Industry News

Industry Roundup: Indian Court Targets Dow for Bhopal; Sasol, Air Liquide Sign Renewables Agreement

Nov. 27, 2023

Also, Yara signs CO2 storage and transportation agreement and Toray receives ISCC certification.

Bhopal Court Considers Petitions to Hold Dow Accountable

A Bhopal, India, court has scheduled a hearing for Jan. 6 to determine whether Dow should be tried for the Union Carbide gas plant disaster in 1984.

Several Indian news outlets reported that a court in Bhopal will consider pleas from petitioners, including one from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, to hold Dow criminally liable for the incident that left 3,000 people dead and caused significant environmental damage. A lawyer representing Dow said the Bhopal court doesn’t have jurisdiction over the case because the multinational firm is governed by international law. Dow purchased Union Carbide in 1999. Read more at ETV Bharat.

Air Liquide and Sasol Sign New Long-Term Renewables Contracts

Air Liquide and Sasol signed new power purchase agreements (PPA) with the global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power for the long-term supply of a capacity of 97.5 MW of renewable power to Sasol’s Secunda site, in South Africa, Air Liquide said on Nov. 21. Air Liquide operates the largest oxygen production site in the world at the Secunda site, according to a news release. This is the third set of PPAs signed by Air Liquide and Sasol, after those announced in the first quarter of 2023 with Enel Green Power and TotalEnergies with its partner Mulilo.

Together, these PPAs represent a total renewable power capacity of around 580 MW. For Air Liquide, these contracts will contribute to the targeted reduction by 30% to 40% of the CO2 emissions associated with oxygen production in Secunda by 2031.

Yara and Northern Lights Sign CO2 Storage Agreement

Norwegian chemical company Yara International signed a binding CO2 transportation and storage agreement with Northern Lights, Yara announced on Nov. 20. Yara is looking to reduce its annual CO2-emissions by 800,000 tons from its ammonia operations at Yara Sluiskil. The CO2 will be liquefied and shipped by Northern Lights from the Netherlands to permanent storage on the Norwegian continental shelf, 5.3 miles under the seabed.

The 800,000 tons of CO2 in Yara Sluiskil is the equivalent to 0.5% of total yearly emissions in the Netherlands, according to the company. Yara will remove about 12 million tons of CO2 from its Sluiskil production over the next 15 years, the company said.

Toray Unit Obtains ISCC Certification for Carbon Fiber Production Plants

Toray Industries Inc. said its French subsidiary, Toray Carbon Fibers Europe S.A., has obtained ISCC PLUS certification for its Lacq and Abidos production plants in South-West France. This certification allows Toray Carbon Fibers Europe to allocate and use biomass or recycled materials through the mass balance approach to produce and supply carbon fiber, the company said.

It also allows Toray Carbon Fibers Europe to reduce the lifecycle inventory of its carbon fiber, prepreg and other offerings and help its customers to enhance product lifecycle assessments while contributing to building a circular economy.

About the Author

Jonathan Katz | Executive Editor

Jonathan Katz, executive editor, brings nearly two decades of experience as a B2B journalist to Chemical Processing magazine. He has expertise on a wide range of industrial topics. Jon previously served as the managing editor for IndustryWeek magazine and, most recently, as a freelance writer specializing in content marketing for the manufacturing sector.

His knowledge areas include industrial safety, environmental compliance/sustainability, lean manufacturing/continuous improvement, Industry 4.0/automation and many other topics of interest to the Chemical Processing audience.

When he’s not working, Jon enjoys fishing, hiking and music, including a small but growing vinyl collection.

Jon resides in the Cleveland, Ohio, area.