Industry Trends

July 2024

See what has been happening in Asia’s petrochemicals, agrochemicals, automotive, bio energy, and mining industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

Which critical minerals will be crucial for the AI boom, Researchers develop engineered biocatalyst for making drop-in biofuels, Family of catalysts efficiently converts CO2 into ethanol and chemicals, and more. See what industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

Which critical minerals will be crucial for the AI boom?

MINING.com

It seems like an unlikely partnership, tech and mining; yet this is an emerging field brimming with opportunity. One of those segments includes supplying raw materials for the semiconductor industry. As you probably know, interest in semiconductors has exploded over the last 12 months thanks to a boom in artificial intelligence. If you’re unfamiliar with the link, semiconductors have been likened to the ‘picks and shovels’ of the AI boom.

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IISc researchers develop engineered biocatalyst for making drop-in biofuels

Biofuels Digest

In India, The Hindu reported that researchers at the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (IPC) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have developed an enzymatic platform that can efficiently transform abundant and inexpensive fatty acids to valuable hydrocarbons called 1-alkenes, which are promising biofuels. “They show great potential as drop-in biofuels, which can be blended and used with existing fuels and infrastructure.

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Illinois researchers show a family of catalysts efficiently converts CO2 into ethanol and chemicals

Biofuels Digest

In Illinois, carbon dioxide is leaking from industrial operations into the atmosphere, causing a cascade of dangerous changes to Earth’s climate. But some scientists wondered if instead it could instead be captured and converted to useful chemicals.

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Rolls-Royce Gets CATL's Latest Energy Storage Tech

WardsAuto

Chinese battery giant claims 20-year lifecycle for new battery technology with no degradation within first five years.

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Innovative battery design: more energy and less environmental impact

chemeurope.com

A new electrolyte design for lithium metal batteries could significantly boost the range of electric vehicles. Researchers at ETH Zurich have radically reduced the amount of environmentally harmful fluorine required to stabilise these batteries. Lithium metal batteries are among the most promising c…

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Danish researchers develop technique to monitor ethanol production contamination

Biofuels Digest

In Denmark, a new technique to monitor contamination in bioethanol production could increase revenue by more than $1.6 billion and reduce CO2 emissions by 2 million tons. For the first time ever, researchers at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) have investigated the contaminant population from the sugarcane bioethanol production process at strain-level resolution.

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BASF seeks to transform sugar and CO2 into fumaric acid

Biofuels Digest

In Germany, with the bacterium Basfia succiniciproducens, BASF would like to transform sugar and carbon dioxide into fumaric acid, an important intermediate for chemical production. To this end, the company is collaborating with Saarland University, University of Marburg and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau in a joint research project entitled FUMBIO (FUMarsäure BIObasiert).

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SapuraOMV Starts Production in Jerun Gas Field Offshore Malaysia

Rigzone.com: Latest News Headlines

‘This project promises significant contributions towards sustaining Malaysia’s long term gas supply’.

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dnata and ExxonMobil R20 trial at Changi Airport

Biofuels Digest

In Singapore, dnata and ExxonMobil have started a six-month trial to fuel 12 of dnata’s airside vehicles and generator sets with renewable diesel. The trial uses Esso Renewable Diesel R20 (R20), which is a high-quality fuel with an estimated 15.4 percent lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional diesel.

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Thailand Board of Investment greenlight’s Braskem JV’s $1.54B bio-ethylene project

Biofuels Digest

In Thailand, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) approved the investment promotion applications of eight large projects worth a combined $1.54 billion, including a bio-ethylene plant project by the local joint venture of Brazil’s Braskem. Braskem Siam Co., Ltd.

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Eramet, BASF abandon Indonesia nickel-cobalt refining project

Mining Technology

French mining company Eramet and German chemical company BASF have ditched their joint investment in a nickel-cobalt refining complex in Weda Bay, Indonesia. The post Eramet, BASF abandon Indonesia nickel-cobalt refining project appeared first on Mining Technology.

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Indonesian government seeks to boost SAF development in the country

Biofuels Digest

In Indonesia, Antara reported that Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources highlighted the need to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuels in the country. “The roadmap for SAF for aircraft has been issued by the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, and we are giving inputs,” the ministry’s Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Eniya Listiani Dewi, said.

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Wison Wins $1 Billion Contract for Indonesia FLNG Facility, Pulls Out of Russia

Biofuels Digest

In Malaysia, Wison New Energies, a China-based clean energy provider, has been awarded a $1 billion contract by Malaysia’s Genting to build Indonesia’s first and the world’s ninth floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility. The project, signed amidst the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China, will be constructed at Wison’s Nantong and Zhoushan shipyards.

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Economy Ministry: Malaysia’s Energy Transition Roadmap to draw RM60.7b in investments

The Malay Mail Online

The latest estimates on the effectiveness of the National Energy Transition Roadmap’s (NETR) flagship projects and initiatives show investments involved will be worth RM60.7 billion instead of the initial projection of RM25 billion when the roadmap was launched on August 29, 2023.

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Shell MDS Malaysia unveils world's first commercial scale gas-to-liquids synthetic microcrystalline wax

NST Online Latest News

Shell has unveiled the global product launch of the world’s first commercial scale GTL (gas-to-liquids) synthetic microcrystalline wax.

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Foreign labour boost to help palm oil production this year, next

NST Online Latest News

The recent increase of foreign labour is anticipated to significantly enhance Malaysia’s palm oil production this year and in the future.

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Indonesia plans to develop cocoa, coconut sectors using palm oil fund

Channel NewsAsia

Indonesia plans to use funds from its palm oil export levy to finance development of the country’s cocoa and coconut sectors, the country’s trade minister said on Wednesday. The world’s biggest palm oil exporter has since 2015 collected a levy to fund its palm oil biodiesel mandate, smallholder replanting programme and palm oil research.

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Requirements for Malaysia to achieve net zero emission target

NST Online Latest News

Effective action from all stakeholders, coupled with strong government leadership, is crucial for Malaysia to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as early as 2050, said RHB Investment Bank Bhd (RHB Research).

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Thai Aviation Fuel Use Soars 17.9%, Contrast With Car Petrol Dips

Khaosod English

As Thailand’s tourism has rebounded, aviation fuel use has soared 17.9%. This contrasts with car fuel consumption in the first five months, which was down. Sarawut Kaewtatip, Director General of the Department of Energy Industry, announced on July 6 that the average fuel consumption from January to May 2024 was 157.13 million liters per day, a decrease of 0.4 percent compared to the same period last year. This includes a 21.6 percent decrease in heating oil and a 16.

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Indonesia Launches Southeast Asia's Largest EV Battery Plant

Daily Tribune

Indonesia took a significant step in its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions on Wednesday with the launch of its first EV battery plant in West Java. President Joko Widodo hailed the facility as “the biggest in Southeast Asia,” marking a new chapter in the country’s push to become a global player in the EV supply chain.

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