THE CATALYST REVIEW - The Catalyst Group

In This Issue
INDUSTRY RUMORS
Europe's Mood in
Chemicals Darkening...
By Clyde Payn
There are a
number of
convoluted
reports that
are stirring
the general
rumor mill in
Europe that
have executives
becoming
increasingly concerned. These are:
(1) the financial stability and debt
Clyde Payn, CEO
The Catalyst Group, Inc.
structures of weakened existing EU
member countries, most notably the
recent financial bailout of Greece, but
with the knowledge that others like
Spain are not that much better off.
This has fueled the general concern
that broader economic recovery in
the Eurozone will at best be delayed.
There is a growing worry that the
recovery is stagnating, with a flat but
potentially negative outcome; (2) the
pending surge of polyolefin capacity
coming on stream in the Middle
East and the nearest export market,
Europe (with its antiquated capacity),
becoming uncompetitive. There is a
report by KPMG that 14 of the 45
crackers in Europe are under threat of
being uneconomic and uncompetitive
based on the higher cost of feedstocks
in Europe. Moreover, other export
markets such as N. America are more
isolated and advantaged by lower cost
natural gas, meaning an increased
pressure on Europe’s locality; and
(3) that China is in a better position
to take advantage of any recovery in
the commodity chemicals segment
globally.
The convergence of these factors
is the reason that more executives
are sanguine about Europe’s
competitiveness in the commodity
chemicals sector. There has been a
general call for more innovation in
the specialty chemicals segment as a
solution to help stave off considerable
consolidation. There is no doubt that
plant closures and rationalization
must come from both Europe and N.
America, but how this will play out has
yet to be seen.
SPOTLIGHT: Peak Performance in
China and India ............................ 2
Mitsui Seeks Partners for
CO 2
-Based Methanol Plant .......... 2
Evonik Acquires Catalyst Business
from H.C. Starck ........................... 2
Refining Industry Grapples with
Downshift as Structural Change
Looms .......................................... 3
Sasol to Apply for Chinese Mine,
Catalyst Plants this Year ............... 3
Danish Enzyme Maker Claims
Biofuel Breakthrough .................. 3
Dual-bed Catalyst System for
C-C Coupling of Biomass-derived
Oxygenated Hydrocarbons to
Fuel-grade Compounds ............... 4
Scientists Figure Out Way to
Convert CO 2
Into Carbon
Monoxide Using Visible Light ...... 5
Special Feature:
Direct Coal Liquefaction:
Learnings from Patent Analytics .. 6
Exceptionally Active Single-Site
Nanocluster Multifunctional
Catalysts for Cascade Reactions .. 11
Light-Driven Hydrogen Generation:
Efficient Iron-Based Water
Reduction Catalysts ..................... 12
Next-Generation Catalysis for
Renewables: Combining Enzymatic
with Inorganic Heterogeneous
Catalysis for Bulk Chemical
Production ................................... 15
Transition Metal–Tungsten
Bimetallic Catalysts for the
Conversion of Cellulose into
Ethylene Glycol ............................ 16
Movers and Shakers ................... 18
The Catalyst Review March 2010
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