for January 8 to 11 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The sponsorship was announced in Doha by Qapco and by Messe Düsseldorf Germany and Al Fajer Information and Services, organisers of the show. ArabPlast is being held at a time the petrochemicals sector n the GCC is becoming a key driver of the region’s economies and one of the bases of economic diversification in the region. Qapco has a strong track-record of growth and excellence. The company is a major player in the global petrochemical industry and has witnessed significant expansion, both in production facilities and target markets. Rhodia announces innovations Rhodia Engineering Plastics introduced at K 2010, the plastics and rubber show in Dusseldorf, Germany, several innovations. The new products included a new generation of unfilled TechnylStar that will allow processors to make major energy savings; a certified halogen-free Technyl range for the photovoltaic industry; Evolite by Technyl, a breakthrough thermoplastic composite; and new polyamide powders that the company says will challenge the limits of rapid plastics parts manufacturing. Breakthrough in weed control BASF and Monsanto Company have announced significant progress toward launching next-generation dicamba-based weed control systems for soybeans and cotton. The companies say they have made major advancements in the development of dicamba formulations, which could be available globally for farmers soon. Dicamba is in the benzoic acid family of herbicides.
