Specialty materials firm Arkema revealed Tuesday that it is progressing toward an opening date in the first half of 2022 for its new bio-based polyamide 11 production plant on Jurong Island in Singapore.

The facility will be that world’s largest integrated bio-factory for high performance polymers, according to the company. The project will boost Arkema’s global polyamide 11 capacity by 50%.

Arkema used the placement of a green bond in October 2020 to secure €300 million to fund the construction of the plant. Production at the Singapore site is slated to commence in the first half of 2022.

Here are some other chemical industry developments that captured headlines over the last week:

Covestro Starts Up New Coextrusion Lines for Specialty Films

Polymer manufacturer Covestro started up several new coextrusion lines at its Dormagen, Germany production facility, expanding its global capacity for specialty film products. The addition of the new assets at the plant is part of an investment of more than €100 million, or about $120.5 million, to increase its global capacity for films. Covestro’s new lines will create about 30 new jobs at the Dormagen site.

Borealis to Boost Supply of Chemically Recycled Plastic Feedstocks

Polyolefin solutions firm Borealis recently launched a feasibility study to examine the potential of a project to add a chemical recycling unit at its Stenungsund, Sweden production site in collaboration with partner Stena Recycling. Funding for the construction of the asset will be provided through a grant from the Swedish Energy Agency.

2 Hurt After Explosion at Powdered Activated Carbon Plant

Crews were called to the ADA Carbon Solutions powdered activated carbon plant near Coushatta, LA Thursday afternoon after an explosion as reported at the facility. Two people were reportedly injured with burns during the incident.

Nutrien Selects Mayo Schmidt as President and CEO

The Board of Directors of crop inputs and services firm Nutrien Ltd. has named Mayo Schmidt as its chief executive officer and president to succeed Chuck Margo as the executive leaves the company for a new opportunity. Schmidt’s roles are effective immediately, the company said in a release this month. Nutrien also recently appointed Russ Girling, former president and CTO of TC Energy, as chair of its board.

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