Page 157 - CW E-Magazine (22-10-2024)

News from Abroad

PTA PROJECT
600 jobs at risk through overzealous regulation: Ineos

The Ineos Purified Terephthalic Acid footprint. The plant has operated suc- to be needed and 100 times lower than
(PTA) plant located in Geel, Belgium is cessfully for over 20 years and been an equivalent level in Poland.” “The
at risk of being shut down as regulators fully compliant with all environmental European Water Framework Directive
aim to impose stringent environmental regulations. does not even identify cobalt as a priority
targets. These targets are deemed un- substance, and neither France nor
attainable for a facility that has already The process utilizes a cobalt catalyst, Germany has imposed any limitations,”
made a significant commitment to which means that there are microscopic the statement from Ineos added, noting
reducing cobalt levels by 80%. Despite amounts of cobalt in the wastewater that “if the plant’s permit is not renewed
this substantial effort to meet environ- from the plant. Historically, the plant’s and closure is enforced, then almost 600
mental standards, the potential for permit permitted the level of cobalt in jobs will be at risk.”
closure remains a pressing concern for the water to be up to 1,000 micrograms
the plant’s operations. per litre and the typical emission levels “This is typical of what we are see-
have been almost a quarter of that ing across Europe. Regulators are ben-
PTA is the key feedstock for the amount. The site had agreed to reduce ding over backwards to meet the demands
global polyester industry that produces that maximum level to 500 and then to of NGOs who are determined to use regu-
affordable materials essential to human 120 by 2027, requiring over €20-mn of lation to strangle the European chemi
wellbeing, from textiles and garments expenditure, and this was agreed by the cal industry. Their demands are delibe-
to food and beverage packing. The mate- local government. That decision was rately unreachable and will do nothing
rial is readily reusable and recyclable. then challenged by two NGOs, forcing to improve the environment but will lead
According to Ineos, the PTA produc- a judicial review and the imposition of to large scale deindustrialization and the
tion platform at Geel is one of the few a new regulatory limit for cobalt that, loss of the livelihoods of thousands of
remaining in Europe and is the region’s according to Ineos, “is totally unattain- hard-working people,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe,
most efficient with the lowest carbon able and is 20 times lower than shown Chairman of INEOS said.

BANKING ON R&D
Covestro investing €100-mn to boost global

innovation centres

German polymer and materials Leverkusen (Germany). These labora-
firm, Covestro, is investing around tories drive among others application
€100-mn in its global R&D infrastruc- technology for coatings and adhesives
ture and assets. The investments will be in core industries like automotive and
spread over three years until 2025 and construction, but also special areas such
will include modernised equipment for as light guiding applications as well as
customer service, automated systems medical applications.
and new digital capabilities being intro-
duced in laboratories & technical cen- Also in the US, Covestro is invest-
tres around the globe, and technologies our innovation pipeline at a high level. ing in a series of modernisation and
to accelerate the move towards becom- By this, we are the go-to partner for more technical upgrades across its Pittsburgh
ing fully circular. sustainable solutions which help to meet campus. In the innovation centre in
the climate-neutrality targets of our cus Shanghai, China, distinct investments
Ms. Sucheta Govil, CCO at Covestro, tomers. Thanks to this global innovation into infrastructure and digitalisation
commented, “Our investments in booster, we come even closer to our joint over the past months echoed the lead-
R&D are integral to our strategy of goal to become fully circular.” Covestro’s ing solutions developments for auto-
creating value for our customers. They investments will include moderni- motive and electronics industries, the
are enabling us to expand and maintain sation measures in its laboratories in company said.

Chemical Weekly October 22, 2024 157

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