German chemical giant, BASF, has announced that it has completed the construction and started-up its new MDI synthesis unit at its Geismar, Louisiana site.

Wait, what are they making?

Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, abbreviated MDI, is typically combined with polyols to produce polyurethanes. Those polyurethanes end up being foams and mattresses, insulation for buildings, and much more. The last time we saw MDI was when Covestro started-up its new MDI pilot plant.

The plans:

While BASF has just completed the construction of the new MDI synthesis unit it hasn't increased its MDI production capacity quite yet. Phase 2 of the project, set for completion next year, will expand the upstream units allowing for a 33% increase (100,000 metric tons per year) of MDI production capacity.

Read the press release here.

Finnish oil refiner, Neste, has announced the success of its first industrial-scale processing run of liquefied plastic waste at its refinery in Finland.

What did they do exactly?

Neste partnered with Belgian plastic company, Ravago, to source and convert waste plastics into a liquefied feedstock for Neste to process. Neste then refined the liquefied plastic waste into a "high-quality recycled feedstock" for use in the petrochemical industry (like producing more plastics).

Going forward:

Neste is currently "developing chemical recycling technologies and capacity to enable recycling of plastic waste streams" with the intent of processing over 1 million tons of waste plastic annually by 2030. This test run only processed 400 tons—so the company has quite a way to go. Next year the company will continue testing the process with presumably larger quantities of liquefied plastic waste.

Read the press release here.

Oman's integrated energy company, OQ, and Belgian development company, DEME, has announced the launch of a joint project to build a green hydrogen facility in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, Oman.

What's next for the project:

According to Renewable Energy Magazine, the project will start with a feasibility study to determine "customer offtake choices, technology options, electricity feed-in options, hydrogen (derivatives) shipping options and to define the concept and scope" of the whole undertaking.

Bigger picture:

Over 74% of Oman's revenues came from the oil and gas sector in 2019, but it expects its oil and gas supplies to be depleted within 14 to 27 years. The country's transition plan for 2040 addresses this issue, and this new hydrogen project falls right in-line with those plans.

Read the press release here.