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LG Chem breaks ground in Tennessee

Korea’s LG Chem has broken ground on a nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminium cathode materials facility on a 170 hectare site in Clarksville, Tennessee. Starting in 2026, this will supply 60,000 tonnes/year of battery materials, enough for about 600,000 electric vehicles, and will be the largest of its type in the US.

Monsanto hit by PCB verdict

A jury has ordered Bayer subsidiary Monsanto to pay $73 million in compensatory damages and $784 million in punitive damages to seven former students and two parent volunteers at Sky Valley Education Centre in Monroe, Washington State, for health damage caused by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) it supplied.

Kao implements new production system

Japan’s Kao Corporation has introduced a new ‘dynamic cell production system’ for efficient, high-mix, low-volume manufacturing at its global cosmetics facility in Odawara. Test operations finished at the end of 2023, and operations will begin in stages shortly.

ICL plans battery centre

ICL has announced plans to invest $30 million to develop a customer innovation and qualification centre (CIQC) for the energy storage systems market in North America. This should become “a hub for ICL, its partners and its customers, as the company looks to make significant advancements in its battery materials R&D capabilities”, ICL said.

Barentz buys Indian firm

Netherlands-based Barentz International, a distributor of life science and speciality ingredients, has acquired Radian Chemical Products of India. Terms were not disclosed and the current team will remain in place, including CEO Manoj Botadra.

Radian is mainly active in niche applications in colour cosmetics and personal care, areas in which Barentz is already active India. Barentz thus expects to reinforce its portfolio and achieve “significant growth potential” across the Asia-Pacific region.

Neste to convert refinery for renewables

Neste has completed a strategic study it launched in September 2022 and is now beginning a gradual transformation of its crude oil refinery in Porvoo, Finland, into a “renewable and circular solutions refining hub”. This will take place in phases and is expected to be complete in the mid-2030s at a cost of around €2.5 billion.

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