Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (30-1-2024)

News from Abroad

INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT
US chemical industry being bogged down by regu-

lations: ACC survey

The American Chemistry Council ers. Unless the Biden Administration tion Agency’s (EPA’s) ‘New Chemicals
(ACC) has released results from a new takes a different approach to how it Program’ exposed its stifling impact on
survey on the ballooning regulatory creates and implements regulations, the US innovation. The survey found that
burden on chemical manufacturers availability of critical chemistries will 70% of companies decided to introduce
in the US and its harmful impact on dwindle – and the country’s climate, new chemicals outside the US given the
achieving the national priorities identi- infrastructure and supply chain priori- uncertainties and challenges with EPA’s
fied by the US Government. ties will suffer as well,” said Mr. Chris program, including systemic delays,
Jahn, President & CEO of ACC. disregarded company-submitted data,
In addition to undercutting national and inconsistent reviews.
priorities, companies reported that the Companies reported the current and
growing number of regulations is nega- future regulatory burden puts their abi- “Chemical manufacturing is the
tively impacting expansion in the US lity to manufacture critical chemis- most heavily regulated subsector of
and could lead to a decrease in hiring, tries at risk for sectors like clean manufacturing, and the volume of
spending on capital replacement and energy, semiconductors, biotechnolo- regulations has doubled in the past 20
investing in R&D. According to the gy/biomanufacturing products, health- years. America must not fall into the
survey, 86% of responding chemical care, and infrastructure. same deindustrialisation trap as Europe
manufacturers said the overall level of or be held back from competing with
regulatory burden has risen, particularly Over the past year, 65% of com- countries like China when it comes to
at the federal level, and they expect the panies have been negatively impacted creating new chemistries and the pro-
volume of new regulations to rise even due to government delay in making a ducts and technologies that come with
further across all levels of government regulatory decision and/or acting on a it,” Mr. Jahn pointed out.
a year from now. permit, license, or product approval in
the US, the survey revealed. Around ACC said embracing a smarter regu-
Fifty-eight chemical producers parti- 12% reported that the current regula- latory process could yield substantial
cipated in the survey and 38% of sur- tory climate has led their company to benefits. “For example, if regulatory
vey participants are classified as “small decide not to expand their operations compliance costs were reduced signifi-
businesses”. in the US. cantly, most companies (79%) reported
they would increase investment in
“The results of this survey should An earlier survey of ACC members R&D, new technologies, and new pro-
serve as a wakeup call to policymak- examining US-Environmental Protec- ducts,” tit added.

TECHNICAL COLLABORATION
EV Metals Group ropes in Metso as technical partner

for lithium chemicals plant in Saudi Arabia

EV Metals Group (EVM), an Aus- Arabia, outlines plans to engage Metso ject, establishing the area as a globally
tralia-based battery chemicals and tech- as EVM’s technical partner. Metso will significant midstream hub to produce
nology company, has signed a technical provide technical, operational, mainte- high-purity chemicals required by elec-
partnership frame agreement with Fin- nance, and systems support to achieve tric vehicle and battery cell manufac-
land’s mining solutions firm, Metso, for best-in-class operational performance turers. Metso’s advanced alkaline leach
a Lithium Chemicals Plant (LCP) to be and asset management. technology is already being deployed
built in Yanbu Industrial City in Saudi in different lithium chemicals plant
Arabia. The agreement signed at the Metso will provide technical colla- projects around the world. Metso’s
Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi boration for EVM’s flagship LCP pro- collaboration will be applied through

156 Chemical Weekly January 30, 2024
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